Engagement?
Briony lowered her gaze to the invitation being held out in front of her.
She didn''t reach for it.
"Take it back, Lorna." Briony looked up, meeting Lorna''s eyes. "Stewart and I aren''t exactly on friendly terms after the divorce. If I ept this invitation, I''ll be expected to send a gift-frankly, it''s just a hassle."
"There''s really no need for so much hostility, Ms. Kensington."
Lorna gave her a light, practiced smile. "I can''t have children of my own. Stewart only has Mario, so the Wentworth family will depend on him one day. I hope Mario will care for me in my old age, so I''ll treat him as if he were my own son. I truly want to get along with you, Ms. Kensington—for all our sakes."
Briony frowned.
She can''t have children?
"Go on, take it. As Mario''s new stepmother, I genuinely hope for your support as his mother."
With that, Lorna pressed the invitation into Briony''s hand, took little Mario by the hand, and turned to get into the car.
Briony watched as the car pulled away.
James strolled over, took the invitation from her, and unfolded it with a skeptical look.
"Stewart is really something. He made you promise in the divorce papers not to remarry for three years, and now he''s practically married again himself!"
The more James thought about it, the angrier he got. "Maybe I should send him a box of condolence cards as a wedding gift!"
"Mario is actuallyfortable around Ms. Riley," Briony said quietly.
James paused, ncing at her. "What do you mean by that?"
"He''s sensitive. If Ms. Riley weren''t sincere with him, Mario wouldn''t be so willing
to get close. Plus, I''ve heard from Carol that, while Lorna can be strict, she''s willing to spend real time with Mario."
James still didn''t quite get it. "So?"
"I won''t go to the engagement party. Will you take a gift for me?"
He frowned. "You''re really going to send them a present? Who does that? Since when does an ex-wife send a gift when her ex-husband gets engaged? Briony, you''re way too generous."
"Mario spends more time with them than with me now."
That one simple sentence left James speechless.
Right. This wasn''t about the ex-husband at all. Briony just wanted to make things easier for her son.
The things parents do for their children.
With Mario living in that house, all Briony could do was swallow her pride and go along with it.
Stewart and Lorna''s engagement party was an extravagant affair.
They held it at Northborough''s grandest country estate, and though it was just an engagement, the event rivaled any wedding in scale.
Stewart invited every major business figure in Northborough.
For a full week, the engagement was all anyone in town could talk about.
Briony didn''t attend. James went in her ce and delivered a painting worth millions.
"Leni? had be a famous name in high society circles.
The fact that Stewart received a Leni painting as an engagement gift left many guests green with envy.
Leni''s work was rare, and every piece was highly sought after.
Owning a Leni masterpiece had be something of an obsession among Northborough''s elite.
After the party, Stewart and Lorna set off on their honeymoon, nning to be away for nearly a month.
They left in a hurry, and their driver dropped Carol and little Mario off at Skybreeze Retreat.
Lorna called Briony only after they had arrived.
Since their previous conversation, Briony and Lorna had exchanged information. They ever had
contact
each other''s numbers, though they''d never actually messaged.
There was a lot of background noise-Lorna must have been at the airport.
"Ms. Kensington, I''m so sorry-l
and tell you in advance. Stewart
forgot
and I are going on our honeymoon,
so
have to leave Mario in your
care for now."
Briony''s voice was calm and even. "That''s fine."
"Mario''s preschool sses shouldn''t
be interrupted. I''ve already told the driver he''ll make sure Mario gets ed up and dropped off every day."