Chapter Five
Dinner Impressions
"It's only dinner, Mother."
Eramus rolled his eyes as Inara made another lap around him. She'd already completed several turns, analyzing every aspect of his appearance and even swept a few locks of his black hair to one side.
"Of course it is," she muttered, encircling him again.
"Then why are we acting like I'll be in the presence of royalty?"
Inara stopped in front of him, her hands planted firmly on her hips. "If you don't think highly enough of Evree to present yourself with decency, then you don't deserve her."
Eramus grimaced. "That's not…you know I do, but I don't think she's going to care if my shirt isn't perfectly—"
"Good impressions are key to gaining a father's approval for courtship."
He groaned. She was right, but that didn't mean he intended to admit it. Eramus wanted to court Evree, but after the way the villagers had responded to the revelation of his magic, he wasn't sure courting anyone was an option.
"Look at your trousers! What a mess! You've got dirt"—she bent forward and brushed the barely visible patch from his black pants—"everywhere."
Eramus slapped her hand away. "Honestly, Mother. I think I've grown enough to brush the dirt from my own trousers."
She folded her arms. "Then don't stand there like you're incapable and get on with it." She rushed to the other side of the cottage, muttering as she mindlessly placed a few dishes into her wash basin. "Grown. Yet he asked formyhelp."
Eramus chuckled and shook his head. He hadn't asked for help; he'd inquired about how helooked. The mistake was asking anything at all. His mother was nearly as anxious as him, although he knew she had meant well by her slight at his poor attempt to look presentable.
He brushed the small bit of dirt from his pants and drew in a deep breath. "All right. Time to go."
She rushed back to his side, a wide grin on her face. "Oh, you look so handsome! Just remember to be yourself…and don't say anything stupid…and be charming, but not too char—"
"I think that's enough advice for the moment," he said, taking her hand. She was only making him more nervous at this point. "I'll be fine."
"You're my son; how could you not be?" She patted his cheek, and a deep scowl filled in her wrinkle lines. "You didn't shave."
Eramus rubbed his fingers across his prickly skin. With his thoughts running amok, he'd forgotten about tending to his stubble this morning. "I suppose I could—"
"No, no! There's no time for that now." Her hands pushed against his back, ushering him towards the door. "You mustn't be late. That's poor manners, and I won't have anyone thinking I didn't raise you properly."
Blotches of orange streaked the sky above, and the air had already cooled. He walked several yards before the soft thud of his cottage door reached his ears. Eramus imagined his mother watching him from the small window above the dining table, likely bouncing on her toes with excitement. She would demand a full report upon his return.
His heart raced as he neared Evree's cottage. He paused outside the door, his fist hovering in mid-air while he built up the courage to knock. When the door swung open, it wasn't Evree's bright smile that greeted him, but Kieran's stern eyes. The man's expression crumpled with confusion
"Eramus? What are you doing here?"
His heart stopped. Kieran didn't know why he was here? His face must have reflected his own confusion, because Kieran's brows lifted to his hairline. Eramus cleared his throat. "Dinner…Evree invited me."
Kieran's shoulders slumped, and he growled as he turned away. "Evree!"
Her golden hair bounced against her face as she skipped towards them, undaunted by her father's folded arms and pinched brows. "Eramus! I'm so glad you're here!"
"You invited him to dinner…withoutmy permission?" Kieran's eyes darted between the two of them before lingering on him, but unlike Evree, Eramus fidgeted under the man's icy stare.
Evree shrugged. "Yes."
Kieran had no time to respond. Evree grabbed Eramus by the wrist and yanked him inside. He stumbled and clutched the wall to stop himself from fumbling to the floor. What was she thinking? Inviting him without her father's approval? Would Kieran assume he played a role in this? Eramus swallowed. They had yet to sit down at the table and already tonight was a disaster.
"Dinner is almost ready, if the two of you would take a seat." Evree gestured towards the square table on the east side of the room and smiled. "I'll just be a minute or two."
