28. Zeth #2
“It was mostly you,” Amby lied, nudging my shoe playfully with his. “But it’s alright, I proudly took the blame for you.”
My indignant scoff at Amby raised Walter’s brow, and I kicked Amby back under the table. He flinched in mock offense. Smiling, I waved to a nice landscape painting behind Hattie. “Eleanor had fine taste in art.”
“It was a painting she adored but never had a chance to see in here,” Amby said, gesturing at the landscape of a lonely lighthouse against a bright blue sea. “Father and I bought it together, right after she passed.”
Walter nodded, looking as if he appreciated Amby’s words. “We did. At the local antique shop in Westshire, while visiting your aunt.”
Amby shared a moment with his dad, one that was ripe with some sort of understanding, as if they both connected. It was nice to see, but then they both glanced away and the moment was over.
“I remember that trip,” Hattie added. “I cried for Mother the whole time, and Amby let me hang on his arm the entire ride home.” When she looked at Amby, he smiled softly at her.
“I miss sitting next to her at the table.” Amby eyed the empty chair beside me, and it struck me that I was wrong about the seating arrangements.
Walter didn’t push Amby away; he granted him freedom, and Amby chose to sweetly honor his mother’s presence by continuing to sit next to her chair.
No doubt a silent agreement between them…
Maybe one day I could honor my Mum in the same ways.
Dinner time like this made me miss her the most, because gathering around a table wasn’t only about food, it was about company.
She believed in talking as a family. It hurt to continue her traditions without her.
That’s probably why I stopped talking with Millie after Mum’s passing.
She was right to call me Grumpy Bear, and I was lucky she didn’t call me more names.
I shouldn’t have shut her out like that.
But I was opening up again, thanks to Amby.
He reminded me of Mum. They both found ways to show love through everyday things like a meal.
Even now, while Walter and Hattie conversed about the painting, Amby slid his hand under the table to squeeze my thigh.
I quickly tangled my fingers with his, in awe of my perfect boy for knowing when I needed him.
Clearing my throat of emotion, I addressed Walter, “That’s a lovely landscape. I see why you have it in a place of honor.”
Hattie propped her arm on the back of her chair to get a better view. “I never noticed how colorful it is in the evening light.”
Walter turned too, remarking on the brush strokes.
When Amby tried to remove his hand, I held on.
Dinner was going so well, I didn’t think Walter would care if Amby chose me as his spouse.
Maybe Amby misunderstood his father. Maybe we could talk to him right now.
As Walter grinned at his painting that he bought with Amby, I realized there were no more maybes about it.
There was love in this family. They just needed to speak their feelings out loud.
Feeling determined and confident, I pulled our joined hands to the top of the table. My pinky ring glowed an excited bluish-purple, matching my racing heart at being open about my relationship with the wonderful man at my side. This step felt so right.
Amby stiffened, his face going red before he suddenly jumped up from the table, right as Walter and Hattie looked back. He knocked his chair down, and his water glass fell and shattered on the floor.
Instantly, the mood of the room darkened. Amby, Hattie, and I stilled in silence while Walter turned to the kitchen with a hint of annoyance and called for a maid to assist.
As she came into the room, my excitement sank to the floor with the shattered glass. The maid acknowledged the spill and nodded. “I’ll get the broom right away, sir.”
While she scurried off, Amby dropped to the floor and fumbled to grab up the rest of the glass. Horrified at the scene I caused, I pushed my chair back and knelt to help. I didn’t want him to get a cut on my behalf. I tried nudging Amby’s hands away from the shards, but he nudged me right back.
“I’ve got it,” he muttered.
There was a fire in his eyes that only came out when Amby was passionate. I just wish I hadn’t sparked it through anger.
Walter stood from his chair and drew closer, until the polish of his shoes filled my view. They were as polite as his words, “By the time Mary returns with the broom, she’ll have nothing to clean. Let’s move to the porch. We can talk business.”
I stumbled up, embarrassed by my bad behavior, made even worse as everyone else was being nice.
Hattie stood from her chair and interjected with, “I’ll leave you to that and retire. I have some anatomical diagrams to memorize. The spelling is challenging, so I want a head start.” She turned to me and smiled. “Goodnight, Zeth. Come back soon, okay?”
