Chapter 10
I make my way into the family dining room to find Mama already sitting at the head of the table, with Veronica and Solana also in their seats.
I pause in the doorway and dip into a curtsy in front of Mama.
I don't technically have to do it when there are only family members in the room, but sometimes it's hard to not do things like that, especially when Mama is frustrated with me.
One of the servants pulls out my chair and I flash him a grateful smile as I rearrange the skirt of my dress in the hopes that it's not going to annoy me.
I've worked with the seamstresses to come up with a good style that doesn't frustrate me constantly, but that doesn't mean that I can't get annoyed by it.
"Is that what you're wearing today, Evelyn?" Mama asks.
I look down at my dress. "It's what I'm wearing, yes."
Veronica smothers a laugh from her seat beside me.
"It's hardly the latest fashions," Mama says.
"You said that I was to wear the Gaullessian fashion when I'm entertaining the Gaullessian delegation. I don't think they're joining us for lunch, unless the table has been set wrong." I look around just in case I've missed something.
Mama sighs. "We need to have a discussion about your wardrobe, especially with you entertaining suitors from next week."
"If suitors are going to be put off by me wearing a dress I find comfortable, then I don't think they are a good match for me."
"She's not wrong, Mama," Veronica says.
Mama turns her attention to my younger sister and gives her a look that would make me shrink back. I feel like I should say something to take the attention away from Veronica, but I don't want to be under Mama's scrutiny again myself.
Luckily, the door opens and Artie strides in, still wearing a riding jacket and muddy boots.
"Did you go riding this morning?" I ask my brother as he takes a seat next to Solana.
"No, I was at the inn in the village. One of the horses stabled there is having some issues." He thanks the servant for pouring him a drink. "It's why I didn't have time to change before coming to eat, I only just got back."
"Arthur!" Mama scolds, and while I feel for my brother, I'm also glad that her annoyance isn't trained on me. It's a nice change. "You should always make sure you're back in time to change. What if we had guests for lunch?"
"We don't have guests," I point out.
"I am aware of that, Evelyn," Mama responds. "But what if we had?"
"I came back as soon as I could," Artie says. "Treatment took longer than I expected."
"Is everything all right now?" Solana asks in her lightly-accented Falhavien as she leans over and puts a hand on Artie's sleeve.
It's such casual affection, and even I can't deny that it looks like the way I've been touching Nate ever since he came for the visit as the chef for my cousins a few months ago.
"I think so," Artie says. "But I'll need to go back tomorrow..."
"You'll do no such thing," Mama puts in.
"I need to," Artie responds. "If I don't, then the horse could end up seriously ill..."
"It isn't your job to care for sick animals," she responds.
"It's our job as the royal family to look after the citizens of our kingdom, that includes looking after their horses," he says.
I nod along, what he's saying makes perfect sense to me.
Mama lets out a frustrated sigh and gestures for the servants to start serving lunch, which I assume means that Kathryn won't be joining us today. Either she has an engagement, or she's not feeling well still.
The conversation during the meal manages to stay on safer topics, mostly thanks to Solana's intervention.
I'm not sure how she does it, but it's like she's magical when it comes to gaining Mama's attention and keeping it.
Maybe it's something to do with how she grew up.
From what she's told me about her life back in Someil, her parents were a lot stricter than ours, and that's even with Mama's insistence that I meet with suitors.
My eyes widen with delight as dessert is served, including a decadent-looking cake with cherries and chocolate.
I've never seen anything like it, which makes me think that Nate is experimenting with a new recipe.
He's never mentioned this one to me, but I know he does countless taste tests before sending something up to us.
This is mostly going to be a presentation experiment.
"Do you know what it is?" Veronica asks me.
"No idea," I say even as one of the servants puts a slice on my plate.
"I thought you and Chef Matthews told one another everything?" Artie asks from across the table.
I can feel the blush rush to my cheeks. "Not everything," I murmur. "And he tests recipes on his own before he tells me about them, he must have just forgotten about this one."
I push my dessert fork through the dense, dark cake and take a bite, amazed at how moist the cake is. I'm not sure what he's drenched the cake in, but I'm going to have to ask him about it later.
"This is excellent," Veronica says. "You can tell Chef Matthews that he can make it for your birthday."
"What if I don't want it for my birthday?" I respond.
"Then I'm going to ask for it for mine." She takes another bite of the cake. "I see why you like him so much."
Mama clears her throat and looks right at me. "Is Chef Matthews why you're being so resistant to meeting with suitors?"
I can't look at her. "No."
Veronica catches my eye and raises an eyebrow, but I ignore her.
"I was just discussing it with him, and he offered to help with planning what's being served when I'm doing it." It's not technically a lie, and I miss out the fact that we talked about it late at night and between a lot of kisses. I don't think Mama would be pleased to learn about that.
"I can see some merit in that," Mama says. "We should invite him to the meeting tomorrow to discuss."
All of the blood feels like it drains from my face. "What?"
"If you want to discuss what we should be serving to each of your guests, then it would be good to have his input, he is the castle's pastry chef."
"Mama, I'm not sure that's..." Veronica starts to say, but is silenced with a wave from Mama's hand.
"It's an excellent idea. I'll send the invitation," she says.
I swallow back my protests. Mama isn't going to listen to any of them even if I say them out loud, and the one thing that might have her reconsider will probably have other repercussions.
Mama nods and sweeps out of the room, leaving the four of us alone.
"What am I going to do?" I murmur as I lean back in my chair.
Veronica gives me a pained smile. "I'm sorry."
"It's not me you need to be sorry for. What about Nate? It's going to be horrible for him hearing about all of these people that Mama wants me to spend time with."
"Does he already know?" Veronica asks.
I nod.
"That's something at least," she says. "At least he's not about to get a nasty surprise when he arrives at the meeting with Mama."
"I suppose." It doesn't make me feel much better. "I should go talk to him. I don't want him to find out about this from Mama."
Veronica nods. "I think that's a good idea. If you don't want to make it obvious, we could go for a ride?"
I chew my bottom lip and then nod. I know that I'm not supposed to go down to the kitchen during the day, so it's probably better this way.
"I'll order the horses. You should change into your riding habit and I'll meet you in the courtyard," she says.
I nod. Not because I particularly enjoy riding, I'm actually rather indifferent about it, but because it's a decent suggestion for how to make sure I can have a moment with Nate without drawing a huge amount of attention to it.