Chapter 371
“Mr. Etheridge, would you like me to drive you back to the old manor?” Luther asked.
Earlier today, when Luther had come to the manor to see Lyman, he’d learned from him that Effie was still asleep upstairs. Lyman had wanted to bring Effie along when he left, but she’d looked so peaceful, he’d decided not to wake her and headed out alone.
“No need,” Lyman replied. “Let’s go back to The Marble Heights.”
“Alright.”
When Lyman returned home, he unlocked the door and was greeted by an empty, silent house.
“Effie? Grandma?” he called.
No one answered.
For a moment, Lyman froze in confusion, then pulled out his phone, ready to call Effie. Just then, laughter drifted in from the direction of the stairs. Looking up, he saw Effie and her grandmother emerging from the elevator, arms linked.
Effie carried a grocery basket in one hand.
Catching sight of Lyman, she waved excitedly and called out with a bright smile, “You’re back!”
Relief washed over Lyman as he smiled back. “Did you go shopping?”
Effie nodded. “Yeah. Grandma says there’s only a supermarket in our building, not much choice, and nothing’s really fresh. So I took her to the local farmer’s market nearby. We brought back loads of food, and tonight, I’m cooking.”
Lyman realized that in all the time he’d known Effie, this might be the first time she’d offered to cook herself. He couldn’t help but feel a little anticipation.
“Sounds great.”
Effie grinned. “By the way, who did you meet with today? You left so early this morning.”
“A businessman from Blackmire, last name Harper-“
Suddenly, there was a loud thud as something heavy hit the floor. Both Lyman and Effie turned to see what had happened. Grandma, while unpacking, had dropped something.
“Grandma, are you alright?”
She laughed it off. “I’m fine, just fumbled a bit.”
Effie took the item from her hand. “Grandma, why don’t you go sit down and
relax? I’ve got dinner tonight-you just wait and enjoy.”
Grandma looked at her, eyebrows raised in concern. “Are you sure you want to cook?”
Effie winked. “Grandma, come on, making dinner isn’t rocket science.”
Grandma gave her a long, meaningful look, then quietly shuffled out of the kitchen.
Once she was sure Effie couldn’t hear, Grandma tugged Lyman aside and lowered her voice. “Lyman, trust me-you might want to order some takeout in advance.”
He looked surprised. “Why? She seems pretty confident in the kitchen.”
Grandma sighed. “Don’t be fooled by appearances. She looks like the picture of the perfect housewife, but her mother never taught her how to cook, and when she moved in with me, felt bad making her leam. Her cooking is… let’s just say, edible is as good as it gets.”
Lyman shrugged, unconcerned. “As long as it’s cooked through, I’ll be fine.”
Grandma shook her head, clearly unconvinced that he understood what was coming. “Lyman, come here, show me how to order takeout on my phone.”
He watched as Grandma, glasses perched on her nose, fiddled with the food delivery app. He couldn’t help but think she might be overreacting a little.
Then “Whoa-!”
A loud sizzle from the kitchen, followed by Effie’s shriek, cut him off. Instinctively, both Lyman and Grandma hurried toward the sound. Grandma’s pace was no match for Lyman’s, so by the time she reached the kitchen, Lyman was already there, snapping the lid onto the pan. The small burst of flames died out as the lid shut tight, leaving Effie wide-eyed and breathless in the middle of her culinary adventure.