Episode 69
“Get in,” came Elijah’s stern command from inside the car, his dark expression brooking no argument.Elizabeth flicked a disinterested look at Elijah, then averted her eyes as if he were merely an inconsequential stranger lingering in the background. She stepped boldly from the shelter of Oliver’s umbrella, embracing the downpour as she strode toward the car she booked.
“Mrs. Norris, Mr. Norris has specifically come to drive you home,” Oliver called out with urgency in his voice, though he hesitated to physically intervene by reaching out to stop her. Meanwhile, Elijah remained silent, observing the scene unfold. Without a word, he left the car. With swift steps, he intercepted Elizabeth, slamming the rear door of the car she had just opened. “What are you doing?” Elizabeth’s initial irritation quickly morphed into bewilderment. Ignoring her question, Elijah scooped her up effortlessly and carried her toward his car. “Put me down!”
Elizabeth demanded, wriggling in his arms in a vain attempt to escape. Her voice was thick with exasperation. “Elijah, is this how you show respect to a woman? Forcing me to accompany you in such a manner?” Powerless to resist, she could only watch helplessly as Elijah gently placed her in the backseat of his car. Elijah slid into the car, his eyes immediately drawn to the damp marks her presence had left on his clothing. His eyebrows knitted in a fleeting scowl.
Elizabeth’s hair, drenched from the rain, clung to her cheeks in wet tendrils. Droplets fell from the ends, staining the delicate embroidery of the luxury blanket under her feet with dark, spreading splotches. Oliver was the first to react upon entering the vehicle. He flicked on the air conditioner and extended a dry blanket toward Elizabeth. “Mrs. Norris, please dry off your hair,” he offered calmly. Observing her disheveled state, Elijah couldn’t resist throwing a playful jab her way. “Why did you walk away like that? How foolish of you.
” In his view, Elizabeth was merely acting out, engaging in trivial dramatics. He failed to grasp why she would choose to compromise her comfort just to prove a point. Elizabeth stopped patting her hair dry and turned to face him. “If you hadn’t butted in unexpectedly, I would have been in the car already. Why did I have to be out in the rain this long?”
