Chapter 292
The newcomer appeared to be a guy of the same age as Blake. He had a tall and slender frame, fair skin, a clear but somewhat childlike gaze, and light brown hair. His friendly smile made him quite approachable.
Seeing his face, Pearl immediately connected him to his identity. If she wasn’t mistaken, this might be Glenn Palmer, another well-known figure in Bodgow, and Blake’s best friend.
The Palmers had a significant presence in politics and held a position of influence and power in Bodgow. However, Glenn didn’t appear as lively and youthful as one might expect-he seemed somewhat serious.
At first glance, Glenn noticed Blake in the flowerbed, and the funny sight prompted him to tease his friend. “Oh, Mister Blake. Have you taken up a liking for flowers?”
Blake managed to get to his feet, though not without some discomfort. Suppressing his aching hips, he sounded angry. “Why did you do that, Pearl?” Initially, he wanted to question why she had kicked him, but with Glenn present, he felt too embarrassed to admit it.
Pearl shrugged, watching Blake’s indignation with satisfaction. “What’s the matter? Didn’t you speak rudely first?”
Fiercely, Blake glared at Pearl but couldn’t act violently toward her with Glenn around. He had no choice but to set aside his annoyance.
“Okay, stop arguing with a woman. By the way, I came to ask you about something,” Glenn.
said.
Blake redirected his attention to Glenn. “What is it?”
“We’re having a wine-tasting party in a few days. Would you like to join us? I heard there’s an interesting activity-”
Blake declined without hesitation. “No, I’ll pass. Sounds boring.”
Glenn didn’t push further and chuckled at Blake’s reluctance. “I heard that the grand gift for this activity is the antique wine glass you’ve always wanted. Are you sure you want to pass on it?”
Despite his quick temper, Blake had a passion for collecting and had been assembling a set of wine glasses, with one particular piece missing. Surprisingly, that missing wine glass was in the possession of the organizer of the wine-tasting party.
“I’ll think about it.”
Meanwhile, Pearl had lost interest in their conversation. She inquired, “Where is Master Jordan?”
Glenn had noticed Pearl some time ago, the young and charming woman with long wavy hair and an exquisite presence. He couldn’t recall when Blake had gotten acquainted with such an elegant and beautiful woman.
“Who might this be, Mister Blake? Are you hiding a beautiful lady from the world and now introducing her to your family?”
Blake frowned. “That’s not the case. She’s the cousin I mentioned the other day, who was
separated from our family for many years. She’s here to be reunited with us.” Enlightened, Glenn remarked, “Ah, the legendary Miss Pearl. What an honor.”
For some reason, Pearl found herself repelled by Glenn’s words. “Hello, Mister Glenn.”
Delighted, Glenn replied, “You recognized me even before I introduced myself. Am I that famous?”
Pearl, known for her sharp tongue, quipped, “Well, the word on the street is that you spend the most time with Mister Blake. You two are inseparable, and you have a very close’ relationship’ with each other.”
The latter part of Pearl’s description sounded somewhat peculiar because it didn’t quite fit to describe a friendship as a ‘relationship.’
Nevertheless, Glenn found Pearl’s wit and sharp tongue rather endearing. He burst into laughter and said, “Your cousin is pretty interesting, Blake.”
For some inexplicable reason, Blake felt smug rather than disgusted when Glenn referred to Pearl as his cousin.
