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HESILENCEFROMVANstretchedoutfortwoweeks.It was deafening, and Mary figured it was permanent. His aunt, however, finally asked Mary to come for afternoon tea, “just the two of us”.
That was a relief. She couldn’t face him this soon after her declaration of possible love had — uh — fallen flat.
“You’ll have tea, won’t you, my dear,” Cyn said.
ThequestionstartledMaryoutofherthoughts.No, not a question. Cyn merely liked to smooth over her orders.
Mary didn’t mind. She was here to satisfy her raging curiosity, despite the risk of running into Van. What was happening with Cyn’s husband-hunting plot? Besides, being with Cyn was about as close as Mary would get to Van at the moment. Maybe she’d even hear something about him from Cyn. Anything about him. Mary would settle for hearing he tied his shoelaces this morning.
Mary wished he had let her explain why her feelings shouldn’t scare him, but he would mull things over in his own good time. Thenhe would do what she wanted him to do.
Yeah. Sure.
“You know, my dear,” Cyn said, “that stubborn nephew of mine needs to mull things over in his own good time.”
No wonder Mary already adored Cyn. They even thought the same.
“Sooner or later,” Cyn continued, “he’ll do what I want him to do.”
Mary liked the sound of that since she and Cyn thought alike on Van.
Cyn let the silence grow as warm and comforting as the tea while she poured and offered honey, brown sugar cubes, lemon and the lightest, fluffiest scones Mary had ever tasted. Cyn passed over what might be — could it possibly be? — real Devonshire clottedcream.Marystaredatit,imaginingwhatsuch a thing would feel like rolling around in her mouth, on her tongue.
“Ah,” Cyn said. “You’re appreciating my secret vice. I, however, indulged yesterday, so not today. Try some. Your arteries will snap shut at the mere thought, and it does show up on the waist, but it has a lovely way of settling on the bustline first.”
Mary grinned. “I’ll drink to that.” Her bathroom scale never budged, but if it ever did, she wouldn’t mind some Devonshire cream settling at her bustline.
“Now that we’re satisfying the inner woman, let’s alsogetdowntobusiness.”Cynsetdownherteacup. “We’ll start with some of the harder parts of this distasteful matter. I must admit, I don’t particularly want a husband. Nor do I want to throw a party at which to meet one.”
Interesting. Why was Cyn preparing to meet men if she didn’t want one? And didn’t society life in her circle revolve around parties?
“Ah,thatsurprisesyou.Youhaven’tyetdiscovered that you often have to do things you don’t want to do to get what you want.”
“Oh. What do you want?”
Cyn didn’t answer directly. “You’ve fallen in love with my nephew.”
“Wha — what?”
Cyn waved away Mary’s sputters. “I’ve seen the way you look at him.”
Mary squirmed. It was one thing to know how she felt, and have Van now know how she felt. Sort of. It was quite another to discuss it with his aunt.
“I’ve seen the way Van looks at you too, and I’ve seen how the poor boy has been for the last two weeks without you. The fool, however, is too foolish to see it for himself. Just like his father, after Van’s mother died. His father, my brother, thought he could live in splendid isolation. He drove people away, and he held them away. He was also a mean drunk.”
Cyn’s face grew sad. “He even did something terrible to his own son. I’ve never known what, but I could see the difference in the poor little boy from one visit with me to the next.”
Mary’s heart broke for him.
“Van came to live with me permanently while his father was dying, alone, in a cancer hospice, poor man, and realizing what he had missed. I will not let Van make the same mistake.”
Mary wanted to say something. She was feeling too much to figure out what.
“Besides, I want grand-nieces and grand-nephews to spoil.”
Mary smiled into her tea. Here was a woman after Mary’s own baby-hungry heart.
Cyn waved her hand in dismissal of her own words. “I’m getting ahead of myself. What was I saying before I got off on that tangent? Really, my dear, you are far too easy to talk to, which, of course, is one of the reasons I want you for Van. Stand up, dear.”
