Page 126 of Empire of Ache & Ruin

An hour later, I’m showered and dressed in a pair of jeans and a cashmere sweater, ready to meet Archer’s mom again. Archer escorts me downstairs where Freya and Gardenia are in the living room having tea. Freya welcomes me with a smile, not at all perturbed by my outburst from before.

“I have a few phone calls to make. Are you okay by yourself here?” He kisses my temple.

“Yes.” I nod.

“Join us.” Freya points to the settee across from her. “Would you like some tea?”

“No, I’m good.” I venture away from Archer and take the seat she offers me.

“Play nice.” Archer cocks his eyebrow at Gardenia then kisses the top of my head before he saunters toward his study.

“I didn’t think you guys would leave your bedroom today.” Gardenia reaches over and pours more tea into her cup.

Heat rushes to my cheeks. Of course, they know we were upstairs having sex. Could they hear us? No, the walls in this house are thick and we’re two floors up.

“I wanted to apologize for earlier. You must think I’m crazy.” I sit up a little straighter.

“We know the Senator.” Gardenia shrugs. “Trust me. It all makes perfect sense to us.”

“Gardenia.” Freya pats Gardenia’s leg.

Looking at her face is very confusing to me, but I’m also curious to see the portrait that has been hanging in my room for years come to life. She’s beautiful and moves with so much grace and patience. Archer has her blue eyes, but he’s different in the way his composure is more calculated and determined.

She regards me intently over the rim of her teacup. “Archer.” She swallows, furrowing her brows. “Archer explained. You don’t need to worry about that.”

“Thank you.” I smile.

“You do look familiar though.” She studies my face, and there’s so much gentleness in her demeanor, I find myself wishing she was my mother. “Was your mother a ballet dancer as well?”

“Yes.” I scoot forward on the cushion. “She also danced with the same ballet company I’m with.”

“What’s her name?” Gardenia asks.

“Clara Davis.” I meet her gaze. “Well, de Armas was her maiden name.”

“Hmm.” Gardenia nods. “Was she any good?”

“Gardenia.” Freya flashes her an admonishing look.

“What? I’m just asking.” She rolls eyes, sipping her tea.

“Yes, she was.” I glance down at my hands. Despite Gardenia’s bluntness, I feel at ease around her. “She was also the Swan Queen.”

“That is wonderful.” Freya beams at me. “I don’t know if my son told you, I was also a dancer. Never made Swan Queen.” She lets out a small chuckle.

“He did mention it. He said you’re an instructor now?” I ask.

“Yes. It’s not dancing. But it’s very rewarding. I like teaching little kids. It keeps me grounded.” She winks at me. The gesture reminds me so much of Archer. Though unlike Archer, Freya has a serenity about her that’s so contagious.

I didn’t know what to expect Archer’s mom to be like. She suffered a great loss twenty years ago. But looking at her, she doesn’t seem as tormented as Archer. Somehow, she recovered from the trauma of losing her husband and almost dying in a fire.

“Aunt Freya, now that you’re here, we can go into the city and see a show.” Gardenia jumps to her feet and sits next to me on the settee. “I bet you know a lot of places to visit. Do you know any good clubs? It’s so boring here.”

“Um, no, not really. I don’t usually leave the art centre when I’m in the city.” I shake my head. “It’s a security nightmare for Dad.”

“Why? Does he have a lot of enemies?” Gardenia cocks her head to look at me.

“He’s a senator. There’s always someone who isn’t happy with his policies.” I study her features.

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