Page 53 of A Winter By the Sea
“Thank you.”
“What shall I wear?”
“Anything you like. What about the pale pink? You have not worn that in ages.”
“Hmm ... Maybe.”
Sarah didn’t wait to see what Emily chose. Her sister would look pretty in whatever she wore. She always did.
When Sarah entered the dining room to see if all was in readiness, she stopped and stared.
The room had never looked more beautiful.
Their best linen had been ironed to shiny smoothness and re-laid. Candelabra gleamed along the table’s length, filled withlong straight tapers. Mr. During must have gathered extra from different rooms of the house. The base of each candelabrum wore a wreath of flowers. Had the man walked to a shop in town for hothouse blooms?
On closer inspection she realized the flowers were fashioned of silk, satin, and the like. A strip of embroidered fabric he’d studded with polished seashells ran down the table’s length. And at the center stood the promised tower of fruit. Its shape conical, like a pine tree, the centerpiece consisted of bright oranges and lemons adorned with artfully placed leaves, and had been placed on a porcelain cake stand for added height.
Mr. During came in, now dressed in evening attire.
“My goodness. You are an artist, Mr. During.”
He beamed. “My pleasure, Miss Sarah. And I would be remiss to not mention Mr. Bernardi provided the fruit.”
Behind him, Mr. Bernardi entered, similarly dressed. Gone were the white coat and apron he wore in the kitchen. Both men looked unusually handsome.
Bernardi shrugged. “Why not? There were lemons and Seville oranges languishing in the Woolbrook larder. But Selwyn is the one who created the tower with them.”
Sarah supposed she should protest the use of Woolbrook stores but was relieved not to have to bear the expense of imported fruit. “Well, it all looks splendid.”
Emily and Mamma entered next, both elegantly dressed, and both exclaiming over the grand appearance of the dining room.
Sarah pulled back the chair at the head of the table. “I think you should sit here tonight, Mr. During, as you are the one responsible for all this beauty.”
“Truly?” He touched his heart. “I would be most honored. That is extremely kind.”
Georgiana walked in looking older and quite feminine in apretty blue gown. She’d joined arms with Simon Hornbeam. “Oh! Mr. Hornbeam, I wish you could see it! The table is beautiful. Flowers, and candelabra, and a tower of oranges and lemons.”
“The fruit, I can smell. And I feel the warmth of many candles.”
The ladies sat first, and the men followed.
“I assume we have you to thank for this display?” Mr. Thomson asked the table-decker as he came in and seated himself.
“Indeed,” Sarah answered in the man’s stead.
Together, they were a party of eight, everyone in their best frocks or frock coats. Sarah noticed Mr. Thomson’s appreciative gaze linger on pretty Emily, and her sister’s eyes shine as she smiled back at him. Sarah could not deny the tall secretary was striking in formal attire, and she wondered if this man might succeed in driving thoughts of Charles Parker from Emily’s mind and heart at last.
Joining in the spirit of the evening, Mr. Gwilt laid a white cloth over his arm and offered the guests small glasses of champagne.
During the main course, Mr. During looked around the table, shaking his head with both wonder and satisfaction. Then he turned to Sarah. “I am obliged to you, Miss Summers. You don’t know what this means to me. For all the hundreds of tables I have set over my career, this is the first I have been able to sit down to and personally enjoy. I admit, when I first learned I would be assigned to secondary lodgings as nonessential staff, I felt discouraged. But now I am grateful, for otherwise I should never have had this unforgettable experience.”
“You are very welcome, Mr. During. We are all enjoying the fruits of your labors.” She shifted her gaze to the pastry chef. “And yours, Mr. Bernardi.”
“My contribution was minor compared to Selwyn’s. But indeed it is my pleasure to add to the night’s festivities.”
Mr. Bernardi lifted his glass. “A toast. To Selwyn During, table-decker and plate keeper to Their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Kent.”
Everyone around the table lifted their glasses. “To Selwyn During.”
