Secretly Mine
Chapter 59: A Sunday Surprise

Chapter 59: A Sunday Surprise

The following morning, I woke up early as I did every Sunday. All of the servants were busy with cleaning and redecorating, keeping the house busy with activity.

"Second Miss, your dress has been delivered," a maid called from the hallway.

By the time I walked over to the door, the maid was already gone, leaving only the usual dress box sitting on the floor beside the door.

They must be really busy today.

I lifted the box off the ground and carried it inside, curious to see what today’s dress looks like.

"Oh. This isn’t bad at all," I said, looking down at the soft yellow fabric.

The dress felt very bright and cheerful, made from a light cotton material. It was ankle-length and had short, puffy sleeves.

There was no extra jacket or covering, and although the dress was modest, it had a refreshingly youthful feel.

I quickly changed into the dress and immediately fell in love with how comfortable it felt. All of the dresses that my mother had ever sent over were perfectly tailored to my exact body shape, but something about the simple cotton material made it feel so much nicer.

-

Keeping with the simple theme, I lightly applied some neutral makeup and curled my hair, styling it into a few twists for a half-up design.

Before I left my room, I slipped Christian’s golden chain into my purse. I had a habit of keeping it on me at all times, similar to a lucky charm.

I was the first to arrive at the foyer and stood quietly waiting for the rest of the family. My mother arrived second with my brother and nodded at the way I styled my outfit.

"You look refreshing today, Leslie. Do your hair like that more often," she said with an approving nod.

"Thank you, mother," I smiled and glanced at my brother.

He wore a white suit with a yellow necktie. At first glance, he looked like a handsome man, but a closer look would give away his dull expression.

It seemed that my mother color coordinated our whole family for today’s church service, as she was also wearing hints of yellow in her blouse.

We waited for a whole fifteen minutes before Morgan showed up wearing a cream-colored dress that had small yellow flowers embroidered on it.

"Mom, why did you pick something so girly out for me? I’m basically a married woman, I need to wear things that are more elegant," she complained as soon as she came over.

My mother frowned, "Preposterous! The dress you are wearing is very elegant! Just the way you did your hair and wore your accessories does not fit at all!"

I glanced at Morgan’s multi-colored necklace and the brooch that she insisted on wearing everywhere.

"What’s wrong with my jewelry?" she pouted, looking down at herself.

"You look like a unicorn! How does a multi-colored necklace and brooch match an elegant neutral dress with yellow accents?" she asked angrily.

"I chose the necklace to match the brooch Christian gifted me! And I’m not taking that off!" cried Morgan.

My mother was fuming, her face was as red as an apple.

"Morgan, you must take that ridiculous necklace off right now. I refuse to let you be seen in public looking this ridiculous!" she shouted.

Morgan covered the brooch that was pinned crookedly on her dress with her hands, "Please, Mom, let me keep the brooch. I want Christian to know that I’ve been wearing it!"

My mother placed her hand over her eyes and shook her head, "Fine. Keep the silly brooch, just take all of the other stuff off. I hope the next gift he gives you is something more neutral."

A servant walked over to Morgan and took all of her jewelry off to place it back into her jewelry box. Maids didn’t normally have access to our jewelry boxes, but Anna had a spare key.

Once Morgan was stripped of her jewelry, we finally boarded the limousine. As usual, my father was already there, chatting with the other businessmen over a cup of coffee.

-

As we pulled up to the grand cathedral, the familiar sight of people chatting in the courtyard came into view.

I always found this scene to be amusing because it felt like the importance of attending church was more in these conversations than the service itself.

Has he arrived yet?

My eyes scanned the surroundings, looking for any signs of Christian, but there were none. Even after the cathedral doors opened and everyone made their way inside, I never once felt his familiar scent of musky cologne mixed with cigarettes.

He did say he had something to take care of.

I kept comforting myself with the fact that he mentioned that he was busy this weekend, but I was still hopeful that I could at least see him once.

As I made it towards the front of the church, I noticed the Bishop standing by where I normally sat. A big smile appeared on my face as I walked over to greet him.

"Bless, your grace."

"Leslie, it’s so good to see you today. I hope all is well with you," he smiled softly.

"Thank you, your grace. Everything is going well," I looked up at him and nodded.

"Good, that’s so good to hear. Leslie, may I introduce you to someone? My only nephew just returned to the country and doesn’t know many people," he said, and stepped to the side, revealing a familiar blonde man.

"It’s you!" Lucas smiled.

My eyes widened! How did this man turn out to be Bishop Dunisi’s nephew? I started to feel guilty about how I treated him at the event on Friday, and turned to smile at him.

"Oh? Have you two already met?" the Bishop asked curiously.

"Yes, uncle. I had the honor of introducing myself to this young lady not long ago!" said Lucas, stepping forward.

He was dressed in a cream colored suit that fit his bright smile perfectly.

"We’ll that’s even more wonderful! Leslie, if it’s not too much to ask, could you be Lucas’s first friend here? I would feel good knowing that he’s hanging around good people," the Bishop asked, extending his arms to hold my hand in a pleading way.

The request was so sincere that I couldn’t possibly turn it down. I glanced at Lucas and didn’t feel any hidden motives coming from him.

"Sure! I do work during the week, so I may not be available during the day, but let me know if there’s anything you want to see or do," I smiled, nodding.

Lucas’s face lit up at my response. He looked so adorable that I wanted to reach out and pet him on the head.

The Bishop smiled, "Thank you, Leslie. I’ll speak to your father after service to let him know that this request came from me."

I nodded, grateful for his consideration. The Bishop had enough influence that my father wouldn’t turn him down.

Lucas bowed slightly. "Leslie, shall we take a seat?" he asked, motioning to the nearby pews.

I glanced up at the Bishop, waiting for his opinion before giving my answer. Normally, unmarried ladies distanced themselves from males, but the Bishop nodded with a big grin.

"Go on, go on. I’ll prepare for service," he said and turned to walk away.

My mother was close enough to understand what was happening, so she didn’t say anything when Lucas sat down beside me.

We were close enough that I could smell his cologne. Unlike Christian’s deep musky scent, Lucas’s was light and refreshing, like a breath of fresh air.

"It’s been ages since I’ve listened to my uncle’s sermons. From what I remember, he likes to keep things interesting," whispered Lucas.

I smiled and nodded, "He does indeed. I’ve never missed a Sunday service in my entire life, and I’ve never heard the same sermon twice."

Lucas smiled brightly, showing his straight, bright teeth.

Maybe befriending Lucas won’t be such a bad thing after all.

-

Once the service started, Lucas shifted his attention fully to the Bishop’s words. He sat calmly, keeping a respectful distance from me.

As the service went on, I found myself feeling more and more comfortable around him. My biggest worry was that he would try to hit on me or make a move, but he did none of that.

I could tell that he was a very devout man, and that made me appreciate him more. It was rare to meet someone who was truly devout, and not just for show.

-

After the service, the Bishop took my father aside to explain his request for me to spend time with Lucas. Though I couldn’t hear what they were discussing, my father’s animated smile told me that he was more than willing.

"Your father doesn’t seem to mind. I’m glad. It would have been unfortunate to lose my first friend before we even had a chance to get to know each other," whispered Lucas.

He was standing by my side, watching his uncle speak with my father.

"Your uncle holds a lot of respect in our family. I’m sure my father is more than willing," I smiled.

After my father finished speaking, I turned to say goodbye to Lucas before heading home.

"Then I’ll see you soon, Leslie. I hope you have a wonderful day," smiled Lucas.

-

As I got into the family limo, I looked around the parking lot.

Seems like Christian never showed up after all.

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