Chapter 50
The Hawke family owed Miranda, and she intended to collect every bit of it. But she wasn’t in a hurry. To make them truly pay for their wrongdoings, she needed solid proof. And the punishment she envisioned for them went beyond legal repercussions.
The Hawkes had always protected Arabella because she seemed so sweet, polite, and kind. Born into privilege, she was the quintessential debutante, admired and adored by everyone around her. With four sons in the family, the Hawkes naturally doted on Arabella.
But what if the sweet, kind, and well–behaved princess they believed her to be was a facade? What if the truth about Arabella not only harmed the Hawke family’s interests but also embarrassed them?
Miranda was curious to see how Arabella’s standing within the family might change. Would they continue to shower her with the same affection?
Miranda accompanied Lavinia to the back of the venue. At that moment, Mr. Ashcroft was exchanging pleasantries with Anna.
“Mom, Miranda’s here,” Lavinia announced with a smile, leading Miranda over.
Anna’s face lit up with a warm smile as soon as she saw Miranda. “Miranda, dear,” she looked amiable. “Come closer and let me have a look at you.”
Today, Anna looked vibrant and radiant, a stark contrast to when Miranda had last seen her. Back then, Miranda was just the doctor, the lifesaver to her. But now, there was an added layer of warmth and affection, considering the familial bond.
Miranda smiled gently. “No need to move, I’ll check on you.”
Anna obediently sat still. The Lancaster family members around them suppressed their laughter. At home, Mrs. Anna Lancaster was quite a handful, always bustling about now that she felt better, ignoring advice to take it
easy.
But with Miranda’s command, she remained as still as a mouse.
Miranda carefully examined Mrs. Anna Lancaster. “Open your mouth. Stick out your tongue. Good, now your
eyes.”
Her fingers probed gently around the neck and behind the ears before she finally checked her pulse.
Everyone fell silent, waiting until Miranda’s further consultant was over. Ever since her impressive first visit to the Lancaster family, they had learned to keep quiet during her examinations.
Mr. Ashcroft observed with a furrowed brow.
A moment later, Miranda stood up. “You’re recovering well, but you’ve been overdoing it a bit. Try to cut back on the activities and get some more rest.”
Lavinia chuckled. “I’ve been telling you to follow Miranda’s advice and take it easy. But no, you have to go line dancing every morning and evening.”
Mrs. Anna Lancaster looked a bit sheepish at her words, like a student caught misbehaving. She coughed awkwardly. “Alright, I’ll pay attention from now on.”
Mr. Ashcroft chimed in, his tone calm, “Miranda, why do you give her a full check–up and I just got a single acupuncture session?”
There was a hint of jealousy in his voice. They both were Miranda’s patients, only Anna having a further consultant and the elderly man having not even received any words of concern. He felt displeased.
Mrs. Anna Lancaster glanced at Mr. Ashcroft, amused by his sudden bout of envy.
“Mrs. Anna Lancaster is my patient, so of course, I check on her,” Miranda explained.
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Chapter 50
Mr. Ashcroft leaned on his cane, his voice gruff. “Young lady, what does it take to get you to treat me?”
Lavinia and Mrs. Anna Lancaster exchanged glances, opting not to intervene. Lavinia discreetly gestured for the other Lancaster family members to mingle elsewhere.
Miranda’s lips curved into a slight smile as she answered Mr. Ashcroft, “Money and, well, depends on my mood.”
Mr. Ashcroft nodded at her reply, having learned from his chat with Mrs. Anna Lancaster that Miranda had been the one to cure her supposedly incurable illness – a condition so mysterious that even its name was unknown.
Now, it was treated successfully yet effortlessly, and the medical community was buzzing, eager to learn more about Miranda, though the Lancaster family had kept her identity under wraps.
If not for his visit and conversation with Mrs. Anna Lancaster, he might never have known that the Great Healer who cured Anna of the Lancaster family in Virell turned out to be the very same girl who had once saved his
life.
