The Time To Dine (2)
"As you'd like." He nodded with a smile and opened the service cart. Inside, wine bottles and smaller steaming silver platters were neatly packed inside.
"You shouldn't be drinking so late, Erin." Lady Sutherton voiced out, observing her anxiously.
"Why, I am an adult of a marriage age, no ?" Erin steadied her glass in her hand. "And what of you? You're the one who's already been drinking, and I'll bet that one glass won't be your last."
Her eyes landed on her mother's hand; a wine glass tightly clenched in her mother's grip.
Lady Sutherton swallowed. She couldn't find the words left to speak and so she locked her jaw.
Rolling her eyes, Erin glanced back to Ezra. "Dullard? Hurry now and fill it to the brim." She shook the empty glass with animated passion and tenacity.
"As you wish." He nodded, pouring the creamy translucent yellow colored liquid into the glass.
The moment he filled her glass, she brought it to her lips. But in only one sip, she decided she no longer desired the drink. Thus, she tilted the glass and let the contents spill out to the floor.
"Actually, Butler?" She shook the glass, shaking the last few drops out. "I don't want white." Disinterested, she carelessly shoved the glass towards him. "Make it red." She smirked, running her tongue along the wine residue on her lips.
"As you wish." He took the glass, not a break in his smile even as he viewed her smugly licking her lips.
She knew her parents saw, but they knew better; this would be the butler's treatment---an unfortunate fate of service workers. Thus, rather than add to the scene, they sought to detract from it. Silence then quickly fell upon them, as Lord Sutherton barely took recognition of his daughter, and Lady Sutherton only picked at her food, giving Erin continuous worried glances.
"Your red wine?" Ezra offered her glass, and she hastily seized it.
Nonchalantly, she took one sip and dumped out the contents once more. "I think not this one either. Let me try that white again."
"Yes, as you wish." He reached into the service cart and pulled out the white wine again.
"So?" Erin looked to her parents. "If I could be so bold to ask, what were you talking about when I came in? I heard a mumble about Master Outhouse."
"Do not call Master Privy that," Lady Sutherton quickly said.
"But it's his name."
Lady Sutherton gave her daughter a dead stare.
"Oh, you don't get it?" Erin mockingly questioned. "Privy means close attendant but also happens to mean the outhouse. It's funny wordplay, isn't it? I mean it's a pity his title could be the butt---," she said, resisting a snicker. "---of a joke but it cannot be helped."
Lady Sutherton sighed, refusing to humor her daughter. "Your father and I were talking about things regarding Master Privy and you."
"Regarding him and me? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well…?" Lady Sutherton glanced at her husband as if seeking his approval to speak.
When she received a light nod of his head, she eagerly spoke up. "He had flowers sent to the house," she oozed joyfully. "They came in a lovely vase that he had handmade by a Fendrix Blacksmith. I didn't get a chance to show you them, but I had them placed in that 'little' 'dank' room you like to relax in. Perhaps you saw it?"
"Did I see it?" Erin's face dropped. "Yes, I did in fact see those awful smelling flowers in that garish ugly vase when I visited the family quarters."
Lady Sutherton grimaced with tight pressed lips. "It was a gift, Erin."
"And now it is broke. What a pity." Her sarcasm was apparent.
"Broke? You shouldn't have done that. I thought it was quite lovely for him to take the time out to offer you such a rare gift, especially considering you don't have many others doing the same." She raised her wine glass up to her lips, lowly muttering the last of her criticism to her daughter. "You are only young and fresh once. Perhaps you'd ought to keep that in mind."
She met eyes with her mother. "And perhaps, you'd ought to keep your business away from my business or we both risk consequences."
Lady Sutherton lowered her wine glass, peering at her daughter. They shared stares before Lady Sutherton cleared her throat and turned away. "Mister Ezra? You never finished telling us about that delightful story of yours. I'm dying to know what happened next about that time you served Lord Ecker, wasn't it?"
"I can't believe I almost forgot." Ezra heartily laughed, refilling Erin's glass. "Where was it again where we left off on that part?" He raised his voice so that they could hear him clearly from afar.
"I believe you left off when you had to translate the different languages before Lord Ecker cut off his foot off in a duel."
"Yes, that was quite a story. You do so need to complete the next portion," Lord Sutherton spoke up, cracking a whisper of engaged interest.
Erin measured her breathing, tapping the table and sharply watching the situation unfold.
To her surprise and frustration, within moments of Ezra beginning his storytelling, the whole dining hall had lit up. Her mother and father were actively engaging in every word he uttered.
She even noticed some of the kitchen staff popping their 'frumpy' little heads in more frequently to bring in food carts. In fact, it was so often she was losing count of how many times she saw a blushing maid with perky ears and perky breasts vie for a crumb of Ezra's fleeting glance.