Nora nodded, her face coloring slightly. “He’ll be down in a while.”
Noting her rather unusual reaction, I probed, “Is something the matter?”
Nora smiled faintly. She said in a low voice, “Let’s have dinner first.”
Armond arrived minutes later after getting changed. He didn’t seem surprised to see Anthony and merely greeted him rather matter-of-factly. We all sat down to dinner.
I suddenly had the peculiar feeling that everyone was privy to some information I was clueless about.
“Sienna, how do you plan on spending Magpie Festival?” Nora abruptly asked. I raised my head and met her level gaze, nonplussed.
Nora continued smiling at me encouragingly. “Are you spending it with anyone? Why don’t you ask Mr. Featherstone out?”
I was flabbergasted. What is this woman trying to do?
Armond likewise had looked up from his plate. It was Joseph, however, who spoke. “I think tomorrow’s the actual date of the Festival, actually.”
“That’s right! It’s the weekend besides,” Nora exclaimed. She enthusiastically shifted her attention to Armond, pressing, “Mr. Murphy, will you be going out with anyone?”
Armond maintained his usual collected self. He eyed Nora, then answered brusquely, “Nope.”
Without thinking, Nora fired back, “I’m reserving you for tomorrow night, then.”
“Ahem!” Armond suddenly erupted into a fit of violent coughing. Flustered, he reached out for the napkins on the table.
Nora helpfully handed them to him. Rather helplessly, she chided, “How are you still choking on water? You’re not a child anymore!”
I couldn’t help but stifle a giggle. It was the first time we’d seen Armond flustered. It was quite a sight.
Feeling someone’s eyes on me, I looked around and saw Anthony’s penetrating gaze fixed squarely on me. Momentarily taken aback, I, too, nearly knocked over the glass of water near me.
“What’s going on with all of you? Why’s everyone so on edge?” Nora demanded.
No one responded. I cleared my throat and straightened my back a little nervously.
After a moment’s hush, Nora sighed. “Sienna, when are you going to move in with me? I’m all alone and bored out of my mind! Why don’t you move in quickly?”
After a moment’s delay, I answered hesitantly, “All right, perhaps in a few days’ time. I’m scheduled to take over some projects these few days and I’ll be a little busy with work.”
Armond stared at me. “You’re planning to move out?”
I nodded. Too late, I remembered that Linda had once told me Armond didn’t like having caregivers at home. He’d thus always had personal assistants or secretaries handle his personal affairs instead.
I froze for a moment, uncertain of how to reply.
Just then, my stomach lurched, and I frowned subconsciously. Nora was already getting up and striding towards the fridge. She brought out a pitcher of watermelon juice with her, announcing, “Have some of this, everyone. It’s freshly-squeezed watermelon juice.”
The cold watermelon juice perfectly complimented the cool August evening. I took a swig and felt instantly rejuvenated.
The watermelon juice brought an air of refreshment to the table, and we broke off into idle chatter. Looking thoughtful, Armond asked Nora out to the rear house for a private conversation.
Joseph had similarly scurried off into a corner to deal with matters of his own. Anthony and I were left to ourselves.
I wasn’t planning to subject myself to further awkwardness that night. I stood up and prepared to clear the table. Anthony, however, was looking at me strangely. Bemused, I asked, “Do you want to head over to the living room and rest?”
Anthony didn’t speak. He wordlessly got up and brought the dishes into the kitchen.
I took a step forward to stop him. He was a guest, after all. However, Anthony’s dark gaze halted me in my tracks. I gaped at him, unable to muster a single coherent thought.
I lowered my head and turned to the sink. Before I could turn on the tap, however, Anthony had hauled me aside. “Get over there. I’ll do it,” he said roughly.
I could only look on apprehensively as his long, elegant fingers set to work cleaning up the kitchen.
I made another move to assist him but was arrested by his menacing gaze. All I could manage was to stand by, hovering over his shoulder and fretting inwardly.
After a moment’s thought, I asked tentatively, “Why did you suddenly move all the way here? Aren’t you returning to K City already?”
Anthony tilted his head and looked at me icily. “Are you saying that you don’t want me here?”
Good Heavens! This man is impossible. I thought exasperatedly.
To Anthony, however, I shook my head vigorously. “There’s so much for you to do in K City. Haven’t you more or less settled your matters here?”
“What about that?” Anthony replied curtly. He turned back to the dishes in hand, scrubbing and rinsing them off expertly.
He seemed reluctant to talk. I made up my mind not to put myself out on Anthony’s account.
I thus kept to myself as I waited in the corner, ready with a hand towel for him to dry off when he was done. Anthony took it, then turned his attention to the fridge.
Baffled, I broke my silence. “What are you looking for?”
“Eggs,” Anthony replied, pushing aside cartons and several food items.
“What do you want eggs for?” I asked incredulously.
Anthony took out a jar of brown sugar. He turned to me serenely and asked, “Don’t you feel a slight discomfort in your stomach?”
Stunned, I nodded uncomprehendingly. “A little. What does that have anything to do with eggs?”
Anthony bit his lip, considering. Then he ordered, “Go to the room and get changed. Do you have any spare…?”
He trailed off, but any fool would have understood immediately what Anthony meant. My face immediately turned crimson with embarrassment.
Aghast, I quickly turned. There was a large stain on my pants that I had, up until that moment, been blissfully unaware of.
I’d dismissed the brief twinge of pain in my stomach earlier, never expecting my period to have arrived so suddenly without warning. It had been two months since I last had it and had long since lost track of my cycle.
Observing my flushed face and my hapless state, Anthony sighed. “Go and change. I’ll buy some tampons later.”
Without further ado, I turned and dashed for the stairs.
Before I could exit the kitchen, however, Armond and Nora’s voices drifted in, getting louder as their owners approached the living room. Armond and Nora had evidently concluded their talk.
I broke out in cold sweat and looked anxiously at Anthony for help.
Unfazed, Anthony immediately took off his jacket. Raising his voice, he commented, “It’s cold. Put this on.”
Nora and Armond appeared in front of us. At the sight of Anthony draping his jacket around my shoulders, Armond winked knowingly, teasing, “Did we come back at a bad time?”
I flashed him a smile, then quickly replied, “I’m going to the bedroom to change into something warmer.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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