"Mabel, Claire's the young doctor who realized I was having a seizure at Hearth & Kettle last time,” Eaton said, eager to introduce her.
"Claire, our whole family's honestly so grateful you helped Eaton. If you hadn't acted so quickly, I don't even want to think about what could've happened." Mabel's smile was full of warmth and she looked like she meant every word. "Would you join us for dinner, if you're free?"
It was obvious Mabel and Eaton were pretty close as cousins, so her gratitude to Claire felt honest and heartfelt.
"Oh, that's alright. You don't have to trouble yourself with dinner,” Claire replied, polite but a little shy.
Mabel grinned. "Then... would you maybe let me see inside Hearth & Kettle? Please, could you ask your friend? We'll pay for a tour, and I promise we won't touch or damage anything—not even a leaf.”
“Hearth & Kettle isn't mine,” Dane jumped in before Claire could say anything.
Mabel turned to Claire in surprise.
Claire laughed, looking a little embarrassed. "Actually, Hearth & Kettle was a gift from a family elder."
Mabel's eyes went wide, then, without warning, she grabbed Claire's hand. "Claire, you have to let me in for a look. Just one look. I swear, no pictures if you say so. Later, I'll treat you to the biggest meal right here-order whatever you want, it's on me!"
Mabel's family was in real estate and she was their precious only daughter. She basically grew up with every luxury, so developing a love for architecture was no surprise. When something caught her attention, she never let it go.
A few steps away, Valerie's expression changed the second she heard Hearth & Kettle belonged to Claire. It was an ugly look-shocked, suspicious, maybe a little jealous.
"That can't be true. She can't be the owner. Everyone knows The James Family owns Hearth & Kettle. Even if they were passing it down, it should be Cindy, not Claire," Valerie muttered under her breath.
Valerie had never liked Claire. Claire was the golden girl everyone praised and compared her to. Valerie looked plain, her talents were ordinary, and her grades were nothing to brag about. Every time she overheard parents talking Claire up, resentment just grew. The day she found out Claire was switched at birth and wasn't really an heiress, Valerie had been thrilled. Why should someone so perfect have both talent and money? Life wasn't fair, so at least it comforted her to know not everything went Claire's way.
Claire glanced at her, voice cool. "I said it was a gift from an elder. Never said it was The James Family who gave it to me. What's wrong Valerie Upset that someone else might be doing better, or is it that you can't stand to see other people happy? With jealousy like yours, it's got to be tricky being your friend."
Claire had never planned on arguing with Valerie, but after so many provocations,
she wasn't about to play nice anymore.
Valerie snapped, voice high and angry. “I'm just saying what everyone's thinking! Do you have to be so mean about it?"
Mabel stepped between them,
hands up. "Valerie, wait. Did
something happen between you and
Claire?" She'd picked up on Valerie's
negative energy long before. But Claire's words made her rethink her things Was Valete actually jealous? Was there more to her anger than she let on? And when Claire said being friends with Valerie might be dangerous, that really hit home for Mabel. Was she right?
"There's no misunderstanding," Valerie said coldly. "Mabel, seriously, there's just no way Claire owns a place like Hearth & Kettle. Don't let her fool you."
Right then, Jennifer came out to the porch. She worried the group might be giving
Claire a hard time, or worse, upsetting her enough that she might take back Hearth
& Kettle's front courtyard. Jennifer had seen how straightforward and stubborn Claire could be.
She called, “Claire," softly, cutting through Valerie's last words.
Valerie's face brightened the moment she recognized Jennifer. If Claire was stretching the truth, now was her chance to be exposed. The warmth in Jennifer's voice when she greeted Claire seemed to go right over Valerie's head.