Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 96600 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96600 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
I tried to be as interactive as possible, smiling at the children when their hobbies were mentioned—and relieved when none of them involved taxidermy—and nodding with interest when Elizabeth did.
It did no good to take cues from Matt. He’d focused on drinking as much wine as possible and demolishing his hors d’oeuvres and soup course.
I tried to remember how the number of cutlery pieces indicated the number of courses in a meal. We’d been served two. From the glittering array of silver left, we had at least seven more.
Hors d’oeuvres, soup, appetizer, palate cleanser, fish… No, hors d’oeuvres, soup, appetizer, fish, palate cleanser—
“Charlotte,” Catherine said suddenly, physically jolting me out of my mental calculation. “I’m sorry, I’ve been so rude. None of this can possibly be of interest to you.”
I recovered quickly. “Of course, it is. I came to get to know Matthew’s family. What better way to learn all about you?”
Her eyes narrowed. She’d barely touched her soup, a summer melon, spinach, and prosciutto concoction that had sounded revolting at first but was delicious.
And I couldn’t eat mine with her staring at me like a hypercritical hawk from the end of the table.
“I don’t know how useful the knowledge will be.” She laughed as if she’d made a joke.
I answered her in all seriousness. “I don’t come from a large family. It’s just me and my parents and my brother, so I have to get the hang of nieces and nephews and sisters-in-law.”
“Well, I’m not your sister-in-law,” Catherine said, her laugh frozen on her face. “You’re not married to Matthew.”
My stomach dropped. Oh God, would Matt think I was already designing the ring in my head? “That’s not what—”
“Speaking of siblings,” Elizabeth began. She was seated at the head of the table in a royal blue gown with beaded peacock feather accents. Everyone looked like they had stepped out of a royal palace.
Or, in the case of the children, an abandoned doll factory.
“Charlotte’s brother is Matthew’s best friend from college,” Elizabeth continued. “The one whose wedding…”
Clarity dawned across Catherine’s face. “Oh, with the bear. So, is it your family who farms the bears?”
“No! No, no, noooooo.” I drew the last one out comically even as my brain begged me not to. “That was the family my brother chose to marry into, for some reason.”
“And the marriage didn’t happen, anyway. The bride left poor Scott at the altar,” Elizabeth explained.
“Bullet dodged,” Bennett said under his breath, but loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.
“You remember Scott, Catherine,” Elizabeth went on, pausing for a bite of her soup.
“I’m afraid I don’t.” Catherine nodded to Briony. “Don’t eat too fast, darling.”
My hackles raised. Although my own mother had never used the line on me, I knew from my friends that it was code for, “Don’t get fat.”
I leaned conspiratorially toward Briony with a wink. “The soup is so good, though. Maybe we should have a race to see who can finish it first.”
The kid didn’t even crack a smile. “Better not, if it’s all the same to you. Mother is right, I’ve gone up two sizes in the past year. Wouldn’t want to crush my pony.”
Jesus Christ.
“Jesus Christ,” Matt muttered behind his napkin.
Elizabeth was still having her conversation about my brother, but I was almost unable to hear her over the anger building up steam pressure behind my ears.
Almost.
Because she told Catherine casually, “You’ll remember him when you see him. He’s coming in tomorrow morning. He’ll be here in time for the garden party.”
The boiling rage in my head cooled to icy fear. Beside me, Matt choked on his water, dropping the glass and sending his wine over in a domino effect.
“Oh my gosh!” I slapped him on the back while his coughing slowed, and he waved me away as servants hurried to clean up the spill.
“Matty, dear, what on earth is that reaction?” Elizabeth demanded with alarm.
“You didn’t tell me that you invited Scott,” he sputtered.
“Why in heaven’s name wouldn’t I have your good friend on the guest list for my party?” Her expression suggested that Matt even questioning such a thing was insulting in the extreme. “It’s a milestone. I have an enormous guest list.”
Bennett’s jaw dropped in understanding beyond his years. “If I’m sensing the vibe correctly—and my vibe reception is excellent—Uncle Matthew doesn’t want his friend to be here at the same time as Charlotte.”
Catherine cackled like a delighted witch.
There was no denying that the boy was right. So, I didn’t. “Scott is a little uncomfortable with the relationship. He’s a protective big brother.”
“But he does know about the two of you,” Elizabeth clarified. “I told Matty he needed to be up front with him.”
“And I was.” Matt turned his attention away from the staff swapping out his cutlery and refilling his glasses with impressive speed. “But neither of us have seen Scott in person since we…”