Chapter 120
Now all she could do was swallow her pride and keep her head down.
Effie’s lips curled into a faint, ambiguous smile—she was curious herself to see what sort of game these two were playing.
“Vera, that won’t be necessary.”
“Effie, come sit down. I have something to ask you,” Shepard said, unable to hide his impatience.
“What is it?” Effie replied, her tone cool and unhurried.
“What’s going on between you and Lyman? I meant to ask you at the last birthday party,” Shepard pressed.
Effie paused for a moment; after that party, she’d thought Shepard would confront her, but she hadn’t expected him to hold back this long.
Of course, Effie knew exactly what Shepard was scheming.
There was no way she’d let him get what he wanted.
So she answered evenly, “There’s nothing between us. I asked him for a favor once he grudgingly agreed, but he made it clear it was a one-time thing. He even warned me not to ask again. I have some self-respect; I’m not about to pester someone like him.”
Shepard’s brows knit together, unconvinced. “Are you telling the truth?”
He remembered seeing them together, laughing and talking; it didn’t look like there was nothing between them.
Effie offered a faint, self-mocking smile. “I know my place. Why would I set my sights on someone so far above me?”
Shepard’s scowl deepened, frustration simmering inside him.
He’d thought Effie might be his way in-clearly, that hope was dead.
His tone grew sharp. “I thought you had some backbone. Turns out you’re just as useless as your mother.”
Effie’s expression turned to ice at the mention of her mother. “Mr. Bagnold, if you were half as capable as you pretend, you wouldn’t need to drag me back here. Let me tell you, even if I did know Lyman, I’d never introduce him to you. You’re not worthy.”
With that, she stood and walked out.
Every second longer in that room made her feel like she was suffocating.
She’d always known what kind of man Shepard was, but having it confirmed again only made her feel more disgusted.
As Effie left, Vera dropped her pretense, sneering at Effie’s retreating back. “I told you-men like Lyman have their pick of women. Why would he ever look at Effie?”
Shepard let out a heavy sigh, feeling utterly at a loss.
Just then, Suzan came in. She’d seen Effie a moment ago and couldn’t help but ask, “What was Effie doing here?”
She better not be scheming for the family’s assets again.
Vera let out an annoyed huff. “We thought she might actually know Lyman, maybe help us make a connection, but turns out she’s got nothing.”
“Dad, Mom, what are you thinking? Effie, friends with someone like that? She probably threw herself at him and he didn’t give her the time of day. Relax-once I marry Mitchell, everything will work out.” Suzan’s voice brimmed with confidence.
Vera nodded approvingly. “That’s right, sweetheart. You make sure to hold on to Mitchell. The Lloyd family is one of the top families around. Once you’re Mrs. Lloyd, we’ll finally have some real standing.”
“Don’t worry, Mom. I know what I’m doing,” Suzan replied.
Lately, Mitchell had seemed a bit distant-not quite as attentive as before-but that didn’t worry her.
Suzan still had her secret weapon.
Men always want something new, she mused. You just have to keep them guessing, keep things fresh, and they’ll never get enough of you.
Suzan promised herself: she would become Mrs. Lloyd, no matter what.