Page 45 of Lovestrung

I focused on Eliza, determined to pay attention to the conversation around me instead of the girl next to me.

“You could say that. My parents live in Denmark – Dad is Danish, though my mum was born and bred in the UK.”

Vivian beamed at her. “How wonderful. So you were brought up in Denmark, I take it?”

Eliza nodded and raised her glass toward Hugo next to her who immediately topped off her wine. I had to hand it to him – he was the perfect gentleman. Affectionate as well as attentive toward his fiancée. Seeing how they acted around each other – as if they knew what the other would say or want before they spoke aloud – and made an effort to make each other happy sent a jealous twinge through my gut.

I wanted that. I wanted it badly.

“Yes. But we’ve visited Oxford as often as possible over the years, of course.” She grinned at Hugo. “And when I met this bloke soon after starting at university, it’s become my second home.”

“What do your parents do, if you don’t mind my asking?” Louisa, Frederik’s caretaker, asked. She hadn’t said much tonight, but I didn’t get the vibe that it was because she felt left out. It was just her way: being an observer more than a participant. Much like me, I guess.

“Not at all.” Eliza sipped her wine. “Dad’s an English professor at the University of Copenhagen, and Mum owns a bookshop. She’s even published a few books, but she loves working at the shop too much to give it up.”

“I’ve always wanted to run a bookstore,” Teresa beamed at her.

“How wonderful, being bilingual like that.” I raised my eyes to Frederik sitting opposite me when he spoke up. His lips tilted up at the corners, offering us a wistful smile. “I often wish that my parents had taught me our mother tongue even after they emigrated to America, but no such luck.”

“Where did you and your family come from?” Eliza leaned closer. I liked that she seemed genuinely interested to hear what Frederik had to say, and it made me warm up to her more.

“A town called Trondheim in Norway. I wasn’t born there, but visited when I was young. It was a few years before I met my wife, Meagan.” He leaned back in his chair and pursed his lips. “I didn’t travel much afterward.” A faraway look clouded his eyes, and a somber silence fell on the table as we all waited him out. “She was born in New York,” he mused and blinked before he focused back on Eliza. “But she and her family were first generation immigrants. Came over from Greece – a small town called Parikio on the island Paros, I believe. We moved around a lot until we settled down here in Charlottesville and started growing the land. It was when Henry was born that we started our winery, and we never left again.” He chuckled and picked up the bottle of red wine next to him and pointed at the label. “Hence the reason we always drink wine at our table.”

“Wow.” Eliza leaned closer to his hand holding the bottle and looked at the label that proudly held the Montgomery name in a swirling, old fashioned script. “How fascinating.”

“Yeah, we’re quite the melting pot,” Henry butted in and smiled at her. “It’s in our blood to travel and go far away before we return home to settle down.”

“Dad’s a romantic.” Pen raised her head to smile at him. “But I guess it’s the truth in many ways. Though I’m not sure I’m back to settle down, as you call it.”

“Don’t you think it’s time you figure out what you want to do with your life, little sister?” Parker sat back in his chair and wrapped his arm around Teresa. “Find a nice, young man, and get your own brood of heathens?” He winked at her but as she gave him a weak smile, I could feel her tense up next to me.

“Not yet,” she murmured.

I glanced down at her lap and placed my hand on top of her twitching fingers. I could feel her relax but the tension was still there below the surface.

“Let’s not talk about the future tonight,” Vivian soothed. “We should celebrate having our baby girl home and just enjoy each other and our new friends.”

“I agree,” Henry murmured and took her hand.

I gave my foster mom a small smile, grateful to her for trying to ease her daughter’s mind. I didn’t know why Pen was so tense at the subject of the future, but I was determined to find out the reason when I got her alone tomorrow night.

We needed to talk without the fear of being interrupted for once.

As the others started up conversations around us again, I leaned down and nudged her ear with my lips. I kept my gaze on the table and narrowed them on Max when he caught on to my movements and sputtered into his drink. Another person I needed to have a long chat with, and soon, because if he kept that shit up before I was ready to confront the Montgomerys with my intentions toward their daughter – the baby of the family – I’d kill him.

Max half turned in his seat and began talking to Ella, ignoring the way I kept staring daggers at him, and I finally found the will to relax.

“Don’t worry about bringing a toothbrush tomorrow,” I whispered. “I have a spare.”

Her lips tilted up in a playful smile.

“So sure I’ll stay the night?”

I cocked an eyebrow at her. “Darlin’, once I’m through with you, you won’t be able to walk but be so spent you’ll topple over and fall asleep.”

She shivered, turning her head closer to mine as if she was desperate to touch me. “I can’t wait.”

The urge to show her how much it meant that she was going to explore things with me was so strong that I balled my fists to prevent myself from pulling her into my arms. I wanted to kiss her stupid – short, teasing, wet kisses – but I couldn’t.