Chapter 173: Suspicion
The day before, if anyone had asked Derek about his plans for the weekend. He would have said that they involved a whole lot of sleeping and nothing else.
He had been looking forward to spending some quality time in his bed. And with Emily by his side. He knew for a fact, that it would have been a very pleasurable experience. But it was not meant to be. At least he’d had a full night’s rest the night before. That was all that Derek could console himself with as he walked through the manor grounds with his mother. "There it is," His mother said after they had walked for a few minutes more.
She pointed at a tree in the distance, and Derek turned in that direction. Picking up their pace, they made their way over and then stopped once they reached it. Looking at it, his mother reached out and touched a single leaf. "I had this shipped all the way from South Africa. It is supposed to bloom within the year," She said.
"The oranges that it produces are said to be very good. Not only are they rich in vitamin C, they make the best tasting orange juice ever," She told him, and Derek nodded along, pretending as though he was interested.
To be honest, if he had to choose between spending the day looking at a random orange tree and being back at his penthouse fast asleep. He would pick being fast asleep at his penthouse. What use did he have for a tree that would bloom in a few months time? Call him when there was fruit to pick, and he would gladly come. But for him to drive all the way to the manor just to see a tree, it was rather depressing. And if she were not his mother, Derek would have told her so. But since she was his mother, and he was a dutiful son. Derek bit his tongue and nodded along. Feigning interest when he would rather be anywhere else. And so for a few minutes he walked around the tree with his mother, the two of them inspecting it. Then once his mother’d had her fill of the tree, Derek let himself be led away.
The two of them heading over to one of the terraces where the table for brunch had already been set up. He pulled out a chair for his mother, and once she was seated he went over and pulled out one for himself. Despite all of the food arranged in front of them, Derek did not feel particularly hungry. So rather than grabbing a plate, and just piling food onto it, he simply took a glass and poured himself some guava juice.
On her part, his mother was eating away at her food and was well on her way to making a sizeable difference. After taking a sip from his drink. Derek finally decided to cut to the chase. He’d had enough of all of this time wasting.
His mother had not called him so early on a Saturday morning just so he could come and look at a tree. There had to be something else. Something that he was missing. Since it did not seem as though he was about to figure it out any time soon, he might as well come out with it and ask.
"As much as I love looking at orange trees with you early in the morning, mother," He stressed the ’love’ bit so that she knew just how much Derek did not appreciate it at all.