Chapter 16

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-unedited-

Chapter 16:

I'm awake before they are, I serve their meals before they even sit, I clean up their mess before they even realize they have made one. I've grown used to this.

Harriet is at my side this time for their lunch, along with three others. Today's a special dinner and Mother needs it to be extra special. Harriet and I are at the far opposite ends of the table whereas the other two are at the sides of the rectangular table and one is serving all of them as they talk among themselves.

"Yes, far more far than others I suppose!" A woman in a purple dress exclaims to a rather large man to her right in a formal tux. They sit on the left side of the table.

"Ah, yes I agree, though last season did leave an impression I believe." He responses, nodding knowingly to himself. They laugh.

Not even I know what they speak of.

Two others speak if strange things at the other side. And as you can guess my mother sits at my end of the table where a seemingly tall man with a mustache sits at Harriet's end. He must be extra special.

My mother waves at me to refill her wine glass so I first grab the bottle at the counter behind me and walk slowly to her, bow my head slightly, then pour the red wine. I fill it a quarter way to the rim, bow again, and step back. If I did anything other than that pattern when being called to serve, I'd be punished. Same goes for the others.

"So tell me Elliot, how's the oil drilling been?" Mother asks the large man.

"Still making millions," they laugh.

I don't get any of it.

"But do ya hear? The prince is out looking for someone! Why, a girl!" The woman next to Elliot exclaims, her eyes wide with interest and excitement.

"Ah, sweet Regina, always the one to gossip!" The woman wearing a green dress sitting at the opposite end of her speaks, "but those are all simply rumors, the prince is, well, the prince."

"Ay! He ain't gonna be playin' goose chase with some ol' dirty filth who got other men to play!" The short man next to her speak with an accent.

I look away.

"No, but it's true!" Regina insists, "didn't ya hear? We was at the beggars lot yesterday! Say he's gone to desperate measures!"

"I wonder who this woman could be," My mother states calmly, taking a sip from her glass. Never have I wished to see more than the back of her blonde hair. I wondered what she was thinking. Did Elisabeth get to her? Will she connect the incidents if she did? I can't handle the thought of mother finding out.

"Probably an excuse," states the man at the opposite end on my mother, "the prince has been look for a way out of marriage and ruling for quite some time. Perhaps this is, indeed, a desperate measure."

Just then he orders Harriet to refill his wine glass with a strange sort if dark liquid that I know isn't wine.

Harriet's eyes catch mine and I quickly look away. I don't know what my face reads but I don't want her to see it.

"Mm, perhaps," my mother shrugs and takes another sip.

They finally begin to eat and from there, nothing they said interested me anymore.

~*~

"Harriet," I begin.

"I know, I know," she places her hands on my shoulders but I shake them off.

"I don't know anything about him but I-"

"Don't listen to a word them fools say you hear me? They ain't nothing but liars," she explains trying to catch my eye but fails.

She sighs heavily.

"Even if he is trying to back out of ruling or marriage, he's seems to be series about finding you and you know that,"

I stay quiet but I shake my head and look down.

"Best not waist our time here, we still need to clean the dishes they dirtied."

She shakes my shoulder and I look up at her and smile. I follow her as we walk out of the kitchen.

The day is still beginning and there's still so much more I need to do, I don't know how much longer I can put up with this.

As we make our way into their dining hall I hear giggling. I turn to see my mother with the tall man from the lunch. It's strange, it seems like I've never actually seen my mother smile before but there she is, and it's with a man.

I look away before I can get caught staring and help Harriet with picking up the dishes.

"Harriet, who is that man?" I ask her.

She only shrugs in response, "who knows, all I know is that he's be around a lot lately."

I look back at them sitting on the couch sitting closely together with their wine glasses. Her giggling and him smiling. I didn't like it but what word do I have?

I'm no longer supposed to even call her my mother.

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