The village was remote and isolated, with few opportunities to make money, so the village chief placed great importance on this group of cash cows who had shown up on his doorstep.
Just as the group finished their meal, the village chief returned with good news.
"It's all set! I just went and asked my nephew for you. He agreed."
"Your nephew?"
"That's right. My brother-in-law and his wife are working out of town, so my nephew is the only one at home right now. As long as he agrees, there's no problem."
Arabella Donovan rubbed her chin, a faint, unreadable smile on her face.
'This family is really something. The adults are off working, leaving a young man at home to hold down the fort. It seems my feeling was right—he's just a lazy bum who wants to coast. Even if he was tasked with looking after Miss Preston, he probably wouldn't have paid her much attention. That's how he could ignore her illness, letting it drag on and on until the person was gone.'
