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“We hardly bring our phones to cocktails,” Richard sniffed.
“Perhaps you should,” Ian suggested. “You’d not waste needless emotion at me running late if you knew that was the case.”
It was then Lady Jane broke her long silence with a practiced, “Can we not?”
“Yes, can we not?” Daniel chimed in.
“Delighted to drop it,” Ian murmured as he bent to his soup and took his first spoonful.
Richard wasn’t delighted to do the same, I knew, when he declared, “We have guests.”
Ian looked to me. “My sincere apologies for my tardiness,” he said insincerely.
“You said you were going to drop it,” Daniel reminded him.
“I’m apologizing to our guests,” Ian retorted.
“Let’s move on,” Lady Jane requested.
“It’s insufferable,” Richard denied her.
“Jesus Christ,” Ian growled to his soup.
“It’s a simple request. Be in the Wine Room at six thirty, properly attired,” Richard demanded.
Yes.
I knew that suit jacket thing was a slap in the face.
Ian rested the side of his hand to the table and said to his father, “I’m here now.” He raised his dark brows. “Shall we eat?”
“Yes, let’s eat. I’m happy you could make it, darling,” Lady Jane put in.
“Thank you, Mum,” Ian said to her.
“I’m going to vomit,” Daniel declared.
“No need to be dramatic,” Richard chided.
Portia was staring at me with big eyes that shouted, Do something!
But I had no idea what to do.
Someone else might find this amusing or be diplomatic enough to smooth things over by offering an interesting conversational gambit.
That wasn’t me.
I detested confrontation, any I might be involved in, and even more, witnessing the same. I thought it was rude beyond bearing for anyone not to have enough control of their mouths to be able to leave it until they could discuss things in private.
And at that moment, I was painfully aware I not only didn’t have my car fob, I didn’t even know where my car was.
But from the moment my little sister’s mother took the millions my father offered, she disappeared without the barest shadow of a care of what became of her daughter after her absence, and I’d slid in to do the best I could in that role.
Which was what I endeavored to do now.
“I know there was a castle here before Duncroft, but when was this home built?”
“Mason work started in 1617, and the house was finished in 1632,” Daniel answered swiftly.
