Katie perked up her ears to listen in more. She knew so much about the woman in the main room that she couldn’t help but be surprised at the request or proposal, no matter how she viewed it. Geneva, however, casually stirred her tea, placing the dainty teaspoon to the side before raising her eyes to look at the woman opposite her.
"I have a feeling that there is more to what you said, Abi Mush."
Geneva’s movents were slow, precise, and as gentle as if she had all the ti in the world. She noted Abi’s slightly repressed smile and nodded.
"In as much as I think that a union between our families will be beneficial between us, my second son, Brad, does not seem ready to settle down any ti soon.... So...." Geneva intentionally made her voice trail at the end, knowing perfectly well that Abi would let her real intentions known and Geneva did not have to wait longer.
"My proposal is about your oldest son!"
Katie snapped her head in the direction. This was because she knew that everyone from adult to child should have known by then that the oldest of the Thornsons’ boys was already married, so why would Abi co with this said proposal weeks or rather months after the marriage? What exactly was her ga plan?
Geneva showed no surprise as she knew the ga very well. Ian was the more capable son out of the two. This did not an that Brad was useless at all. Her second son only appeared like that to the public, but he had his own rits.
Geneva preferred not to compare both sons to each other as they were very different individuals. Nonetheless, she could understand why people would set their sights on the oldest, Ian. She had initially ntioned her second son to test out Abi, making sure not to miss her reactions at all.
Also, if the eting had been for Brad, Abi would not have had that slight urgency with her invitation. Another point that stood out to Geneva was the fact that Abi’s only daughter had tried to visit them the day before and just the exact day that Ian had been out. Even though Geneva understood that the girl was friends with her daughter-in-law, that disrespect did not go down well with her.
Geneva smiled, despite all these thoughts going in and out of her head, "Abi, you should know by now that Ian is married...and to the best friend of your daughter, the last I heard, so why are you bringing these blasphemous words out here."
"Before you make a decision, Madam Thornston..."
Despite the fact that Geneva could freely use Abi’s first na, Abi could not do the sa for her. This showed the societal ranks between them.
"Before you reply, you should hear the terms of the proposal first!"
Geneva raised her eyebrow slightly. It was nothing too exaggerated, but then, considering that Abi knew of Ian’s marriage before coming in for the eting, it ant that she had co ard up to her teeth in armour.
Geneva thought about it for a bit, crossed her hands delicately on her thighs, and smiled. That was all the encouragent that Abi Mush needed. She reached into her bag and brought several docunts, making Geneva ask herself if they were at a business eting or a eting for a potentially invalid marriage.
As Abi arranged all those docunts, she thought back to the state her daughter was in back at ho and vowed to do all she could to get Geneva to agree with her. Once Geneva agreed, all other mbers of the Thornston family would follow suit.
Clearly, Abi needed a know-your-future-son-in-law crash course because if she had known Ian, she would have probably targeted him for the eting instead.
There was no hesitance as Abi had already had this prepared beforehand.
The night before, she had been having a quiet wine ti when her daughter had barged ho in tears! Her mood had been soured!
To Abi and her husband, Briana was their world! And they could not stand any injustice against her in any way, no matter how small it may seem. However, it was more from Abram than from Abi.
Abi was used to Briana’s temper tantrums and slight hysteria, but never once had she seen a so-distressed daughter.
She jumped from her seat and ran up to her, asking,
"What is it, Briana? What happened to you?"
At that ti, Abi was glad that her husband was not around because his reaction would have been so bad that she may have had to console two ’children’ instead.
When Briana cald down enough and narrated the rejected visit from the Thornston estate, Abi sat in resignation, pulling Briana with her.
"Get her so of the fuzzy drink that she loves!" Abi had said to no one in particular, knowing perfectly well that any of the available maids would do the task.
She used her sleeve to clean Briana’s tears and then looked straight into her daughter’s eyes.
"Mum will take care of it for you."
What Abi really wanted to say was that her daughter should have gone through the proper ans to secure herself an invite. Abi knew how traditional Geneva was when it ca to things like those. Even she, Abi, had been awaiting Geneva’s reply to her invitation before she went to et her. However, Abi would never say that to distress her precious daughter more than she was.
Briana’s fuzzy drink arrived, and her mother handed it to her.
"Take a sip and refresh yourself..."
"But Mum, how could Shelby do this to ? Isn’t it her ho now? She should have been able to let in, but she didn’t!"
"Briana? I sai-"
"Mum, you are not listening. She even lied! She said that Ian was not even there at the ceremony and the-"
"Wait, Briana, dear, he was not there?"
"Yes! That’s what Shelby said, but tonight, they said the order to barge my entry ca from him! How could she? What could she have told him that would make him reject my visit but let that other pauper, Ava, go instead of ? I don’t understand it, mum!"
Abi’s mind was spinning so fast.
’Ian Thornston was not there? Are the rumours about him true? Is he sick? What is going on there? Also, if Ian was not at the ceremony, did that an that they were not married? My baby might have a chance after all. Good thing that I have already sent that invite for the visit-’
Abi’s phone dinged then, and she pulled it out, her smile widening and almost stretching from ear to ear.
That was the ssage she had been waiting for. Geneva Thornston’s acknowledgent to et her the next day!
"Mum! Why are you smiling when I am telling you sothing serious!"
"It’s okay, Mum will handle it for you."
"How?!" Briana snapped, but Abi just rubbed her arm over her daughter’s arms and then added.
"I have told you to keep your friends close and your enemies even closer. You have to make sure to maintain your relationship with them. Right now, they hold an upper hand over you despite their societal standing. You need them to get what you want! A classic example of ’Use what you have to get what you want!’"
Abi held her daughter’s hand and then added, "You may hate their guts, but you have to smile with them and wait for your ti. Believe , my daughter, that ti will definitely co when you least expect it!"
"Mum, you just don’t -"
"I understand it more than you think, my dear daughter." Abi kissed Briana’s forehead and then further cald her down with her favourite als, then she prepared to go for that eting.
Back at the restaurant, Geneva asked,
"What are these?"
"I know your family controls most of the lands here as well, and your power and reach are imasurable, but I know that this piece of land, even though small, will be of interest to you."
Out of curiosity, Geneva glanced at it; her eyes barely widened as she tried very so hard to mask her surprise.
The Thornston family did rule most of the Island and had many people in different powerful positions all around by virtue of the fact that their ancestors were the first settlers. However, the first Thornston settler had only concentrated on garnering land on the inner lands and the ports had been left for years.
When the foresight ca that the ports were better, especially in getting goods out of the island after they started producing more products than could be locally consud on the island, it was too late, and the port lands had fallen into other hands.
For the Thornston family, this was one headache as they had to pay millions to get goods out and in. They had tried over the years to get to control the ports to no avail.
Surprisingly, that docunt in front of Geneva was the deed to one of the larger ports on T-Vino Island. It also counted as one of the busiest.
"What do you an by this?" Geneva couldn’t help but ask. She clasped her fingers tightly so that Abi would not see her reaction, but Abi was a shrewd woman. She sat back, then relaxed, satisfied with what she was seeing.
"So, then, what do you say? If Ian marries my daughter, she will co with that as her dowry."
"I-" For a long ti in her life, Geneva was at a loss of words. Her expression showed a dilemma so great that she could not mask it!
*********
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