AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Ma’am? Your mom is inquiring if you’re coming down to breakfast.”
“No.”
The maid outside my bedroom door hesitates, before saying, “Well, it’s more like she told me to bring you down for breakfast, rather than ask you to come. Your guest is waiting for you, as well.”
Under the blanket, I cringe, wondering how long I can hide here before Mom comes up and drags me down to breakfast physically. I had hoped to stay away long enough that Dan would be long gone by the time I joined the rest of my family, but in her true, annoyingly polite fashion, it looks like Mom is forcing everyone to wait on me to eat. Which means I’m going to have toface Dan—just hours after he turned me down and sent me back to my room, face burning from humiliation.
“Fine,” I call through the door, throwing the duvet aside and sitting up. “Give me ten minutes.”
Looking at myself in the bathroom mirror, my silky white nightgown barely brushing the tops of my thighs, is the peak of embarrassment. I had picked this piece of lingerie specifically to wear for Dan, and as soon as he saw me, he sent me away. There was no soft seduction, no foreplay…nothing. Annoyed beyond reason, I jerk the nightgown over my head and throw it in the dirty laundry, hoping to never see it again.
Having showered last night, I simply drag a brush through my hair, wash my face, and get dressed. There’s a dull ache in my skull from the drinking and lack of sleep the night before provided, not enough to count as a hangover but annoying, nonetheless. There is a sweet, gauzy yellow sundress hanging on the front of my closet, the outfit I had chosen for this morning when I thought I would be waking up next to Dan. Now that all of my carefully laid plans have come to naught, there’s no reason to dress to impress. Instead, I grab a pair of black leggings and a matching tank top, putting in the least amount of effort possible. Still, it flatters my figure well enough, so Dan can get some sort of glimpse of what he’s missing out on.
I finally exit my bedroom, slipping on a pair of sandals and brushing past my flustered maid, who follows behind me with worry. Through the tall windows, I can see remnants of the party being dismantled, and I’m glad I won’t have to look at it much longer. As happy as the memories are, there are some hurtful ones, too.
In the dining room, the curtains have all been pulled aside and sunlight streams happily through the windows, illuminating cups of steaming coffee and tea as well as plates of food. Mom,Dad, and Dan are all there, dressed comfortably like I am, laughing together.
When they notice me, the laughter stops. I meet Dan's eyes for an instant before shifting my gaze away to my smiling mother, who is waving me over.
“There you are, sleepy head. Come and join the land of the living and have some breakfast!”
“Did you sleep well?” Dad asks when I lean over, and we exchange a quick kiss on the cheek.
I just nod in return, before scanning the table and trying to find a seat.
There’s an empty chair next to Dan, but I pass it by, circling the table to sit next to my mother. Doting on me, she pours my coffee and loads my plate with fruit and sliced bread with appelstroop, asking question after question about the party last night.
“It was wonderful, Mom,” I assure her, taking the offered mug and holding it tightly, letting the warmth absorb into my hands. “Really, it was.”
She beams, still so beautiful even as she ages. I can only hope to age as gracefully as her. “I’m so glad, love. You only turn eighteen once, after all. I wanted it to be special for you.”
Dan’s looking at me, and I risk a quick look in his direction before turning back to Mom. I can feel heat crawling up my neck, thinking about how special the night really was, but also how much I missed out on. “It was the perfect celebration. I got nearly everything I wanted.”
“You kids have always been a little spoiled.” Dad chuckles. “But now that the party is behind us, let’s move on to the next big event on the horizon; hunting season. Are you planning on attending the opening with me this year, Elise?”
“We have a trip to Lake Como in July though,” Mom promptly interposes, looking at Dad with an ounce of annoyanceon her face, which causes me to laugh. “Hunting season only starts in mid-August, right?”
“Of course!” I reply to Dad between bites of fruit, my excitement coming off a bit overboard, but the truth is it’s the only activity we do together. “I’ve gone with you since I was, what, twelve? I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Yes, it was the year after your brother had his first hunt and gave it up forever.” Dad looks at Dan as if trying to discern whether Dan knew about it or not. “He takes after Julia in that way, I guess. Not much of a constitution when it comes to blood.”
Mom shudders, wrinkling her nose. “I don’t blame him one bit. There’s no need to hunt nowadays, you can perfectly do another activity in the wild, like hiking.”
“Nonsense,” Dad tells her, looking incredulous. “It’s the best way for us to reconnect with our most primal selves. If the world went to hell tomorrow, at least Elise and I would have the knowledge to hunt and survive. You and your overly sensitive, stubborn son though…”
“He’s your son too,” Mom points out, a bit pointedly, but Dad shakes his head.
“Not right now, he’s not.”
Tension rises in the air, and not the enjoyable kind that I’ve been feeling with Dan since yesterday. I know that disowning Andries weighs on Mom every day, but she won’t go against Dad in this matter, and she definitely doesn’t want him marrying Roxanne. Still, she’d rather still have him here at home with us right now, I’m sure of it. What is preventing that is Dad’s pride and his concern for the image of his business. I need to change the subject, and fast, or things are going to get really messy.
“Dan, do you hunt?” I ask, speaking to him directly for the first time. Luckily, he knows me well enough that he can see the worry on my face and jumps right into the conversation.
“Yes, actually, but I don’t get much of an opportunity to do it anymore. My dad goes occasionally, but it isn’t something he goes out of his way to do.”
This catches Dad’s interest, and he looks swiftly at Dan as if he’s sizing him up. “Why don’t you join us for the opening of hunting season, then? The more the merrier.”
I want to say no to him, but Dan doesn’t give me the chance, telling Dad, “Really? Wow, thank you for the invitation! I’d be delighted to join you.”
