Page 24 of What the Doctor Ordered
“You’re so tense,” he said in a low voice, looking at me with worry. “Calm down. All you have to do is stick by me and follow my lead. You’ll be just fine.”
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Simon could read me so easily, despite the fact that he had only known me for a month. Perhaps he learned quickly since he was constantly checking in with me, making sure that I was feeling alright physically as well as emotionally.
Simon offered me his arm, and I slipped mine through the loop he made as we made our way up to the extravagant mansion. It looked more like a palace. It was made entirely of smooth marble. Golden statues lined the long walkway leading up to the door.
The inside was even more fancy. The ceilings were high, with a golden spiral staircase leading up to the second floor. Hundreds of people were already milling about, dancing to some classical music and chatting with one another. I was relieved to find that the women were dressed similarly to me. I actually did blend in somehow.
“See?” Simon said, putting an arm around my shoulders. “It’s not so bad, is it? It’s just a big, fancy party. They even have one of those cheese fondue fountains that tastes suspiciously like the fake cheese that comes out of a can.”
I giggled, grateful for Simon’s attempt at calming me. He seemed to be very good at that.
Suddenly, Simon stiffened slightly. “I see my mother,” he said, bending toward me so he could murmur in my ear. “We should go over and say hello to her. Just follow my lead and things will go just fine.”
Before I could respond or prepare myself, he was leading me over to an elderly woman dressed in a rose-colored gown. If Simon hadn’t told me, I would still have been able to tell she was his mother. They had the same face shape and the same slightly pointed nose.
The woman’s eyes lit up when she saw us. There was some surprise when she saw me and her eyes immediately went to my left hand, where the glittering ring sat on my ring finger.
“Simon,” the woman sighed when her son came up to hug her.
“Hello, Mother,” Simon said, hugging her warmly. He stepped away from her and gestured to me. “I would like you to meet Kiley Hart, my fiancée.”
Simon’s mother looked comically shocked, and I found myself blushing shyly as she gazed at me in wonder. She recovered quickly and stepped forward so she could pull me into her arms for an embrace that rivaled the warm one she shared with her son.
“Such a pleasure to meet you, my darling,” she said, giving me a squeeze. “I have been praying for your arrival for quite a few years.”
“Mother,” Simon said, his tone only slightly scolding. “She doesn’t need to know that.”
I giggled and returned the hug. “It’s so very nice to meet you, Mrs. Vale.”
Mrs. Vale smiled wider at me. “Call me Fiona,” she corrected warmly. Then she turned to her son, eyes narrowing slightly. “Oh, I think she does,” she said, matching his tone. “It’s onlyright considering how fortunate you are to have her in your life. She is a true blessing; I can already tell.”
I couldn’t help but sneak a smirk Simon’s way, over his mother’s shoulder. Simon glowered at me but gave me a playful smirk back. After some easy chit-chat we walked away from Fiona.
We continued deeper into the mansion, toward where the majority of the guests were mingling and dancing.
“Your mother is delightful,” I remarked with sincere enthusiasm.
“She is a remarkable woman,” Simon agreed with a nod. He gave me a look though, as he led me forward. “I can’t help but feel as if you especially liked her because of how taken she was with you.”
I grinned up at him cheekily, unable to help it. “What can I say?” I asked rhetorically. “I’m a darling, a true blessing!”
Simon chuckled and shook his head. “I imagine I’ll be reminded of that often over the next few months, won’t I?”
Despite his light tone and teasing laugh, I found that his question caused an unexpected gloom to fall over me. It was yet another reminder that this was all temporary. That shouldn’t bother me so much though. I was going to be able to take a break from work to focus on my studies since my next year’s tuition would be paid for. I should be happy, so why wasn’t I?
“Kiley?”
I jumped a bit and looked up at Simon. “Yes?”
“Are you alright?” he asked, stopping suddenly so he could study my face closely. “You looked down all of a sudden.”
I shook my head hard before forcing a smile onto my face. “I’m just fine,” I said. “I think I’m just taking it all in. Maybe I’m still a little nervous.”
Simon blinked before staring at me suspiciously, like he didn’t believe me. He seemed to nod to himself before he put an arm around me. “Maybe you need to visit the dessert bar to calm your nerves.”
A sweet treat did sound nice. I couldn’t help but give him a teasing look, though. “Are you encouraging me to indulge myself in sugar, Doctor?”
“A little treat once in a while isn’t going to harm you,” he said with a wink. His expression became stern however once the long dessert table came into view. “If I think you are going overboard, however, I will need to step in.”