“If I’m not forbidden from returning,” I said as a joke to ease the mood. Hattie thankfully laughed, a bright sound that matched her spirit. I was glad she still liked me. There was also time to fix things with Walter, since he wished to continue with business talk.
“Goodnight, dear.” Walter kissed her on the cheek before turning to Amby. “Ambrose, you should take care of that. Leave the glass for Esther to clean.” He nodded at Amby’s hand before making his way to the hall.
Amby watched his dad leave as blood ran to his wrist. I quickly took the shards from his hands and placed them in the bottom of the glass that was still intact.
I set it aside and then pulled out my handkerchief to wrap around Amby’s hand, tucking his gold initials in against his wrist. He grimaced as I pressed against the large gash.
“Do you want help?” I asked, holding the cloth firmly to stop the bleeding.
Amby met my eyes, his face softening. “It’s fine. I’ll bandage this up. You should go talk to my father. I’m sorry for panicking.”
“I’m sorry for pushing.”
“If you want to grab my hand on the porch, I’ll be ready then, and we can tell him. Just let me go… clean this up.”
“Are you certain? I don’t want to push you. I can wait.”
Amby fixed me with his gentle eyes. “I’ve never been more certain about anything else in my life.”
He was trying to be brave, and that made me so proud of him. I gave him a confident nod to confirm his plan. Then I forced myself to separate from him for now, and he hurried to the washroom while I made my way to the hall.
Impressing Walter was the whole reason I attended this dinner, and I couldn’t do that if I was kissing Amby’s hand to make it all better. When I walked through the open front door, I found Walter relaxing in a large rocking chair, tipping it back and forth.
As soon as he sensed me, he motioned to a glass decanter on a table along the wall.
He wanted me to pour drinks for us both.
I turned one glass over to fill it with one finger’s worth of the dark liquor, and I tried not to gag from the strong fumes.
How did he drink this stuff? Strolling over to him, I gladly handed the vile thing over before claiming a chair.
By the stiff back, I could tell instantly that the chair wasn’t Amby’s design. I frowned, wondering why Amby’s dad didn’t use his son’s superior furniture.
Beside me, Walter took a sip of his drink and sighed, as smooth a drinker as his son. “That’s local, and very good. I’m investing in the current batch and will triple my money when it’s done.”
“The Mayor of Port Winchester enjoys a good drink too. You should send him a bottle once your new branch opens. If you want an intro—” and that’s when my chest seized.
I made it through the fucking city’s name, but forgot that the mayor would never wish to see me again, not after I tainted his son’s reputation.
Good politicians don’t want to associate with thieves.
So much for offering Amby’s dad my old connections.
I would have to impress him in other ways. “Sorry, is it rye whiskey?”
Thankfully, he took the bait and went on to talk about the liquor while I eased into my chair.
What little I knew of drinks came from listening to the auctioneer only.
The man had trained me into manhood with lessons on customs and social graces, all needed to hobnob with high levels of clientele.
Our time together just made his quick betrayal all the harder to swallow.
I didn’t have positive experiences with father figures.
I hoped things might be different with Walter.
After a few minutes, Walter asked about my family, and I was surprised by how much he remembered about them.
I explained how my mum passed, and he expressed his condolences, looking as if he was truly pained by her passing.
Then he inquired after Millie, telling me how much he enjoyed speaking with her at the salon.
He seemed enamored by her quirky personality, so I bragged about how well she was doing in the tailor shop, courting Anna, and making new friends, including Emiline.
“Hm, it was a surprise to me when Miss Winters and your sister shared a kiss at the salon. I was sure she was a good match for Ambrose.” Walter glanced briefly at me before turning back. “I thought you might win her over as well. But Miss Washer clearly has a charm of her own.”
“Aye, Millie’s a diamond. Excellent cut and no flaws. Maybe just needs some polish.”
Walter pointed at me with his glass. “Your quick wit reminds me of Issac. He was the smartest kid in our class.” Issac.
My dad’s name sounded hollow to my ears since I hadn’t heard it in years.
I didn’t want to hear it now, but Walter went on, “I wasn’t surprised when the Denburg Academy offered Issac a tenured position.
Did you get a chance to become better acquainted with him while together in the City? ”