Ablett gently lifted Blanche’s legs onto his lap and slipped off her shoes. Her soles, pale and swollen from too long in the seawater and covered in small cuts from the branches, made him frown as he took in the damage.
“Director–General?” Blanche stammered, flustered. She tried to pull her legs away, but Ablett’s grip on her ankles was firm–gentle enough not to hurt, but impossible to ignore.
He reached for the first aid kit the male’secretary had quietly set out in the front seat, opened it, and took out a bottle of antiseptic.
“I can do it myself,” Blanche murmured, cheeks flushing with embarrassment at the idea of the Director–General tending to her feet.
“You can’t see what you’re doing,” Ablett replied, his voice steady and calm.
Blanche reluctantly let go. Ablett pressed a gauze pad, cool and soaked in antiseptic, to the arch of her foot. The sting shot through her, making her gasp quietly.
“Does it hurt?” he asked.
She shook her head, even as he slowed his movements, wrapping her tender foot with careful precision. Suddenly, he spoke, his tone thoughtful. “My grandmother’s getting on in years. My grandfather waited for me to settle down before he passed. Now my mother doesn’t want Grandma to leave with that same regret.”
He finished tying a neat bow with the bandage, his long fingers lingering on her foot as he looked up at her. “Would you consider having a wedding with me?”
Blanche’s beautiful eyes widened in surprise as she met his
“If you’d rather not, I understand,” Ablett added softly, smoothing the hem of her dress down to cover her legs again.
Blanche knew the Lopez family wasn’t particularly fond of her. She’d never wanted a wedding just for Susannah’s sake. But Wilhelmina Lopez and Gaylord had always treated her kindly. In truth, she had more to gain from this marriage than Ablett did. He’d always cherished Mamie, and hadn’t he just saved Blanche’s life? She owed him, both in sentiment and in principle.
Watching Ablett’s gentle care, Blanche finally spoke. “Maybe we could keep it small–just family and close friends?”
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Chapter 228
Ablett’s eyes softened at her agreement, and she continued, her voice light, “We’ll get divorced eventually, so it shouldn’t affect you much. The grand wedding should be for the woman you truly love someday.”
Ablett’s hand came to rest lightly on her thigh, his response mild. “Let’s just focus
on now.”
A shadow of Eddy’s obsessive face flickered across his mind.
When they arrived at McCarthy Manor, the secretary opened the door. Ablett stepped out first, then circled around to open Blanche’s door. Without waiting for her protest, he leaned in and lifted her into his arms.
Blanche blushed, embarrassed, and tried to squirm away. “I can walk on my own,
really.”
Before Ablett could reply, the secretary explained with a knowing smile, “Miss Griffiths, you’re injured. If the Director–General didn’t take care of you, Mrs. McCarthy would never let him hear the end of it.”
Everyone close to the couple knew how things really stood between them. The McCarthys were anxious, but someone else was even more impatient, constantly trying to interfere. The secretaries, especially the old hands who’d been with Ablett for years, were exhausted by the drama. They’d even tried to set him up with Wendy, thinking it’d be easier to have someone familiar and trustworthy around. But before those plans could go anywhere, the news of his marriage to Blanche had dropped like a bomb, leaving the staff reeling and bearing the brunt of upper management’s displeasure.
Honestly, even if Ablett had told them beforehand, none of them would’ve dared object.
Blanche, worried about being a burden, slipped her slender a
neck, her head resting lightly against his chest. His scent–ink and warmth surrounded her, making her cheeks flush even more.
ound Ablett’s
As Ablett carried her into the McCarthy home, they barely made it to the foyer before running into a pair of icy, furious eyes.
Eddy glared at them, his lips pressed into a tight, thin line.
“Laney, did you get hurt?” Wilhelmina Lopez hurried over, concern written all over her face.
“She scraped her foot in the woods. I’ve already treated it,” Ablett replied calmly, settling Blanche gently onto the sofa in the living room.
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Chapter 229
