Claire and Dane were on the road, completely unaware of what was happening back at the hospital.
They stopped to pick up some holiday gifts, then headed straight to the Churchill family home together.
"Maybe I should go in alone. Why don't you head back first?" Claire's nerves got the better of her as they got closer to the Churchill estate. She shot Dane a worried look.
If she brought Dane inside, wouldn't that just irritate Baldrick? There was no way Baldrick would be happy seeing them show up together.
"We're already here. If I don't go in to pay my respects to Baldrick for the New Year, he's just going to be even more annoyed. Besides, it'd be rude if I didn't." Dane could see exactly what Claire was thinking, but he wasn't about to turn back now.
Claire thought about it for a second. It actually made sense.
When they reached the Churchill front door, Dane stepped up and knocked.
The butler opened the door, and for a split second, he looked surprised to see Dane.
"Dane?" he said, then spotted Claire behind him and broke out into a warm smile. “Claire, you're back?"
Before either of them could respond, the butler was already turning to go. "I'll go tell Padgett right away."
Claire and Dane followed, scrambling to keep up as the butler hurried inside.
“Padgett, Claire is back!” the butler called out as soon as he walked in. His voice carried through the house, loud enough for everyone-Padgett and all the guests— to hear.
Today's guests included Ophelia's sister-in-law and her niece, plus Tiffany and her daughter Yolande.
When Yolande heard Claire was back, she perked up. "Didn't they say Claire went home?"
She made to run out and greet her, but her mom stopped her with a hand on her
arm.
"What are you so excited about?"
"Of course she's going to show up,
all eager. It's the perfect time to butter up the family. You just watch. Now that she's back for the holidays, who knows how much stuff Padgett's family will give her?"
"You're so naïve. She's here to take what you have!" Tiffany said, a sharp edge in her voice.
Yolande just rolled her eyes. "Mom, I told you to stop talking like that."
"Claire isn't here to steal anything from me. If anyone's been taking advantage, it's me. I've already benefitted for so many years. Shouldn't I be satisfied by now?"
"If you keep talking like this, Padgett might not want us here at all."
Tiffany let out a mocking little scoff. "You're the foolish one. Didn't you see Octavia's niece over there? She heard the youngest churchill granddaughter was back so of course she's here snooping for information."
Meanwhile, ligana and Irma, the mother-daughter pair from the other branch of the family, looked a little stiff. Clearly they were curious about this suddenly returning Claire, But they kept quiet and maintained their
cool, refusing to show what they
cool,
were really thinking.
"She came back this early?" Padgett sounded genuinely happy, acting like he hadn't even noticed lieana and Irma's reactions.
But the moment Claire and Dane walked in together, Padgett's smile faltered.
“Claire, why are you coming in with Dane?" he asked, maybe a little harsher than he meant. “Did you just run into him outside?"
The truth was, Padgett was treating Dane the way some fathers act with a new son- in-law they aren't all that fond of.
"No, it's a long story. Is there a gathering today?" Claire said, glancing around and quickly noticing Tiffany and Yolande.
She greeted them, smiling genuinely. Yolande slipped away from her mother and rushed over to pull Claire aside for some girl talk.
Tiffany, though, was all about appearances. Her eyes landed on Dane, sizing him up from head to toe.
“So, this is Dane? Very impressive,” she said, her words smooth but her eyes sharp.