Chapter 83

Clara seemed to be in high spirits. When Nathaniel walked in, he overheard her excitedly chatting with someone, her hearty laughter filling the room.

Arthur was the first to notice him. He smiled and said, "Mr. Carter is back."

Nathaniel gave a brief nod in acknowledgment, then turned his attention to Clara, who waved enthusiastically at him. "Come and take a look at this."

"What is it?" Nathaniel asked, his smile lingering for a moment before it faded slightly when his eyes landed on the tablet screen.

"What do you think of this one? She's the Johnson family's daughter. Last time, she was at..."

"Why are you looking at these things?" Nathaniel asked as he straightened up, clearly uninterested.

"What are you saying? Naturally, I'm looking for a potential granddaughter-in-law. Look, I was saying—"

"I'm not thinking about that for now," Nathaniel cut her off.

"I didn't say you had to get married now! I'm just asking you to take a look. And if there's someone suitable, you can get to know them first before getting engaged," Clara protested.

"This time, we need to be more careful. We can't end up with someone like Eleanor again. That was truly a mistake."

Nathaniel's brows furrowed involuntarily. "Why are you suddenly bringing up Eleanor again?"

"Am I wrong? I heard she had an improper relationship with that adoptive father of hers. It makes sense now why she so easily agreed to divorce—she must've been guilty."

Nathaniel's expression darkened. "Who told you this?"

Clara picked up on the shift immediately, and she narrowed her eyes. "What's wrong? You seem upset."

"I'm not upset, but that's already a matter concerning someone who's no longer part of our lives. There's no need to listen to those kinds of stories anymore. And you shouldn't bother with the people who bring them up in front of you, either," Nathaniel said.

"Well... I suppose you're right. But Isabella means well. She comes by every day to chat with me, just trying to keep me company. She must've let something slip, that's all. Don't misinterpret her intentions," Clara explained.

Nathaniel furrowed his brow but merely nodded.

"Don't change the subject. I'm talking about finding a potential granddaughter-in-law," Clara continued, handing the tablet back to him. "Take a look. Don't worry. Caroline picked women of good character this time. What happened with Eleanor won't happen again."

"I already said I'm not thinking about this for now."

"You're just..." Clara seemed ready to say more, but a maid entered with a food container before she could.

"Mrs. Montgomery Senior, Ms. Isabella dropped by and left this for you," the maid said.

"Where is she?"

"She already left."

"Why did she leave? Go and bring her back immediately!"

Clara suddenly became anxious. Not only did she instruct the maid, but she also gave Nathaniel a shove for good measure.

Left with no choice, Nathaniel stepped outside. He spotted Isabella just as she was about to get into her car. "Isabella."

When Isabella heard his voice, she quickly stopped. Then, she slowly looked up with red-rimmed eyes. "Nathaniel..."

Nathaniel stood at the top of the stairs. "Grandma wants you to come in."

"I... It's fine. I just wanted to bring something for her. I probably won't be able to come by as often anymore."

When Isabella finished speaking, Nathaniel didn't respond immediately.

Isabella bit her lip and couldn't hold back any longer. "Nathaniel, I'm getting engaged. Did you know that?"