“That is odd.”
Her mother nodded. “I won’t disagree with you there.”
With a longing glance at the nursery, Enid said, “I had been hoping to see Marigold before breakfast.”
“Well, you will have to wait until after breakfast,” her mother responded. “Shall we adjourn to the dining room?”
“I suppose so.”
As they started walking towards the stairs, her mother said, “You don’t seem too excited for breakfast.”
“I’m not,” she admitted. “Father does not want me here.”
Her mother gave her an encouraging look. “It doesn’t matter what your father wants because I want you here. And Marigold. She might be my favorite thing about you living here.”
Enid smiled. “I am well aware by the amount of time you spend with Marigold.”
“She is my granddaughter and I just adore her.”
“Marigold is lucky to have you as a grandmother,” Enid remarked, knowing she spoke true. Her mother doted on Marigold something fierce and it warmed her heart to see the affection between them.
They descended the stairs and she saw Osborne standing ever so vigilant in the entry hall. He tipped his head at them as they proceeded on to the dining room.
Once they arrived at the dining room, Enid let out a sigh of relief that her father had not yet arrived. She had only a few moments of reprieve before her father soundly insulted her. Or he ignored her. He rotated between the two, depending on his mood. She preferred the latter.
Enid sat down and murmured her thanks as a footman placed a plate of food in front of her.
She had just reached for her fork when her white-haired father stepped into the room and claimed his seat at the head of the table.
With the briefest of smiles, her father said, “Good morning, Diane.”
“Good morning,” her mother replied.
Any hint of emotion vanished from his expression as his eyes flickered towards her. “Enid,” he said.
At least he acknowledged her today, she thought. “Good morning, Father.”
A footman stepped forward and handed her father the newssheets. They all started eating in silence and Enid felt no need to force a conversation.
Her father glanced at the door and huffed. “Where are Malcolm and Rosamond?”
“I am sure they will be down soon,” her mother replied. “You must be patient since they have only been married for a week now.”
“They should have gone on a wedding tour and saved us from their obnoxious displays of love,” her father grumbled.
“I think it is sweet,” her mother said.
Enid took a bite of her eggs, knowing that her opinion would not be welcomed by her father. But she also found it sweet to be around a couple that was so obviously in love with one another. She had thought she had found that in John, but he had done a good job of hiding his true nature until they were married.
She had every right to be resentful about her past experiences with John, but she knew if she didn’t leave her bitterness and hatred behind, he would still control a part of her from beyond the grave. And she didn’t want to give him that power.
Malcolm stepped into the room with Rosamond on his arm. “Good morning, family,” he said cheerfully.
They all replied in kind as Malcolm assisted Rosamond into her seat before he claimed the chair next to her. He reached for his napkin and draped it onto his lap.
“It is good of you to join us,” her father said sardonically.
Malcolm exchanged a smile with his wife. “We both had a hard time getting out of bed this morning.”
