Barking dogs seldom bite. That's why Claire was never bothered by Shirley's
attitude. She just smiled, her eyes crinkling with mischief. "Of course I know I'm not really a James. And I'm not York's fiancée anymore. But isn't that what Cindy's here for?"
She shot a look at Cindy, grinning. "Honestly, Cindy and York seem like fate. It's like the universe keeps throwing them together, even at dinner."
Shirley whipped her head around, her eyes landing on Cindy. She'd only met her once, but there was no mistaking the girl who had been switched at birth. Cindy- the Latham family's long-lost daughter.
"What are you doing here?" Shirley demanded, voice sharp.
Cindy blinked, wide-eyed and innocent. "Shirley, right? I don't get what you mean. Why shouldn't I be here?" She glanced away, her tone soft. "I'm just having dinner with my mom and dad, and with Lance. We invited Wade too."
As if Shirley's tone had spooked her, Cindy edged behind Octavia, peeking out from behind her mother's shoulder.
Octavia's frown deepened as she looked between her overbearing niece and her own daughter, who seemed on the verge of tears. Then she remembered Claire's words about York.
"Shirley, what's with the attitude? Cindy's here having dinner with her family. Do you have a problem with that?" Octavia's gaze flicked to York. "And York, why are you even with Shirley right now?"
Shirley might be brash, but she wasn't wrong about one thing. Claire wasn't a James anymore, so her engagement to York was over. Which meant, in Octavia's eyes, that York was now free for Cindy.
Cindy had grown up in the countryside. Finding a good match for her wouldn't be easy. Octavia worried that other well-off families would look down on her daughter's background. But York was different. He'd been meant for Cindy all along. All they needed to do was set things right.
Clearly, it was time to invite the Byron family over for dinner and make this new engagement official.
York spoke up, his tone even. "Octavia, I was just grabbing a meal with some friends. Shirley was just there too, that's all."
He made it sound like Shirley was just a coincidence, nothing more. Everyone knew Shirley wasn't the Byrons' first choice for a daughter-in-law, and York was well aware of her feelings for him.
Octavia nodded, but her eyes
narrowed with a hint of disdain for Shirley Did her niece really think she could just steal Claire's fiancé? She should have checked if she was
even in the running.
Octavia nudged Cindy forward. "Cindy, this is York." Then to York, she added, "And York, this is Cindy. Things got so crazy the other day, you two never got a proper introduction."
Cindy looked up at York with a shy smile. "Hi, York."
He studied Cindy for a moment. She
was nothing like Claire. Claire was
bright and confident, always standing tall and never backing down Cindy, on the other hand, was gentle, almost delicate, with a quiet Charm that made people want to protect her. She seemed so sweet and obedient. As long as she wasn't
too timid, she'd probably be the
dream wife for a lot of men.
"You two really do look alike," York said, a hint of surprise in his voice. "Standing
next to each other, you could pass for sisters."
Octavia chuckled, the tension easing a bit. "Look at you, such a charmer."
York grinned. "I'm just telling it like it is."
He turned serious. "Things have been a bit hectic at home lately. Maybe next time, we can invite your parents over for dinner."
Then he glanced at Shirley. "She can be a little blunt, but she's right about one thing."
He fell quiet, waiting.
"With Claire and Cindy being switched at birth, we might need to rethink this whole engagement," Octavia said.
York nodded. "I'll talk it over with my parents."
He wasn't rushing to make any promises, and everyone could tell. The James family was the one who'd messed up. The Byrons could afford to act aloof. Honestly, from their point of view, swapping Claire for Cindy was a downgrade. Cindy rural upbringing and lack of polish were nothing like Claire's.
Octavia eyed York, wondering if he was just stalling. Did he really need to ask his parents, or was he just buying time?