When William opened his eyes, she was watching him slyly while sinking her teeth into her own piece of perfection.
He nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever had anything this good before.”
“Papa insists Mrs. Lamont must be a witch,” Sarah said while she selected a treat and passed the plate to her father.
“It does seem like the only logical explanation,” Roxley said, his eyes almost rolling all the way back in his head when he took a bite of the pastry he’d picked.
William ate some more and immediately lamented the loss of the treat once he’d finished off the last bite. “Why aren’t there more?” he grumbled.
His mother chuckled. “Because it would spoil our appetites for dinner. Have some tea, dear, and tell me your thoughts.”
“It’s incredible,” William said. “If everything Mrs. Lamont makes is as good this, you must be the envy of all of London.”
“Try England,” Roxley said.
“And I wasn’t referring to the pastries,” the viscountess said with a hint of impatience. “What I wish to know is which man you think might be best for Sarah. And possibly for Athena as well.”
“Please leave me out of this,” Athena grumbled.
“I don’t see why my opinion should matter,” William said. He picked up his cup and sipped his tea while offering Sarah a look of apology.
“He – the man she marries – will become your brother-in-law,” Mama explained. “You’ll have to spend time with him at family gatherings and—”
“To be clear,” William said, determined more than ever to put an end to this arduous conversation, “my only concern is for Sarah’s happiness. She could choose to marry a troll, and I’d still be cordial to the fellow.”
Athena snorted with laughter, earning a stern look of disapproval from both parents.
Sarah’s lips twitched. “Thank you, Will.”
“A troll indeed,” their mother sputtered. She looked monumentally put out.
“Right then,” William said, deciding to take advantage of her brief silence. “I think I shall go wash up and prepare for dinner.”
“I’ll do the same,” Athena said.
“Me too,” Sarah added.
“See you in roughly one hour,” William told his parents.
He followed his sisters into the hallway and was halfway up the stairs before his father’s startled expression registered. The poor man was now Mama’s only audience, and William fleetingly wondered if he ought to feel some remorse over this. So he paused, glanced back down at the parlor door, and finally chose to continue his climb. Roxley loved his wife to distraction. He’d chosen to spend the rest of his life with her. And there was no way in hell William was going back in the parlor right now.
Instead, he took his time reacquainting himself with his bedroom. The books he’d enjoyed as a child still sat on top of his dresser in a neat collection of sentimentality. The pocket watch he’d received from Grandfather John on his fifteenth birthday gleamed in greeting when he opened the top drawer. A smile curved his lips as he pulled the watch into the palm of his hand. Grandfather John’s sweet tooth had been undeniable. He would have loved those delicious pastries. The flavor still lingered on William’s tongue, prompting him to ponder the woman who’d made them.
With a smile and a shake of his head, he returned the watch to the drawer for safe keeping and pulled out a neatly folded shirt. She was probably much like all the other cooks he’d ever seen: middle-aged and plump with a cheerful disposition. And most likely married to a very happy man, William decided with a grin.
This opinion did not change when he joined his family for dinner and savored his first bite of seafood mousse topped with dill and lemon. Or when a plate containing perfectly grilled slices of beef tenderloin was placed before him. The succulent meat melted in his mouth along with the baby potatoes and baked vegetables. And when the dessert arrived...
Ah, but it was yet another culinary masterpiece – a chocolate cake of some sort filled with nuts, so moist and sweet he wished he had several more stomachs to fill.
“Judging from that look on your face, I gather you will be staying a while,” his mother teased.
“If you’re wise,” he told her dryly, deciding not to ruin the mood by addressing his plans for departure, “you will lock Mrs. Lamont away before someone steals her.”
“I think you ought to meet her,” Athena said.
Roxley coughed while their mother and Sarah both stared at her in dismay. William felt as though he might be missing something – a joke perhaps?
“I’m sure William has more important things do,” Roxley managed to say while still clearing his throat. “Like calling on his brothers.”
