Edith was stunned and anxious. She had no idea what was wrong with Justin, but judging by the look on his face, it seemed serious.
She scrambled out of the car, tugging the door open. “You don’t need to see me off. I can get home on my own. Go see a doctor, please.”
Now that she could get a better look at Justin, she saw that his chiseled jawline was already swollen.
What on earth had happened to him?
Edith couldn’t help but wonder.
Moments later, the staff of the Hawksley family rushed out in a flurry after receiving the news, hurrying to help Justin out of the driver’s seat.
As Edith brushed past him, she could feel just how labored Justin’s breathing had become–if you could even call it breathing at all.
Alarmed, she followed after them, wanting to see what was really going on.
But just as Justin, struggling for every breath, was being half–dragged toward the house, he managed to turn his head and say, “Edith, I’llhave the Hawksley driver take you home.”
Edith wasn’t clueless–what he meant was clear enough. He didn’t want her to get further involved.
She stopped where she was, nodded, and didn’t press him for answers. “Alright.”
The Hawksley estate was in chaos. Staff hurried around, back and forth, and several doctors clustered outside Justin’s bedroom.
Sarah looked on with worry and sympathy etched across her face, while Father Benedict’s features were drawn tight with sternness and blame. “Honestly, Justin, what were you thinking? You know you’re allergic to cinnamon, and yet you pay no mind!”
Sarah couldn’t bear it. “Enough, Benedict. He’s already in this state–what good does blaming him do now?”
Sarah Sheffield thought Edmund Hawksley could be so oblivious sometimes. Her son was reserved, and when he did try to be romantic, his father never seemed to get it–he just scolded. She was glad, at least, that Justin wasn’t as emotionally dense as his father.
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15.09
Chapter 18
The flush had faded from Justin’s face, replaced by his usual calm reserve.
Edmund’s eyes were fierce as he pressed on, “The doctors said you know you’re allergic to cinnamon. How could you be so careless with your health?”
Sarah tried to ease the tension, “Edmund, you’re getting more stubborn with age. Justin’s just being thoughtful–Edith gave him that cologne as a gift.”
Edmund still couldn’t understand–why pretend to like something when you know you’re allergic to it?
Sarah just shook her head in exasperation. Men like Edmund would never get it.
Justin, still weak, glanced around the room, relaxing only when he saw that Edith wasn’t there. “Did Edith make it home?”
“She did,” Sarah replied. “Zack drove her. He’s on his way back now.”
Justin frowned. “She didn’t notice anything… odd, did she?”
“What could she notice?” Sarah reassured him. “That girl’s as sweet as can be. You told her the driver would take her home, and she waited right where she was, didn’t move an inch.”
Justin nodded, relieved. “Good.”
The last thing he wanted was for Edith to know he’d had an allergic reaction to the cologne she’d given him. She’d only blame herself.
The truth was, Justin had felt an instinctive warning the moment he opened the bottle. He knew he was severely allergic to cinnamon, and most colognes contained it. But he’d seen how nervous Edith was, how she worried her gift wasn’t good enough. He hadn’t wanted her to feel that way, so he’d taken the risk.
After all, an allergic reaction was nothing a little medicine couldn’t fix.
Meanwhile, Edith returned to the Sumner house, still distracted.
Jayne had already finished her meeting with Attorney Grant and had cooked a whole table of dishes for Edith–all sweet, just the way she liked them.
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After days of nothing but tangy food at the Vance family’s, Edith’s stomach practically churned at the thought.
Edith hugged her mother tight. “Mom, you’re the best.”
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