by Kenzie Hart
“We will be seated for dinner shortly, so continue mingling,” Cordelia says with a smile.
The guests go back to their mingling, but a few moments later, a server presents her with a tray, a single letter placed upon it. Her knees feel weak, and she has to grab on to Charles to steady herself.
“Mother, are you quite all right?” Charles asks, concerned.
“Fine, dear,” Cordelia lies, her heart beating out of her chest. “I just remembered I forgot to request the asparagus be sent direct from Italy. Hopefully, no will notice the inadequate sister to be served, most likely from France.”
Charles rolls his eyes to himself. “Mother, of all things. You need to take better care not to get yourself so worked up.”
“These things do matter,” she says, letting go of his arm. Taking the letter off the tray, she holds it in her hand, tightly pressing it against her side.
“Edward, I’d like to introduce you to Baron Stafford,” Klara says, wandering over to a short man with thick brown hair. He looks to be in his forties but has bright eyes. “Baron Stafford, this is my boyfriend, Edward Barnett.” Klara smiles, happy to introduce the two.
“How do you do?” Eddie says, shaking his hand.
“Baron William Stafford is a member of parliament and was my father’s close friend during their time at university.”
“Klara, you look delightful.” Mr. Stafford smiles, remembering the small girl that Klara used to be. She has grown into a lovely young women. “Have you been well?”
“Oh, yes. I’m greatly enjoying my summer holiday, and I’ve been working with Grandmother on her memoirs.”
“Charles has filled me in on that last bit,” William says with a laugh. He recalls his friend’s frantic call to him about the implications of those memoirs on the family name.
Charles joins their group with a smile on his face and throws an arm around William. “I see you've found my best mate from university,” Charles says.
“We have, Father.” Klara smiles at the men.
It’s wonderful to see her father so happy. He is always pleased to see her, but he is practically radiating at the moment.
“We will leave you two to reminisce,” she says, giving a nod to the baron and her father and pulling Edward away with her.
“It was a pleasure,” Eddie gets out before being dragged off.
Eddie watches as Klara finishes off her glass of champagne, placing it on a passing tray.
“Excuse me, can I get your photo?” the photographer says to them. She has been moving throughout the room, capturing various moments and conversations throughout the course of the evening.
“Of course.” Eddie places his hand behind Klara’s back, and they both smile for the camera.
The photographer nods in thanks, and Klara starts up again, dragging him away from the crowd.
“Where are you taking me?” he asks with a laugh.
Klara is leading him down a dimly lit hallway to a large wooden door.
“Wait in here.” Klara giggles as she pushes him in the room and then closes the door shut before skipping back down the hallway. She makes her way into the kitchen, giving Mrs. B a kiss on the forehead before snagging a tart meant for dessert and another glass of champagne.
Eddie stands still for a moment, laughing to himself and wondering what’s going on. Klara is always surprising him with her actions.
Looking at the room before him, he takes in the ceiling-high bookshelves and large desk. Even after Klara closed the door, he can still hear conversations and laughter slip into the room. Eddie makes his way over to the massive wooden desk in the center of the room. Two oversize chairs are situated in front of it and leather-bound books line the shelves surrounding it.
Klara slips back into the room. He turns, looking at her, noticing a champagne glass and small plate in her hand.
“Is this where your father works when he is home?” Eddie questions, looking at the barren desk. Only a single fountain pen and a small pile of papers grace the top.
“Sometimes,” Klara responds, taking in how beautiful Edward looks tonight. His light hair contrasts greatly against the black suit and bow tie. The few freckles splattered across his nose make him look his age, but from farther away, he looks like a grown and extremely handsome man. “Mr. Andrews handles the estate affairs. He meets with my grandmother in this room when he comes for their monthly meeting.”
“I would think you’d always be hiding away in this room.” Eddie grins at her, moving his gaze to the endless books stacked onto the shelves.
“If the books weren’t so dull, I think I would.” Klara laughs, walking away from the door toward him.
He stares at her as she approaches. Her hair is still untamed and hangs loosely down her back, but her gown fits closely, skimming against her body, and he can’t pull his eyes from her.
“I’m not sure. I could get used to this room nicely,” he says as Klara sits on the edge of the desk.
It is the kind of room that demands respect. It was made for a very important and well-tailored man. He could just imagine doing research or running a business from this prestigious room. Maybe he could be that kind of man one day.
Klara smiles at Eddie and then brings his attention to the tart. “I stole us a dessert.” She takes a small bite, and instantly, the flavor of berries fills her mouth. A little moan escapes, and her eyes are bright with delight at the flavor.
“Are you going to share?” Eddie says with a laugh, watching her take a sip of champagne and then another bite of the blackberry tart.
“I’m not sure now.” Klara giggles, setting her glass down and scooting off the table. “It’s even more delightful than I thought.” She holds the tart back a little with a twinkle in her eye, teasing him.
“Oh, really?” Eddie says, grinning.
He wraps his arms around her waist, but she tries to wiggle her way out. Eddie lifts her up and then sets her onto the desk.
“You’re cheating!” She laughs as Eddie traps her in between him and the desk.
