Page 18 of Princess of Pride
I touch my glass of wine, what’s left of it, but I don’t pick it up.
Mom clears her throat because Dad and Lachlan haven’t noticed her with her glass in the air. Either that or they’re ignoring her on purpose.
Undeterred, Mom makes a toast, “To Lord Lachlan and Lady Emery.”
Dad puffs through his nose. “Give it a rest, Priscilla.”
Her smile remains intact, even as her eyes narrow to tiny slits. “It’s not everyday one’s daughter marries into nobility.”
“But it is every thirty minutes that you bring it up, and it is inaccurate.” His voice deepens with a tight smile.
“Inaccurate?” Mom lets out a laugh that sounds like the word,ha! “He’s related to earls and his mother is a countess with an ancestral castle.” She looks at Lachlan. “Is that not correct?”
Dad raises a hand to Lachlan, whose attention is on my semi-intoxicated, overly nosy mother. “You don’t have to explain anything to her.”
“It’s fine,” Lachlan says in a calm, slightly perturbed tone. “The castlewasowned by several Scottish earls throughout history. One of them passed it down to an ancestor on my mother’s side, but my mum relinquished the title upon her inheritance of the castle.”
Mom gasps as if a man with a chainsaw just burst into the room. “Why would she do that?”
“That’s enough, Priscilla,” Dad barks. “Sit back and enjoy your wine.”
Awkward silence falls over the room until Dad resumes his conversation with Lachlan.
I’m about to excuse myself, when Mom says, “You’ll never guess who’s back in town?”
Setting my napkin on the table, I lean forward and indulge her. “Who?”
“Raphael.”
I almost choke on my spit. Dad even pauses then continues with his conversation smoothly.
Mom’s only bringing him up to piss off Dad. I haven’t seen Raphael since the night I snuck out to meet him at the pool house. That’s not entirely true. I would see him from afar. He wasn’t allowed within fifty feet of me based on the distance he kept when working with his father in the yard.
I’d heard he went to college in Puerto Rico where he has family.
I glance at Dad who’s pretending to ignore Mom’s bait and notice Lachlan’s shoulders are suddenly tense. He always appears unperturbed. It can’t be Mom’s comment that has him stiff.
Only one way to find out.
I lean forward. “Is he here on the estate?”
Mom glances at Lachlan, who looks like he’s listening to my father. She must notice his shoulders too, because her lips curl with a conspiratorial grin. “I don’t know for certain, but I assume he is. You could always find out. I doubt he or his father have ever been in the presence of a Lady.”
I glower. Even after Dad’s warning, Mom can’t helpherself. It was only a matter of time before she jumped ship and swam to the nearest royal shoreline.
“If you’ll excuse me.” I stand and straighten my black spaghetti strap lace dress.
The formfitting material would hug my curves if I had any below the chest. Instead, it falls straight over my narrow hips to mid-calf. The sheer bodice has a faux corset and padding so you don’t need a bra.
Mom chose the dress for tonight, and I chose to add a little triangle piece of black lace lined with silk to conceal my cleavage.
I have several pieces I wear with dresses that dip into a V and reveal too much chest for my taste. Mom hates the inserts, but there’s nothing she can do short of snatching the material from my cleavage when I walk into the room. She’d never show that side of herself in front of guests. For all her despising the added material, she never checks on me before a dinner or event begins to do anything about it. You’d think she’d learn to do that by now.
“Where are you going?” Dad asks.
“My bedroom,” I say with a hint of disdain. He doesn’t own me anymore. He sold me to the man at his side.
Dad pins me with his sharp amber gaze. “Ask Lachlan if you can be excused.”
