Bab 156: What's going on?

'Why are you being so nice to me?' he asked abruptly, eating the ice cream she had purchased for him when they stopped for gas.

She smiled as she looked at him. 'Isn't that what I'm supposed to be?' Grandfather stated—

'Shall we exclude your grandfather from this?' she asked sharply.

'But he didn't care for you.'

She exhaled a sigh. 'I didn't care for him either,' she admitted ruefully. 'However, I like you.'

With wide blue eyes, he looked up at her. 'Do you?'

'Yes.' She smiled at his surprise.

'But I haven't—I haven't been—'

'Very polite?' she teasingly concluded. 'I doubt I would be if I thought, as you do, that I was out to hurt someone you care about.'

'Are you?' he asked, frowning.

She shook her head. 'No,' she replied simply. 'I would never intentionally injure your father.'

Hugh ate his ice cream in silence for several minutes, clearly thinking. 'Do you have any children?' he inquired abruptly.