Aurora's words may have sounded like a joke, but Mrs. Sterling took them to heart.
'She was right. Sharon had always been cautious, but never like this—so meek and timid she didn't even dare to step inside. Even if she was afraid Aurora would resent her for her new status, she could have at least come into the living room to wait.'
'Standing there at the entrance, she was in plain sight of anyone passing by. If someone with ill intentions or one of the Sterling relatives saw this, they would surely grow suspicious. They'd think the Sterling family, or perhaps Aurora, was giving her the cold shoulder.'
When she first saw Sharon standing there so timidly, Mrs. Sterling had felt a little sorry for her. But now, after hearing Aurora's offhand comment, she began to think Sharon was being deliberately conspicuous.
