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And I couldn’t eat mine with her staring atme like a hypercritical hawk from the end of the table.
“I don’t know how useful the knowledge willbe.” She laughed as if she’d made a joke.
I answered her in all seriousness. “I don’tcome from a large family. It’s just me and my parents and mybrother, so I have to get the hang of nieces and nephews andsisters-in-law.”
“Well, I’m not your sister-in-law,”Catherine said, her laugh frozen on her face. “You’re not marriedto Matthew.”
My stomach dropped. Oh God, would Matt thinkI was already designing the ring in my head? “That’s not what—”
“Speaking of siblings,” Elizabeth began. Shewas seated at the head of the table in a royal blue gown withbeaded peacock feather accents. Everyone looked like they hadstepped out of a royal palace.
Or, in the case of the children, anabandoned doll factory.
“Charlotte’s brother is Matthew’s bestfriend from college,” Elizabeth continued. “The one whosewedding…”
Clarity dawned across Catherine’s face. “Oh,with the bear. So, is it your family who farms the bears?”
“No! No, no, noooooo.” I drew the last oneout comically even as my brain begged me not to. “That was thefamily my brother chose to marry into, for some reason.”
“And the marriage didn’t happen, anyway. Thebride left poor Scott at the altar,” Elizabeth explained.
“Bullet dodged,” Bennett said under hisbreath, but loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.
“You remember Scott, Catherine,” Elizabethwent on, pausing for a bite of her soup.
“I’m afraid I don’t.” Catherine nodded toBriony. “Don’t eat too fast, darling.”
My hackles raised. Although my own motherhad never used the line on me, I knew from my friends that it wascode for,“Don’t get fat.”
I leaned conspiratorially toward Briony witha wink. “The soup is so good, though. Maybe we should have a raceto see who can finish it first.”
The kid didn’t even crack a smile. “Betternot, if it’s all the same to you. Mother is right, I’ve gone up twosizes in the past year. Wouldn’t want to crush my pony.”
Jesus Christ.
“Jesus Christ,” Matt muttered behind hisnapkin.
Elizabeth was still having her conversationabout my brother, but I was almost unable to hear her over theanger building up steam pressure behind my ears.
Almost.
Because she told Catherine casually, “You’llremember him when you see him. He’s coming in tomorrow morning.He’ll be here in time for the garden party.”
The boiling rage in my head cooled to icyfear. Beside me, Matt choked on his water, dropping the glass andsending his wine over in a domino effect.
“Oh my gosh!” I slapped him on the backwhile his coughing slowed, and he waved me away as servants hurriedto clean up the spill.
“Matty, dear, what on earth is thatreaction?” Elizabeth demanded with alarm.
“You didn’t tell me that you invited Scott,”he sputtered.
“Why in heaven’s name wouldn’t I have yourgood friend on the guest list for my party?” Her expressionsuggested that Matt even questioning such a thing was insulting inthe extreme. “It’s a milestone. I have an enormous guest list.”
Bennett’s jaw dropped in understandingbeyond his years. “If I’m sensing the vibe correctly—and my vibereception is excellent—Uncle Matthew doesn’t want his friend to behere at the same time as Charlotte.”
Catherine cackled like a delightedwitch.
There was no denying that the boy was right.So, I didn’t. “Scott is a little uncomfortable with therelationship. He’s a protective big brother.”