“Now then,” he says, raising an eyebrow at her, “are you going to give me a bite, or will I have to take it for myself?”
“I will give you a piece,” Klara says, slightly pursing her lips. She is enjoying their moment of playfulness. She breaks off a corner and places it in his mouth.
“That is delicious,” he says, eating the small piece of tart. Though he likes the fact that Klara fed it to him more than the tart itself. “Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”
She is staring intently at him, her blue eyes causing his heart to dance. The only makeup she is wearing is bright red lipstick, and it matches her personality perfectly. She looks like a ray of sunshine, as her usually cream skin is glowing from her afternoons spent out in the sun.
“Thank you, Edward.” Klara smiles, grabbing on to his hand and pulling him closer. “But you’ve told me that five times already tonight.”
“Well, I thought you ought to know again.” He presses his lips down onto hers.
Klara’s fingers lace together around his neck, pulling him closer. She tastes like champagne and berries from the fruit tart. The taste is intoxicating. She is intoxicating.
She moans into his mouth, and he pushes himself closer to her. She slightly spreads her legs, and Eddie moves himself against the desk, pressing between her thighs. His lips trail from her mouth down to her neck, and he runs his hands through her hair. The feeling sends goose bumps down her arms, and she lets out a sigh at the sensation.
Klara is thinking about how good this feels. About how right Edward feels while pressed against her. She is getting more and more lost in the feelings floating around inside her, and they continue to consume her thoughts. She isn’t sure if she is in love, but it is the closest she has ever come to feeling how others describe love. Edward moves his mouth back up from her neck to her ear, and his breath tickles her, causing her to giggle again. She’s not sure she has ever laughed as much as she
does when she is with Edward.
Eddie smiles against Klara’s neck as he revels in the reactions he gets from her. She responds to him in the most perfect, tortuous ways, and he is having trouble with holding his hands back from running up and down her body. He wants to feel her soft skin under his palms even with a thin layer of fabric separating them.
Klara moves her hands from around his neck to the sides of his cheeks, pulling him against her lips. It is a sweet but emotion-filled kiss, and Eddie isn’t sure about all the emotions he feels from it. The kiss is passionate, yet it isn’t. It is filled with something besides passion. It is filled with love. As much as Eddie wants her, he isn’t thinking about being with her in this moment. He is thinking about how much he cares for her. About how she has changed his whole world. She has brought so much light into his life. But, as her mouth slips from his lips and moves down to his neck, his mind slips back to having her wrapped up against his body.
“Klara?”
The door to the study creaks, and Eddie’s eyes snap open. Klara moves her lips off Edward’s neck and looks over his shoulder.
“Father,” Klara says as she removes her hands from Edward’s hair.
Eddie steps back, taking Klara’s hand in his and pulling her off the desk, so she’s standing beside him.
“What is going on in here?” Charles says, his eyes going wide and then narrowing at the two of them as he crosses his arms over his chest.
“Nothing. We were just splitting a tart before dinner.” Klara can’t help the slight blush that comes to her cheeks. She knows her father saw them kissing, but what more is there to be said? Of course, she is slightly embarrassed, but she raises an eyebrow at her father.
“Uh-huh,” Charles says, looking at both of them standing there, blushing. Splitting a tart. He wonders if that is code for making out these days. Though, truthfully, he doesn’t care to find out. “Dinner is about to be served.”
“Oh, wonderful!” Klara exclaims, walking with Eddie’s hand in hers to the door.
“Edward, may I have a word,” Charles says. And it isn’t a question.
Eddie stops, and Klara turns to him, taking in the look of determination in her father’s eyes and the shock in Edward’s. His blush has gone away, but he looks shaken nonetheless.
“Of course, sir,” Eddie responds, trying to stay calm.
Klara continues out into the hallway, moving her back against the wall.
“Look, my daughter is not something to be toyed with. She is a good girl and doesn’t need you influencing her,” Charles says. He feels a tinge of fulfillment as the words come out of his mouth. This is his Klara after all, and he is in charge of protecting her.
“Excuse me, sir, but I’m not toying with her. I quite like your daughter,” Eddie says, surprised at the sternness in his own voice.
“Is that so?” Charles questions, trying to keep his composure. He has to hold his lips in a straight line to keep from smirking.
“Yes, of course. Klara has agreed to be my girlfriend, and we get along well. She is the kindest person I’ve ever met,” Eddie says sincerely.
“That she is,” Charles can’t help but agree. “She deserves the best. As long as you treat her well and with respect, you have my blessing.” A small smile comes to Charles’s face. It’s his first encounter with a prospective suitor, and it makes him feel all the more fatherly. He wonders if this is what it would be like to live with Klara. Having to deal with her being a normal teenage girl now. Though she has never been all that normal. But she is special all the more because of it.
“Thank you,” Eddie says, a little taken aback. He doesn’t know if he should be happy or worried about their conversation. And does he even need her father’s blessing? It isn’t like he is around.
“Come along,” Charles says, placing his arm around Eddie’s shoulders.
He leads him out the door, and Klara pushes off the wall, looking at the two of them with a confused face.
