The Chocolatier's Wife (32 page)

“Not
that
I’m
displeased,
but
this
seems
a
bit
abrupt.”
She
looked
at
Andrew again.
“What
do you think?”

“I
think
you
should
be
pleased
that
your
wedding
can
now
go
forward,” he
said,
shutting
the
ledgers
firmly.
“Well.
Now
life
can
go
back
to
normal. Please,
if
you
will
fetch
your
things,
we
shall
go
to
my
mother’s.”
He
was
so very
business-like
that
it
took
her
aback.
Just
when
I
thought
I
might
begin to like you.

“So soon?
Don’t
you wish to see him?”

He
looked
at
her
almost
indulgently.
“As
long
as
we
were
in an emergency,
I
was
willing
to
let
things
go
by
the
board,
but
now
we
must act
with
the
propriety
for
which
such
a
situation
begs.
You
certainly
cannot stay
here.
In
fact,
you
cannot
see
him
alone
at
all
until
you
are
finally
wed. Now please...”

She
bowed.
“My
people
are not
without
culture
or
a
sense
of
dignity, either,
I
should
like
you
to
know.
But
we
do
allow
room
for
kindness.
In
my country,
I
would
have
been
allowed
to
stay
to
make
sure
he
was
all
right,
to prepare
him
something
to
eat.
Then
I
would
leave
and
conform myself
to society’s
wishes.
I
find our
way
less
barbaric.”

He
said
something,
but
she was too busy climbing the stairs—loudly—to hear him.

Dear
William,

I
am being
forced
to leave
before
you
return, and
am delaying to write this quick note.
I
am so glad
to know you
are
free.
If
I
had
my
way,
tea
and
dinner would be
awaiting you,
but alas your brother will not allow it.

Please,
please
call
upon me and
let me know how
I
can
help you
r
e
cover.
Cecelia
and
I
have
spoken
a
great
deal
and
I
am sure the
two of
us will be
of
great
assistance
in returning things to normal.

I
shall
leave
the
wind-sprites behind
me to live in the
back
of your kitchen.
If
you
would put some crumbled cake
and
milk out for them
I
would be
grateful.

I
am eager
to see
you
–

Tasmin

It was
the
staring
contest
to
end
all
staring
contests,
and
Tasmin,
from
the second
she’d
met
this
overstuffed,
fussy,
waspish,
no-wonder-William-went-to-sea-the-second-he-could
woman,
she was determined not to lose. “
William’
s
ol
d
roo
m
wil
l
b
e
a
t
you
r
disposal
,
unless
,
o
f
course
,
yo
u
woul
d
prefe
r
th
e
guest’
s
quarters.
”

“
I
wil
l
b
e
please
d
t
o
slee
p
wher
e
m
y
intende
d
onc
e
did,
”
sh
e
said, tryin
g
to be charming.

“Since
you
seem
to
be
making a
habit
of
it,
I
didn’t
suppose
you
would
mind.”

Well,
those
were
the
words,
but
Tasmin
felt
the
meaning
was
more
akin
to, “Of course you’d love to sleep in my son’s bed, you flaming
tart.”

“Well.”
Tasmin
tried
to
seek
common
ground.
“I
am
looking
forward
to any
sugge
s
tions
you
have about
preparing
for
the
wedding.
I
have a
dress that
I
believe
will
be
most
suitable,
I
fell
in love
with
it
the
moment
I
saw it,”
she
said,
even
though
she
hated
this
sort
of
talk.
“And
knew
it
would be absolutely perfect for the day.
It is my
family
’s
dress; we have a tradition of passing our
wedding dresses down to our
daug
h
ters.”

“Well, now.” The
woman
arched
an
eyebrow
and
looked
at
the
woman who sat next to her on
the couch.

Tasmin’s
future
sister-in-law
seemed
to
be
paying
attention,
but
Tasmin had caught on
quickly
that Bonny
was not—quite—there. Whether she was
that
way
all
the
time
or
just
now
as
a
survival
tactic,
Tasmin could
not
yet tell.

“You
do
enjoy
pressing
your
case.
I
do
not
believe
for an instance
that William should
be
rushed
into
things
simply
because
you
decided
to
step in.
It
is,
after all,
his choice, and
not yours.”

“Ah,
yes.”
She
blinked,
and
lost
the
contest,
realizing
for
the
first time how
her
a
r
rival
must
have
looked.
Does
William
feel
I
am
forcing
his
hand?
“And
I
will
respect
his
choice.”
She
looked
at
her
lap,
so
she
would
not
have to
see
the
gleam of
malicious
tr
i
umph
that
showed
so
clearly
in
the
other woman’s
eyes.

“Of
course
she
will.”
Bonny
spoke
for
the
first time.
“I
believe
I
hear William’s
voice.
Shall
we
retire,
sister,
and
let
them
have
their
conversation?” Bonny
rose
with
grace
and held
a
hand
out
to
Tasmin.
“I
shall
show
her
to her temporary abode; please do not distress yourself, mamma. I am sure you have
much to say to your son.”

Bonny
pulled
her
up
the
staircase, refusing
to
let
her
get
a
peek
at William. “The
secret
to
getting
around
Her
Majesty
is
to
follow
the
rules with
a
rigidity
that
would
shock
most
people.
In
fact,
it
is
best
to
act
that
way around
all
members
of
the
family.
Even
William
can,
at
times,
be
shocked
at the
least
little
impropriety,
but
he
is
by
far the
easiest
with
whom
to
deal.” Bonny
spoke
no
further,
nor
encouraged
it,
until
they
were
in
William’s
old room.