As I hoped, I found Enid in the dining room. I had only been in there once, in two years and that was only by accident.
After a thorough explanation from Enid on how she wanted the table set up, she hurried out of the dining room leaving me alone with the crockery, knives, forks and a lot of different types of glasses.
Furiously glaring at all of it, I tried to remember which, went where. Etiquette wasn't my strongest suit, and gladly, I would've traded places with Harriet.
" Is everything alright?" The sudden sound of his raspy voice made my breath hitch, and my heart dropped in my stomach. I internally whined, not even a moment to breathe.
" Yes," I croaked and cleared my throat, picked up the entrée plates, and began spreading them on the table, avoiding as much as possible his gaze.
" How was your day?" That question made me halt mid-air and raise my head, confused.
" It was good," I softly replied, recovering from the mild shock, making him smile. It hasn't been that good.
" That is not what I've heard," Heavens. Enid tattled, I thought as I placed the last plate on the table and finally raised my eyes to look at him.
" I don't know what you have heard," I paused to straighten myself, gripped the backrest of the chair, and locked eyes with him. Still, as the sea before a storm, his frosty blue eyes reminded me of all those moments when I looked into them and I saw warmth.
" Nevertheless, here we are," I stiffly added, uneasy at the fact that we were alone in the same room. I wasn't quite sure how to behave around him. I was in an unprecedented situation.
" You look lovely," He crooned taking me by surprise, and judging by the deep crinkles on his forehead, so was he.
" What are you doing?" I breathed out the question and gripped tighter on the backrest. He wasn't making it easy, to forget.
" I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that" He sullenly said, rubbing the back of his neck and turning to the cabinet. I didn't know what to do, so I stood rooted to the same spot, watching him, pick up the knives off the cabinet, one by one.
" I'll get a cloth to polish the glasses," I cleared my throat and hurriedly made my way out of the dining room.
The moment, I stepped outside, I leaned against to wall and closed my eyes. I was sweating profusely from every pore and we'd been in the same room for merely minutes. At that rate, I wouldn't be able to keep it together for much longer.
The sound of footsteps made me push myself off the wall, and I made my way to the kitchen to get the cloth.
"Dear, would you be kind enough to give this to Mason? He asked for a coffee when he got home." Enid asked the moment I stepped into the kitchen. Fantastic, I thought.
" You look a little pale," Enid noted, as she handed me the coffee cup, smiling at me. I smiled back, a little taken aback at the warmth in her tone and expression. I was also relieved that she'd finally lightened up after our little exchange.
" I'm fine. I just didn't have lunch today," I meekly replied, clutching the cloth, for dear life.
" I made this for Mason, but he said that he has eaten quite a hefty lunch. Why don't you have this, in the meantime," She said as she stretched a plate with a sandwich on it.
" I don't know if you will like it. It's salted beef," Enid added while I stuffed the cloth in my pocket and picked up the plate. I couldn't say no.
" Thank you. I'd better go," I said as I turned on my heels, and dashed out of the kitchen. Nowhere was safe, not anymore.
Clearing my throat to make him aware of my presence, I placed the plate on the cabinet top and made my way to where he was to give him the coffee, placing it opposite to where he was. That was close enough.
" Enid said that you asked for a cup of coffee," I softly said, placing the coffee before him.
" Thank you," He replied as he stretched over the table to pick up the cup to take a sip.
" Who is coming for dinner?" I decided to fill the silence between us before any of us said anything that we would regret later.
Mason hummed as he swallowed, " I needed this. Marie, and Landore Whitmore. I met them roughly about ten years ago." He said as he finished laying out the cutlery on the table while I focused on polishing the glasses.
" Enid said that it isn't anything formal," I noted with furrowed brows. It didn't feel informal, quite the opposite.
" It is and it isn't. Landore is a mining magnate, and quite wealthy. Is best to be prudent, you never know when you need someone with deep pockets," He replied as he walked around the table to where I was. I could understand that. No matter how wealthy one was, there was always someone, somewhere, wealthier.
" I see. Do you have any particular interest in him?" I figured it doesn't hurt to ask.
" Not momentarily. In the near future, yes. I will need his deep pockets for the project I'm working on at the moment. It's still in the incipient phase, but," He closed the distance between us, and that was enough to make me take a step back.
" Lily," The warmth in his tone when he said my name made my heart skip a beat," Can you at least let me be near to you," The plea in his voice, made all the walls I had put up, crack. Oh, no.
" I can't Mason," I said as turned on my heels, and ran out of the room, holding on to my last shred of will. I didn't know what else to do.
I braced myself against the door the moment, I closed it behind me, " I hate you, " I hissed through gritted teeth, kicking the door and instantly regretting it.
Holding on to my toes, I hopped towards the bed and crashed on the bed to muffle the impending painful groan lodged in my throat in the covers, and rolled on the bed frustrated with myself and him.