“Father,” she greets, and Eddie stops next to her.
“I’ll see you both at the table,” Charles says, looking between the two of them and then returning to the drawing room.
“Well, that was odd,” Eddie says, letting out a heavy breath.
His mood instantly lightens when Klara pulls him to her lips. Eddie wraps his hands around her waist, and Klara presses up against him. She could get lost in the feeling of her body pressed against Edward’s, and she is finding it is one of her favorite places to be.
“You,” Eddie says, pulling his lips away from hers, “are going to get me in trouble.”
She laughs out loud. “I’m not sure why Father thinks, all of the sudden, he has a right to do such things, but I’m pleased you two came out, looking so cheeky with one another.”
“To be honest, I am just relieved he didn’t try to hit me or toss me out,” Eddie says, placing a kiss on Klara’s nose. Though he doubted that would have kept him from seeing her.
“Come on,” she says, taking his hand. “We’ve got to get you cleaned up. I’m not quite sure how Father kept a straight face, talking to you.” She giggles again, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Whatever do you mean?” he asks as Klara skips down the hallway, around the corner, and into a washroom.
She moves them both in front of the mirror and pulls her lipstick out of her purse, reapplying the bright red shade back onto her lips. Eddie looks at himself in the mirror and is greeted by red lipstick marks across his neck and stained onto his own lips.
“Oh, bloody hell,” Eddie says. Great. Now, he won’t ever be able to look Charles in the eyes again.
Walking into the dining room, the table that once seemed dramatically oversized for just two people is filled fully. Candles light up the room, and plate settings and glasses are arranged perfectly on the table. Klara weaves her way through the crowd and finds her name a few seats away from the head of the table. Cordelia is seated at the head of the table, and Charles is at the opposite end. Eddie wonders if it is out of respect for her son returning home or the fact that she wants to be as far from him as possible.
“Here we are,” Klara says.
Edward is to be seated next to her, and she smiles at the table as everyone gets seated. The room looks bright with life, and the candles set a romantic and intimate mood. Klara places her hand on Edward’s knee.
“One thing I love about classic romance books is all the drama seems to take place either at parties or at the dinner table,” she whispers.
“You and your books,” Eddie says, leaning into her.
Her red lipstick is reapplied perfectly, but he remembers just shortly ago when those lips were burning across his skin.
“I want to lend you one. What do you think about trying out reading again? I’m sure, with the right book, you’ll come to love it.”
“All right. But give me something a little more exciting, yeah? I don’t know if I could make it through one of your children’s books, as much as you love them.”
Klara smiles. She loves that Edward is willing to try out the things she loves, but in a way, that doesn’t compromise who he is. “Perfect! I will bring it to your football game.”
She notices the seat next to her becomes filled and instantly recognizes the man.
“Mr. Welland! How wonderful to see you again,” she says to him.
“Klara, how are you doing, dear?” he says kindly back.
“I’m just perfect. Pleased even more so now to be in your company.”
“I must say, it was a surprise when I received the invitation in the mail. I’ve greatly appreciated all of the dinners and parties hosted by Cordelia.”
“She does know how to host an entertaining evening.” Klara smiles, thinking of her grandmother. “Oh, Mr. Welland, please forgive me. Where are my manners? I would like to introduce you to Edward Barnett, my boyfriend. Edward, this is Mr. Welland,” Klara says, looking to Eddie.
“How do you do?” Mr. Welland says.
> “Pleased to meet you,” Eddie replies back.
“Mr. Welland is the provost of King’s College, Cambridge and, of course, a dear friend to the family.”
Eddie nods, trying to take in all the new names and faces.
“I’ve been trying to talk Klara into attending university at Cambridge,” Mr. Welland responds. “With her love for children’s literature, we have the perfect department for her there.”
“Wow, Cambridge,” Eddie says, a little shocked. It’s one of the best universities in the world.
“Oh, you would just love it there, Edward. The river flows across the town, and you can sit under a tree, reading for hours, losing all track of time. I have extended family who lives in Cambridge, so anytime I visit, I have to stop in to say hello to Mr. Welland.” Klara grins. “How are your children and wife doing? Last time I was there, little Ollie had just learned to ride a bike!”
“I can’t believe you remember,” Mr. Welland says with a wide smile and rosy cheeks. “They are lovely.”
“Are you thinking of attending university there next year?” Eddie asks Klara.
“It is a lovely university. I’m just not sure if I could leave Grandmother. I don’t know what she would do without me,” Klara says. She would love to attend their program for children’s literature, but something closer might be better, so she could continue to be with her grandmother.
“From what I can tell, your grandmother is as sharp as ever,” Mr. Welland comments, looking between Cordelia and Klara.
The main course is brought out, and person by person, the waiters place plates onto the table. Klara is delighted to see fresh vegetables from the garden on her plate.
“So, I am going to my first football game this week, Mr. Welland. I am going to watch Edward play!” Klara says excitedly.
“What position do you play?” Mr. Welland asks, his eyes lighting up.
“I’m a forward. Did you by chance see the Manchester United match?” Eddie asks, enjoying talking about something he knows and loves.