Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem



Elliot probed, "Were they... arranged by that person behind you?"

Keith froze, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

Elliot pressed on, "You're so fond of treasures, and you adore kids. You'd never hurt me. That injury I got during the spring picnic, it was orchestrated by that person behind you, wasn't it?"

Keith's brow furrowed, a shadow passing over his face. He had indeed prepared a Plan B that day, but it wasn't meant to harm Elliot. Elliot's near- death experience was not part of his plan. He hadn't expected Elliot to notice the discrepancy, much less confront him about it directly!

Keith realized he couldn't measure Elliot's intelligence against that of an ordinary child. Elliot was far too sharp for his age!

Without directly answering Elliot's question, Keith simply said, "Please take care of the treasure for a few days. Once I've settled my affairs, I'll come to pick her up."

As Keith turned to leave, Elliot stopped him, "Keith, I can understand your hatred towards the Bradford family. The sins Gideon and the Bradfords committed are unforgivable."

Keith was taken aback.

Tarquin was equally stunned.

Neither had expected Elliot to bring this up so openly.

Elliot didn't pause at their surprise and continued, "If my grandfather truly did something unforgivable, then he, like Gideon, doesn't deserve pity. But can you be absolutely certain it was my grandfather who led you up that mountain?"

Keith's agitation resurfaced, "Of course, I'm certain!"

Tarquin's face darkened, "How can you be so sure? You were just a kid, and it was pouring that night. How could you see clearly? You hardly knew my father. How can you be so sure it was indeed him, and not someone impersonating him?"

Keith glared at Tarquin, his anger palpable, "What right do you have to question me? Why should I have to prove anything to you? Gideon was a scoundrel, and your father, Kendrick, was no better than a beast! No matter how you try to cleanse his name, it's futile!"

Hearing his father insulted, Tarquin's temper flared, but before he could retaliate, Elliot interjected, turning to Keith, "Have you considered my grandmother? She was not only kind but also wise and independent. She wouldn't blindly fall for my grandfather if he were a bad person. If my grandfather was such a villain, my grandmother wouldn't have loved him."novelbin

Keith was visibly angry, "She was deceived! Kendrick was a wolf in sheep's clothing!"

Elliot reasoned, "Whether my grandmother was mistaken or deceived by my grandfather can be discerned from their life together. My grandfather took good care of her, showering her with all his love.

Also, my grandfather's character in his youth is something you could look into. These things are traceable."

Elliot had his doubts about Kendrick but decided to do some digging. After researching till late into the night, he too concluded Kendrick wasn't a malevolent man.

Of course, this didn't absolve Kendrick of the past, but it did suggest something unusual. Why would a man of integrity and kindness suddenly harm a child?

Elliot shared this with Keith hoping to prompt him to reevaluate the past events. Only if Keith harbored doubts would he consider investigating the truth and be more inclined to discuss the past.

This would enable them to extract more useful information from Keith and unravel the full story.

Their ultimate goal was to expose the person manipulating Keith from the shadows as quickly as possible.