Page 93 of Her Royal Treatment


Font Size:  

That night, we were served a hearty French onion soup. While it might sound simple and not too fancy, it was easily one of the best soups I had ever had in my life. The broth warmed up my insides and was flavored perfectly, the onions cooked just right. I ended up finishing before anyone else at the table.

The main course was the coq-au-vin that Kat had mentioned earlier. Chicken cooked in a burgundy wine sauce, bits of bacon known aslardons,mushrooms and carrots. The smell as soon as it was placed in front of me caused my stomach to awaken and forget all about the soup I had eaten moments before.

I waited until Rose started on the meal before digging in myself.

“I thought about giving up meat,” Kat said. “Then I came here and experienced Marie’s cooking, and I just can’t… I don’t even understand how French vegetarians exist with all this amazing meat at their disposal.”

“So, you’ve never been to France?” Jackson asked me again, staring at me in disbelief. “Didn’t you take like four years of French in high school when most of us took Spanish?”

“Yes, that was me. I was hoping to read some of my favorite French novels in their original format.”

“And have you succeeded?” Jackson asked. Why did it feel like I was being interrogated by him?

“Well, somewhat. It’s a lot harder to become fluent, especially in the US education system.”

“You should have studied abroad,” Nathan piped in.

“I would have loved that, but my family could never afford to send me.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right. I’m sorry, Harper,” Nathan said.

“It’s fine,” I said, waving it off. “I don’t need to be able to read French literature in French, the translations are good enough and there’s plenty of English books for me to study anyway.”

“Kat said you were studying literature?” Jackson’s tone told me all I needed to know about his views on my choice of degrees.

“Yes, well, I’ve always loved reading, it was an escape for me back when, uh, school was hard, as you know.” I turned and stared right into Nathan’s eyes as I said those words. The boys may be nicer to me now, but I remembered the way they treated me back then, and I wasn’t about to let them make me feel inferior anymore. Nathan looked away.

Jackson seemed oblivious to what I was getting at. “Still… what can you do with a literature degree besides teach?”

“What’s wrong with teaching? Didn’t our teachers set you up for success, Jackson?”

He smirked. “Sure, but you were valedictorian of your class, Harper. You could have gone to medical school or law school.”

“I’m not the lawyer type, Jackson,” I said coolly. “Besides, I don’t plan to be a teacher, I plan to be a professor. I’m working toward a PhD, so in that regard, I will be a doctor.”

“Academia is tough,” Nathan said.

“It is.”Tougher than you even realize, I’m sure, I thought to myself, but I held my tongue. I didn’t want to come off as feeling superior to them because I wasn’t. But I also wouldn’t let them talk down my career choices simply because I didn’t pick the same paths they did ? ones that would lead to money, success and praise. I didn’t need all of that.

“I think it’s great. Sounds boring as fuck, but good for you,” Aiden said as he finished off his dinner and sat back in the chair with a satisfied look on his face.

I managed a polite smile. Boring as fuck, huh? Yeah, well, I wasn’t surprised considering Aiden seemed to despise school.

Rose had some choice words for his language, though. Much like her scolding of Kat earlier, she said “Aiden, please. Don’t use foul language at the dinner table.”

“Sorry, Mom.” Aiden motioned for Gerard to pour more wine, and then Jackson pulled him over to pour him a glass. He continued asking him to pour more and more. Rose looked at her son with a frown but didn’t say anything about how much he was drinking.

“Do you like skiing, Harper?” Nathan changed the subject.

“I’ve never actually been.”

“Really?” Nathan then caught his mistake and said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean, ugh.”

“Not used to talking to people like me, I get it.” I finished the last of my meal and felt like I was ready to burst. My eyes were growing tired. It was early, but I was jetlagged from my long flight.

“I may head up to bed,” I whispered to Kat.

“What, before the cheese course? You can’t miss the cheese course.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like