Kate’s gaze follow the young woman who was serving them dinner. ‘I put myself through Columbia on scholarships and student loans and I barely notice anymore.’
‘I’m sure you’re right,’ Kate politely said, when she knew she would never get used to servants. In fact, she was wondering where the young woman waiting on them lived, didshe have children, how late did she work on an evening like this, how did she get home?
Dominic smiled at the patent fraud in Kate’s reply. ‘Katherine has an anarchist soul, don’t you, baby? You don’t have to change.’
She gave him a grateful smile. ‘I’m not sure I could.’
‘Or would want to.’ He grinned. ‘Right?’
‘Probably,’ she said very softly, becoming increasingly embarrassed with Justin and Amanda watching them like spectators at a tennis match.
‘We’ll work something out,’ Dominic said, equally softly. ‘I don’t want you unhappy. You’re not drinking your cider?’ he added, a touch of concern in his voice. ‘Or eating much. Do you feel all right?’
‘Really, Dominic, I’m fine.’ Kate wasn’t going to say she didn’t like the salmon tartar, although the citrus dressed watercress was tasty. And mushrooms had never appealed. She’d tried to eat around the mushrooms in the risotto without making it too obvious. She
had
eaten the au gratin potatoes and some of the steak, until the sizzling grease made her think about barfing.
‘You didn’t like the steak?’ Dominic gently asked. Both men had had seconds.
‘It was wonderful.’ Kate smiled politely at Amanda. ‘I just don’t have much of an appetite at the moment.’
Amanda nodded. ‘That’s perfectly understandable.’
‘Still, baby, you have to
try
and eat,’ Dominic urged softly.
‘Would you like something else? Peanut butter and toast? You like that.’
‘Not right now. I’m good.’
Justin and Amanda were mesmerized; neither had ever heard Dominic speak to a woman with such solicitousness. He’d barely noticed women before – other than as sex objects.
Dominic suddenly turned his gaze on Amanda. ‘You wouldn’t happen to have chocolate milk?’
He might have asked whether she cleaned her toilets herself, she was so shocked by his question. ‘Ah … we … might – I’m not entirely—’
‘I’ll go ask the chef.’ Dominic was on his feet and moving towards the butler’s pantry before anyone at the table – mainly Kate – could protest.
Could she please just melt into the floor?
Embarrassed to the max, Kate rolled her eyes and said in almost a whisper, ‘Sorry. As you see, Dominic worries about me not eating.’
‘How sweet of him,’ Amanda said, having regained her composure. ‘I’m sure he means well.’
Kate sighed. ‘In his own overpowering way. I’m used to eating a lot of pizza and Dominic doesn’t approve.’
‘Pizza can be nourishing,’ Amanda politely noted, when it was clear she was actually saying,
Pizza
, really?
Justin smiled. ‘My mother made pizza from scratch. I grew up on it and I’m not exactly what you’d call stunted.’ He was a big man like Dominic.
‘Maybe you could tell that to Dominic,’ Kate said, grateful for the reinforcement. ‘And save me a hassle.’
‘I heard that,’ Dominic said with a grin, carrying a large glass of chocolate milk. ‘We’ll get that recipe from you, Justin. And if you drink your milk, baby, I’ll do something nice for you.’
Everyone at the table understood what he meant.
Or interpreted what he meant from individual, enshrined memory.
Pulling up a chair beside Kate, rather than take his seat opposite her and blithely ignoring her
if looks could kill
stare, Dominic handed her the glass. ‘Drink, baby. It’s good for you.’
‘We’ll talk about this later,’ she said under her breath, taking the glass.
‘Be happy to,’ he cheerfully replied. ‘Would you like a straw?’
What she’d like to do was beat the shit out of him
. Since that wasn’t an option and
‘I’m sure you’re right,’ Kate politely said, when she knew she would never get used to servants. In fact, she was wondering where the young woman waiting on them lived, didshe have children, how late did she work on an evening like this, how did she get home?
Dominic smiled at the patent fraud in Kate’s reply. ‘Katherine has an anarchist soul, don’t you, baby? You don’t have to change.’
She gave him a grateful smile. ‘I’m not sure I could.’
‘Or would want to.’ He grinned. ‘Right?’
‘Probably,’ she said very softly, becoming increasingly embarrassed with Justin and Amanda watching them like spectators at a tennis match.
‘We’ll work something out,’ Dominic said, equally softly. ‘I don’t want you unhappy. You’re not drinking your cider?’ he added, a touch of concern in his voice. ‘Or eating much. Do you feel all right?’
‘Really, Dominic, I’m fine.’ Kate wasn’t going to say she didn’t like the salmon tartar, although the citrus dressed watercress was tasty. And mushrooms had never appealed. She’d tried to eat around the mushrooms in the risotto without making it too obvious. She
had
eaten the au gratin potatoes and some of the steak, until the sizzling grease made her think about barfing.
‘You didn’t like the steak?’ Dominic gently asked. Both men had had seconds.
‘It was wonderful.’ Kate smiled politely at Amanda. ‘I just don’t have much of an appetite at the moment.’
Amanda nodded. ‘That’s perfectly understandable.’
‘Still, baby, you have to
try
and eat,’ Dominic urged softly.
‘Would you like something else? Peanut butter and toast? You like that.’
‘Not right now. I’m good.’
Justin and Amanda were mesmerized; neither had ever heard Dominic speak to a woman with such solicitousness. He’d barely noticed women before – other than as sex objects.
Dominic suddenly turned his gaze on Amanda. ‘You wouldn’t happen to have chocolate milk?’
He might have asked whether she cleaned her toilets herself, she was so shocked by his question. ‘Ah … we … might – I’m not entirely—’
‘I’ll go ask the chef.’ Dominic was on his feet and moving towards the butler’s pantry before anyone at the table – mainly Kate – could protest.
Could she please just melt into the floor?
Embarrassed to the max, Kate rolled her eyes and said in almost a whisper, ‘Sorry. As you see, Dominic worries about me not eating.’
‘How sweet of him,’ Amanda said, having regained her composure. ‘I’m sure he means well.’
Kate sighed. ‘In his own overpowering way. I’m used to eating a lot of pizza and Dominic doesn’t approve.’
‘Pizza can be nourishing,’ Amanda politely noted, when it was clear she was actually saying,
Pizza
, really?
Justin smiled. ‘My mother made pizza from scratch. I grew up on it and I’m not exactly what you’d call stunted.’ He was a big man like Dominic.
‘Maybe you could tell that to Dominic,’ Kate said, grateful for the reinforcement. ‘And save me a hassle.’
‘I heard that,’ Dominic said with a grin, carrying a large glass of chocolate milk. ‘We’ll get that recipe from you, Justin. And if you drink your milk, baby, I’ll do something nice for you.’
Everyone at the table understood what he meant.
Or interpreted what he meant from individual, enshrined memory.
Pulling up a chair beside Kate, rather than take his seat opposite her and blithely ignoring her
if looks could kill
stare, Dominic handed her the glass. ‘Drink, baby. It’s good for you.’
‘We’ll talk about this later,’ she said under her breath, taking the glass.
‘Be happy to,’ he cheerfully replied. ‘Would you like a straw?’
What she’d like to do was beat the shit out of him
. Since that wasn’t an option and
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