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He sticks his chin in the air. “I know you will.”
My mother has impeccable timing as she waltzes back into the main dining room with a smile on her face. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was listening at the door. “We have banana bread,” she says, holding the platter out to my father. He waves it away. When she offers it to me, she gives me a wink, and I know she made the dessert.
I grab two slices. “Looks delicious.”
She smiles. “I wish I could say I had anything to do with it.”
I give her an answering grin and then bite into the moist bread. “Mmm. Give my gratitude to the cook.”
“I certainly will,” she says while a faint blush pinkens her cheeks. “We received an invitation to Vincent Jarvis’ wedding today.”
“Did you?” I ask, my mind drifting toward Eden and the horrible scene she witnessed. If my mother only knew… I hope she doesn’t know, actually. For a long time, she was one of my only allies in this house. Her and Melanie.
“It’s a good match for him,” my dad muses. “I can’t tell you how many times I wished I’d thought of you with the Astor daughter before Forbes did.”
My mother’s jaw clenches. “That poor girl.” She fidgets in her chair, the conversation clearly making her uncomfortable.
“I barely knew Delilah,” I swallow. “From what Eden has spoken of, she was a wonderful person.”
My mother smiles at me. “I wonder about the youngest Astor girl,” Dad offers, as if he didn’t just hear me say her name. “From what I hear, her attitude is less than to be desired, which is a shame because of her last name. She’ll be married off to someone, though.”
“Actually,” I say, even though it kills me to do it, “Forbes has arranged a match between her and his son now.”
My father barks out a laugh. “That bastard. Thwarted again.” He shakes his head. “I might have pushed it sooner if it wasn’t for her reputation. Oh well. Guess it’s a moot point now, and after she humiliated you in front of the Knights, the last thing I wanted to do was give herourlast name.”
Bile rises up my throat. He’s talking about Eden like she’s cattle to be auctioned off. I would be a lucky man if she ever decided to take my last name. I’d give it to her willingly and parade her around on my arm like the treasure she is.
Unfortunately, there are two other guys who want to do the same thing. I don’t mind sharing if it means I have her, but it also means I’m giving up some, too.
“I’m sure the last thing on that poor girl’s mind is getting married,” my mother remarks. “She just lost her sister.” Her eyes glass over, and I want to reach out and hug her. I bet everything good in me came from her.
My father shrugs as if he could care less, then sneaks a piece of banana bread off the plate and swallows. “So, you’ll resign? Tonight?”
“Tonight,” I confirm.
He nods. “I expect you back at the office as soon as possible.”
I lock eyes with my mother for a brief moment, trying to keep my true feelings hidden. I don’t think it works because she watches me for the rest of the night. Perhaps she can sense that this isn’t really what I want to do, but I don’t care. It’s what I have to do.
I step outside the house at the end of the night and have half a mind to call Eden right away. I just want to hear her voice. There’s something calming about her. Even when her own life is in turmoil, she can lull my nerves into a steady rhythm.
As I open up the car to slide inside, my mother walks out of the house. Her heels click against the stone steps, and I pause where I am. She pulls a shawl tighter around herself as she approaches. “Your father has been preoccupied with marriage lately,” she says, giving me a sad smile. “I thought it best to say something to you before you’re blindsided by it. I think it’s the upcoming Jarvis wedding that has him so set on it. It’s the first wedding we’ve been to in a while, since you were of age, anyway.” She holds my gaze, then lifts her hand to cup my cheek. “You’re my good boy, and I know you’ll do what you have to do, but Alaric?”
Her palm feels warm under my skin. “Hmm?”
“Choose wisely… and respect her. If I ever ask anything of you, I ask you this.”
I cover her hand with my own. “I will, Mom. I promise.”
She gives me another sad smile and then retraces her steps, heading back into that house where she secretly bakes and warns her son.
I take a deep breath. I’ll do most anything for Eden, including sucking back up to my father, but I will not get myself entangled with another woman just to pacify his business efforts. Unless I can convince him that I should marry Eden Astor…
Unfortunately, there’s the pesky problem of her father and whatever arrangement he has with Forbes.
While I’m sitting there, I call the dean and tell him I need to resign. He’s shocked, of course, but when I tell him it’s at the express wish of my father, he doesn’t give me too much grief.
That, I hold for myself. Despite not loving every aspect, I actually kind of enjoyed teaching.