Chapter 3782

While Carrie was being scolded by Mr. Longbottom, Austin was delivering afternoon tea to Isabella. She had social engagements later that evening, so she would not be home for dinner. Given her picky eating habits, she likely would not have anything but drinks during the event, and Austin was worried that she would get drunk drinking on an empty stomach. He knew she could hold her liquor and no one would dare force her to drink, but even half a glass of wine on an empty stomach could upset it. Thus, he specially prepared some snacks to bring to her. They were freshly made and still warm. Also accompanying him were the O'Connor boys. After Austin parked the car, he got out holding the box of snacks. The boys unbuckled their seatbelts and got out of the car as well. Phillip had been sitting in the backseat, and when he closed the door, he did not push hard enough, leaving it slightly ajar. Austin reminded him to close it properly and Louis turned to help Phillip close the door. Then, Austin locked the car and called for the boys to follow him. “Austin, it’s so cold!” Phillip exclaimed, pulling the coat collars up to cover his neck. Louis agreed, “When we’re at home building snowmen and playing in the snow, we don’t feel this cold. But here at the company, it’s freezing.” Austin laughed, "When you're playing, you run around and keep warm. Now that you're not moving so much, of course, you feel cold. But it is really cold here—the temperature in my hometown is so much more comfortable compared to yours." The boys, having heard Austin talk about the climate in Wiltspoon before, felt a yearning for it. Not only was it warmer in winter, but there were also plenty of fruits available in the summer. Although they were not particularly rare or expensive fruits, just seasonal ones, the boys were foodies and would happily eat whatever was given to them. Austin had also mentioned that his brothers all knew how to cook various dishes and cuisines, which made the boys’ mouths water. If it were not for Isabella’s disapproval, they would have loved to go to Wiltspoon with Austin to try all the delicious food he and his family could make. At home, they could also enjoy the dishes Austin made, but most of the time, he cooked according to Isabella’s preferences. They could not just ask for what they wanted. If Isabella was not around, then they could get Austin to make dishes they preferred. “Isa refuses to take us to Wiltspoon for a holiday,” Louis grumbled. Phillip suggested, “Louis, why don’t you go beg Isa and if she doesn’t agree, just sit down and roll around on the ground. Maybe she’ll agree then.” Austin could not help but chuckle. Louis retorted, “Do you think I'm an idiot? I’m not doing that. You can roll around on the ground if you want to—I won’t. Isa would smack my little butt until it was red. You think Isa is like other sisters? Our parents might not dare lift a finger against me, but Isa will not hold back.” When their parents threatened to hit him, it was just to scare him. Sometimes, they would gesture with a hanger but would never actually hit him. Louis was not afraid of his parents; the one he was scared of was Isabella. In fact, even just a stern look from her would make him so nervous to the point of almost wetting his pants, let alone using a hanger on him. However, he could not let that happen, because then Isabella would go even harder on him, disapproving of his timidity and inability to handle such little hiccups. How could he shoulder the heavy responsibilities of the O'Connor family if he was like that?