When Will the Funeral End?

I couldn't see through Carroll, who had a faint smile on his face. I noticed the bangle, made of rosewood, shone on his wrist and concluded that he must have worn that bangle for a long time. I could smell the unique scent of rosewood when I walked close to Carroll. Carroll was at ease. A few seconds later, he asked casually, "Don't you think that two apples aren't enough?" "Enough. I will be full." I would be content with my lot if Carroll didn't blame me for seeking benefits in his name. My grandma in the countryside often said, "A beggar isn't qualified to be a picky eater." I was that beggar. Moreover, I had never seen apples like these in the countryside. They were bright red and tempting. Rumble. How shameful! My stomach rumbled at this critical moment. The Brown family didn't prepare breakfast for me this morning. I smiled awkwardly and sat on a small sofa with the apples in my arms. "Time for lunch." Carroll tapped on the table in front of him twice. Jason nodded and left wordlessly. Soon, the delicate dishes appeared on the table. There were four dishes and one soup. "Madam, steak, pork, lobsters, and salad." Jason briefly introduced the dishes one by one. "I told the cook that you liked sweet food." With my eyes fixed on the dishes, I instantly picked up my fork and knife. "What a feast! These dishes are good enough to celebrate the festivals in the countryside. No. I didn't have these good dishes there at all." "I didn't know the lobster till a few years ago, and it was reserved for Christmas Eve only. Moreover, this fancy food was reserved for my cousin because I wasn't qualified to eat it." Thinking of my miserable past, I couldn't help but felt sad. Seafood was rare for an inland village. Once in a while, my aunt, who worked in another city, brought a lobster home. I once tried to eat the lobster, but my grandmother ridiculed me. My grandmother would tease me about the lobster whenever she was ill in humor. This situation lasted for half a year. Then, I knew that I could eat nothing but the food from our land. The reason was that I had that qualification and that only. "You may have lunch now." Confused, Carroll picked up one piece of pork and left it on my plate. "You didn't try this before, did you?" "No." I took a bite of the pork. Then, I lowered my head, chewed carefully, and hid my red eyes behind my ruffled hair. I had lived for almost 20 years, and Carroll might be the only man, who was good to me. "Are you really Miss Odette?" Carroll took his bangle off his wrist and played with it. He looked at me with great interest. I nodded, thought for a moment, and then shook my head. "I'm a Smith by blood, but I am not Miss Odette. Odette is Miss Odette." " Odette Smith." Carroll snorted coldly. "She is like your grandmother in the countryside." "What?" I became confused. Jason responded, "Odette claimed to be Mr. Carroll's fiancee and gained a lot of benefits both openly and secretly. After the bad news about Mr. Carroll was spread out, the Smith family immediately took you here. As for Odette, she didn't come here at all." Well, Odette did sound as snobbish as my grandma in the countryside. I forced a smile. "People seek profit to avoid harm. It is understandable." "Don't you blame her?" Carroll asked and didn't forget to send food to my plate. I stopped eating, tilted my head, and looked at Carroll. I concluded from my scrutiny that Carroll was a stunner. My comparison might be inappropriate, but Carroll was not inferior to any beautiful woman appearing on TV. Compared with those women, Carroll looked cold and had a heroic spirit. "You are good to me. Moreover, you are so handsome. Why should I blame her? I feel grateful to her." I spoke my mind with sincerity. My candor amused Carroll. "Eat on." "Okay." I nodded obediently and continued to enjoy the delicious food. By the way, I felt that the way Mr. Carroll looked at me was a bit weird like I did to the small animals. To be exact, it was the way I looked at my pet. Soon, I rubbed my bulging belly and yawned. When I had lunch, Carroll was busy with his work. Jason handed Carroll all kinds of documents. Carroll listened intently, frowned from time to time, and then told Jason his decision. It seemed that Carroll was quite busy. I watched the servants clean up the table. Then, I took a nap at the table. How great! When I was in a dream, Jason patted me on the shoulder and said, "Madam, Madam, the worship in the afternoon will soon begin. Some honored guests invited by Old Madame Brown will come, so you..." "I will play my part well." I rubbed my sleepy eyes and got up reluctantly. "Don't worry. I know what I should do." I shot one glance at Carroll out of the corner of my eye. He was looking at the colorful data on the computer screen. It seemed my conversation with Jason had nothing to do with him. I felt indignant because none of the Brown family liked me...I felt ill at ease in the mourning hall. "There will be more offerings with fresh fruit juice included," Carroll said casually. My eyes lit up. "Really?" "Yes." The positive answer energized me. "Mr. Carroll, don't worry. I will mourn with sadness and ease to make you feel the family's love." "It is easy to provide for you." Carroll sneered. " Jason will be there for you." My indignance disappeared in an instant. With Jason around, I thought nobody dared to mess with me. More importantly, I could enjoy the offerings without scruple. "Okay." When I was ready to leave, Carroll said, "You may leave the trouble to Jason." "Jason is my second savior for sure." I cast a grateful glance at Jason beside me. What had happened today would recur as long as the memorial activity continued. I remembered that some people had held the memorial activity for 21 days. Would Carroll do the same? I felt panicked at the thought that I would have to confront Old Madame Brown and Nathan for so many days. Therefore, I looked back abruptly and said to Carroll, "Mr. Carroll, when do you think is the right time to bury the coffin?" "What?" Carroll looked shocked. "I mean, when will the funeral end?" Jason stood between me and Carroll in a panic. "Madam, it's getting late. Let's go." "Well, coming." I got the hint and quickly followed Jason out. I left through the back door and walked back into the mourning hall via the gate. The mourning hall had changed a lot after the noon. In addition to the new offerings, there was beside the coffin a small table with delicate snacks, fruits, and a large pot of fresh fruit juice on it.