Ellinor was pretty peeved when Bartlett just helped himself to her food without asking. She didnât even get a chance to protest She mulled it over for a bit, but sheâd only taken a few bites anyway. Since heâd already eaten it and seemed to love it, she shrugged it off.
After polishing off the meal, Bartlett put down his cutlery and beamed, saying, âChloe, Iâve never realized vegetarian food could be this tasty! If I ever find the time, can I drop by for a meal?â
Chloe smiled and nodded, âOf course, but our monasteryâs quite shabby; you might not find it very comfortable.â
Bartlett looked around and noticed the wornâout corners, âThis place could use some sprucing up! Itâd be much comfier for you guys too!â
Pretending to be troubled, Chloe sighed, âWeâve been wanting to fix it up! But there arenât many people living up on this mountain, and weâre always strapped for cash. The donations we receive barely cover our meals, let alone renovations!â
Bartlett sympathized, âReally? Thatâs tough. In that case, Iâ¦â
Ellinor knew exactly what Bartlett was about to offer, so she interjected, âChloe, didnât I send a good chunk of money to the monastery? Didnât you say you were going to use it for renovations?â
Chloe, who was expecting Bartlett to speak again, was caught off guard by Ellinor. She squirmed a bit before explaining, âEllinor, the money you sent was used mainly to fix up the main halls of the monastery. Weâve gotta take care of Jesusâ place first! As for the remaining money, Karan donated it all. Now weâve got nothing left for our own quarters. Youâve been away for so long, so you wouldnât know how the roof leaks in the summer and lets the cold in during the winter. Itâs really toughâ¦â
Ellinor narrowed her eyes. Sheâd just inspected the main halls, and there were no signs of major renovations, just some minor touchâups. It shouldnât have cost much. And the money she had sent over the years wasnât a small amount. There was no way Karan donated everything!
Chloe and the others must have pocketed the rest.
Now here was Chloe, putting on a poor act in front of her and Bartlett and hinting that they should donate again?
Money wasnât the issue. But the money donated should be used for its purpose, not as extra income for them to split!
These nuns were so worldlyâ¦
Ever since Evelyn passed away and Chloe took over the management of the monastery, things had changed.
And she was not about to let them take advantage of her.
But Bartlett seemed unfazed by it all. He chuckled, âChloe, donât worry about it. Iâll get some donations sent over when I get back, and Iâll spread the word about your situation to get more visitors over.â
Chloeâs face lit up, âThank you so much!â
Upon hearing Bartlettâs words, Ellinor frowned.
Chloeâs gratitude sounded more like mockery.
Bartlett seemed to be everywhere, sticking his nose in everything.
But if someone else wanted to donate, who was she to stop him? It wasnât her money anyway. So she got up, said her goodbyes to Chloe, and left.