This was the first present she had made for Roscoe, and she was keen for him to try it on soon.
It was still daylight when Roscoe got back.
He had traveled to town to fetch a rare herb beneficial for Nicoleâs health.
He had made a deal with the townâs pharmacy to buy whatever herb they had, even braving the bad weather to get it.
That was exactly what he accomplished today.
Upon entering, Roscoe saw Nicole had moved from outdoors to beside the campfire, still working on the scarf.
She had put on a bit of weight, and though she was still lean, she no longer looked as gaunt.
The firelight lit up her face, making her appear lively and beautiful.
The sight of her knitting was deeply heartwarming.
Roscoe walked over, gently took the yarn from Nicoleâs hands, and handed her a plum blossom cake.
Then, he playfully quipped, âYouâre supposed to practice just a little each day.
Did you push yourself too hard today?â
âIâm not that delicate, and knitting isnât strenuous,â Nicole responded with a chuckle.
She took a bite of the plum blossom cake, whose flavor and sweetness were distinctive to this town and delightfully unique.
âRemember, donât overwork yourself.
Youâre only allowed forty minutes of knitting each day,â Roscoe said softly.
âForty minutes is hardly enough.
My hands are still adjusting.
I canât finish well in that short time,â Nicole replied.
âIt doesnât matter if it isnât perfect.
Thereâs no rush.
Even if you finish it by summer, Iâll wear it,â Roscoe assured her.
Nicole chuckled.
âWouldnât you get a heat rash wearing it in the summer?â
âThat would be a joyful rash,â Roscoe quipped and stood up to prepare dinner.
Watching him walk away, Nicole set aside the plum blossom cake and picked up the scarf again, knitting with renewed vigor.
For some reason, she felt a pressing need to finish it more quickly.
She felt an unsettling fear, dreading that Roscoe might never get to wear this scarf.
On Vickiâs fatherâs birthday, Jarrod and Vicki attended together.
When Jarrodâs scandal first surfaced, Vickiâs father, Wayne, firmly insisted that Vicki and Jarrod end their relationship.
In high society, a little flirtation and some quirky habits were nothing unusual.
Many men viewed their mistresses merely as a means to alleviate stress.
But they wouldnât treat their wives in such a manner.
Truth be told, Wayne had been wilder than Jarrod in his younger days, but Vicki was his most cherished daughter, born to the woman he loved dearly.
Thus, he had always spoiled Vicki.
As Jarrodâs scandal broke, Wayne immediately ordered an investigation.
He was stunned by the findings.
The woman involved with Jarrod was Nicole, the heiress of the Lawrence family who had been missing since then.
Back then, the dramatic downfall of the Lawrence family had once been a major topic of conversation in society.
While everyone feared Jarrodâs ruthless nature, Wayne admired Jarrodâs uncompromising approach.
He saw a lot of his younger self in Jarrod, a man with guts.
But with the Lawrence familyâs downfall, it wasnât fair to simply say Jarrod bore a grudge against them by keeping Nicole by his side and torturing her.