The Never List by F. E. Greene
Author:F. E. Greene
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: time travel romance, victorian romance, romance in london, historical romance, bookshop romance
Publisher: F. E. Greene
Published: 2015-07-27T00:00:00+00:00
Chapter Twenty Five
Eating lunch with a duchess went way more smoothly than Tori expected it to. Granted, she had zero expectations about dining with 19th-century nobles, but the conversation stayed light and happy â without the innuendos and subtle digs that peppered BBC period dramas. Charlesâ aunt was hardly a condescending matriarch or sour-faced dowager. She seemed inherently pleasant, if extremely refined, and delighted to spend time with her nephew.
Despite the presence of only three diners, the table was set for four. As Charles predicted, an elaborate place setting remained untouched at the head of a table that could easily accommodate twelve. Priddy sat to its right with Charles across from his aunt and Victoria on the duchessâ left.
For most of the lunch, Aunt Priddy grilled her nephew about the last few months of his life. Her genteel Q&A made it patently clear that he didnât visit as often as she would like.
Charles answered her questions with his typical good-natured ease. Instead of trying to commandeer the interview, he cheerfully elaborated about his recent assignments for The Daily News. He told a story about Charles Dickens. He didnât mention his visit with the gipsies. At first his aunt appeared confused and, eventually, suspicious.
Tori was also â and totally grateful. Was Charles deliberately hogging the show? If so, she owed him big time. Between following his lead with the silverware, and struggling to recall years of cotillion classes, Tori couldnât have answered more than the handful of questions that Priddy managed to insert between Charlesâ exhaustive tales.
When the duchess did ask about life in the âformer colonies,â Tori tried to lie as little as possible. She kept her answers brief and her tone sweet. She let Charles fill in the blanks, and while he did, she retreated into polite silence. The less she said, the less she risked.
And the more she got to eat. Chester and a nameless footman served a three-course meal. The first was a creamy green soup â asparagus maybe? The second was a plate of cold meats and cheeses with a dollop of broad beans on the side. With each bite Tori felt her blood sugar stabilize, and her mood drastically improved.
The dining room adhered to the decorating theme of Too Much Is Never Enough. Grecian columns made of gilded wood intersected the crimson walls. Matching curtains with gold tiebacks and tassels the length of Toriâs arm flanked a pair of windows facing the road. More framed art and mirrors made the room seem larger and brighter than it actually was. No fire burned in the hearth.
A pristine white cloth protected the table, and Tori made sure to keep it that way. Miraculously she didnât spill a thing. She also didnât clean her plate. In polite society it wasnât required although her grandma would not have approved. As she took a final bite of what she assumed was dessert â a tiny round cake that tasted like almonds â Tori dabbed the corners of her mouth.
When Chester asked the duchess where she would like the coffee served, Charles beat her to answering.
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