Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Engagement?

Briony lowered her gaze to the invitation being held out in front of her.

She didn't reach for it.

"Take it back, Lorna." Briony looked up, meeting Lorna's eyes. "Stewart and I aren't exactly on friendly terms after the divorce. If I accept this invitation, I'll be expected to send a gift-frankly, it's just a hassle."

"There's really no need for so much hostility, Ms. Kensington."

Lorna gave her a light, practiced smile. "I can't have children of my own. Stewart only has Mario, so the Wentworth family will depend on him one day. I hope Mario will care for me in my old age, so I'll treat him as if he were my own son. I truly want to get along with you, Ms. Kensington—for all our sakes."

Briony frowned.

She can't have children?

"Go on, take it. As Mario's new stepmother, I genuinely hope for your support as his mother."

With that, Lorna pressed the invitation into Briony's hand, took little Mario by the hand, and turned to get into the car.

Briony watched as the car pulled away.

James strolled over, took the invitation from her, and unfolded it with a skeptical look.

"Stewart is really something. He made you promise in the divorce papers not to remarry for three years, and now he's practically married again himself!"

The more James thought about it, the angrier he got. "Maybe I should send him a box of condolence cards as a wedding gift!"

comfortable around Ms. Riley," Briony

"What do you mean by

Ms. Riley weren't sincere with

while Lorna can be strict,

quite get

won't go to the engagement party.

present? Who does that? Since when does

more time with them than with me

one simple sentence left James

ex-husband at all. Briony just wanted to make things

parents do for their

that house, all Briony could do was

and Lorna's engagement party was

it at Northborough's grandest country estate, and though it was just an engagement,

invited every major business figure

week, the engagement was all anyone

her place and

a famous name in high society

received a Leilani painting as an engagement gift left many guests

rare, and every piece was highly

had become something of an obsession among Northborough's

Stewart and Lorna set off on their honeymoon, planning to be away for