“Dad, really?”Richard rolls his eyes.
“The French think their cheese is the best, but they don’t make better cheese than the Irish,” Mark says.“I’ll insist upon it until I die.”
I’m laughing as I choose the chocolate cake.“The mousse and the rice puddinglookmuch better, but it’s hard to beat chocolate.”
“No cheese?”Mark asks.“Richard’s wrong, you know.The Irish cheese is the best in the world.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” I say.
“You’re sure I’m right?You’remygirlfriend.You have to side with me.”Richard takes my hand, glaring at his father.
Mark laughs.“She has too much sense for that.”
“But in this case, the argument will have to continue at a stalemate between the two of you.I’m too American to think of cheese as a dessert.”
“Ah, well, we’ll have plenty of time to train that out of you,” Mark says.“Or at least, so I hear.”He pulls something out of his pocket, and I’m thinking it’s a little early to be paying the check, but I’m not Irish, so who knows?
Only, it’s not a credit card.It’s a small box.
A velvet-covered box.
“You know, I didn’t really think I’d need this now, but one lunch was enough to convince me, and Richard asked me to bring it down before that joke of a horse show, so I figure I’ve made you wait long enough.”
My eyes bulge when he opens the box and reveals a massive stone set in a ring, nestled against blue velvet cushions.
He sets it next to my cake.“When Richard proposed to his first wife, he bought her a ring at the local jeweler.I knew he was serious about you when he called and asked me to bring this.It’s a family heirloom, his grandmother’s ring that was designed by the most famous and gifted jeweler in all of Europe when he came to stay with the family nearly a hundred years ago.”He nudges it closer.“Take a look.”
I open my mouth, but no words come out.
“Dad, I told you this was a bad idea.”
“I like her,” Mark says, “and your family isn’t any family.You can’t drag her to Paris and drop down on one knee.We have a legacy to continue.”
“I asked you to bring the ring, but this isn’t the way any woman wants a man to propose.”
“It’s your own fault,” Mark says.“You’ve been ridiculous about her, protecting her from me like she’s some kind of national treasure.You and I both know that you aren’t getting any younger, and our legacy is, well, it’s in crisis.”He picks up the box and thrusts it at me.“If you hate this, we have other rings that are just as nice, or you could have the stone reset, or we can go to a jeweler and pick anything you want, but Samantha, you should know the Cavendish men like you, and that’s not a small feat.”
I take the ring—what choice do I have?—and the second I really look at it, I half-swoon.It’s the prettiest ring I have ever seen.There’s a massive, sparkly, light blue stone in the center, brilliant cut, and it’s huge.Several carats at least.It’s surrounded by white sparkling stones, like a big and somehow still delicate flower.And the band is carved, so that the delicate embellishments around it glint and sparkle.“It’s—who could dislike this?”
Mark beams.“See?I told you this was the way to go.”
“But I don’t think I can marry you,” I joke.“You’re just not my type.”
For a split second, his face falls, and then an enormous laugh bursts from his mouth.“Oh.”He slaps the table.“She’s funny, too.”
Richard looks a little terrified, like he’s forgotten how to breathe.“Dad, I told you I would handle this myself.”
“You can’t blame me for worrying that you’ll delay again, even though you asked me for the ring.”Mark leans closer.“And as much as I like you now Samantha, I must confess that initially, I was worried.You’re not exactly young, and Richard says you don’t want children.Surely, though, once he explains the reason wemusthave children, you’ll understand.Our massive estate passes only to a blood relative, and it’s a lot to care for.There’s a great deal of good the Cavendish family does in the world, and I’d love to meet my grandchildren while I can still teach them a little about why and how we do it...”He coughs.“Well, that may be enough.”This time, the look he shoots his son is nearly apologetic.“I really wanted to have two children, but I only managed to have one myself, and I hear they can stick things in a centrifuge these days and be sure that you have a boy?—”
“Dad.”Richard slams his hand down on the table this time.“That’senough.”
“Right.”He nods.“You two can talk about it further, but if you need anything—anything at all—please come to me.I’m happy to help in any way I possibly can.”
I can tell, as we leave the restaurant, that in Mark’s mind, this dinner just went as well as it possibly could have.But for me, I know we’re there.
My time is up.
I can’t keep up the lie any longer.Thanks to that gosh-darned beautiful ring, I’m going to have to tell Richard the truth.
