Shirley Thorne was utterly astonished the moment she received the call.
No, no, no—to be precise, the moment she heard what the call was about, she was so shocked she nearly spat out the brown sugar water she was drinking.
Meredith Rowan's tone had been anxious, laced with frustration, as if she were dealing with a hopeless case.
"Shirley, Warren asked me to pass a message to Susan Langley, asking her for money, and Susan agreed!"
After her initial shock, Shirley Thorne quickly steadied herself and stuck to her persona. "Aunt Rowan, you must be joking. Aunt Langley turned over a new leaf a long time ago. She's not that kind of person!"
She had no idea what Meredith Rowan was feeling on the other end of the line, but her own feelings were certainly peculiar.
'What on earth is this Mistress Mother trying to pull?'
Then, Meredith Rowan's panicked voice came through the phone. "Shirley, it's true! I'm not lying to you!"
