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“It’s all right. I am used to it. My mother is prone to dramatics, too. Apparently, I attract those sorts of people,” I said, the smell of the salmon reaching my nose.
I looked down, recognizing the salmon chowder soup, and happily, I lifted my spoon and brought the soup to my lips. In the corner of my eye, I saw Elspeth nod. But to what? My eating?
“She says that as if she is not dramatic, either,” Gale replied before taking a bite as well.
Swallowing, I held my hand to my lips before speaking. “I am not.”
“You are too,” he shot back.
“You see how they just forget we are here, Mother?” Eliza spoke out. “We could rise from this table right now, and they would still be going back and forth.”
“Yes, I do see that.” Elspeth looked between us, her eyebrow raised. “It is one of the side effects of being in love, and they are drunk on it.”
“Mother, please,” Gale grumbled, shaking his head, taking another bite of his soup.
Eliza laughed, looking at me and lifting her glass again. “We should also congratulate you for winning my brother’s cold heart.”
“I never thought I would see the day.” Elspeth snickered.
“We have gone beyond conspiracy and now entered full-blown defamation of character,” Gale complained, looking at me seriously. “I—”
“I cannot even imagine it,” I said sarcastically to him. “You are the sweetest and warmest man I have ever known.”
He smiled. “Thank you.”
“Ugh, Mother, make them stop. We are trying to eat.” Eliza groaned but enjoyed teasing us both.
She opened her mouth, but she did not get a chance to speak as the doors opened. We all looked up as a beautiful brunette woman stepped inside, dressed in all black. Her eyes were gray, her lips pink, on her finger was a large diamond, and on her chest was a diamond brooch I had seen before. It was the Monterey crest. In her brunette hair was a black ribbon bow.
“Sophia,” Elspeth said her name in surprise.
The woman, Sophia, curtsied elegantly and with ease. “Your Majesty, I beg your pardon for arriving so late for dinner.”
“Come, my dear, I am pleased you could join us.” When Elspeth stood, we all rose as well as she ordered one of the butlers, “Bring another chair.”
I did not understand since there was an empty chair beside me on both sides, but I did not speak. Gale and Eliza both offered her a slight smile and nodded as we all waited for the butlers to shift the chair.
“Excuse me, miss,” one of them said as he moved my seat down one more along with the table settings, placing another chair in the middle space now beside me.
“Odette.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I looked up to the queen, eyes wide she directed her attention to the woman now standing beside her.
Her gray eyes were cold and staring at me.
“This is Sophia De Loutherbergh, the Duchess of Elmburgh. Arthur’s wife.” She paused before saying again, “Arthur’s widow.”
That was it.
There was a woman at the funeral dressed in all black with a black veil. I could not tell who she was. Though I was not really looking for her anyway.
“Sophia,” Elspeth said to her. “This is Odette Rochelle Wyntor, Gale’s fiancée.”
“Good evening,” I said to her politely, not sure what I was supposed to do.
She spoke back in Ersovian. I did not know if a voice could sound perfect, but hers seemed to sound that way to me even though I did not catch what she was saying.
“Sophia, she has not yet learned Ersovian, so we shall all be speaking English for now,” Elspeth said to her before her eyes met the butlers. “Please sit.”
