When they stepped inside the dining room, Penny could sense the heavy atmosphere that hung in here right now. The maids moved quieter than usual without making much noise or rather as if they were ghosts and didn’t want to be seen.
Senior Mr. Quinn, as usual, read the newsletter which was brought home. Sipping from his teacup whilst his eyes were kept busy. Lady Fleurance continued to butter her toast. Not looking up at Penny. Lady Maggie and Lady Grace were in the same position. And even though their eyes were positioned doing something or the other, she could tell that the weight of her feet on the ground was being heard by them.
With Damien who for once walked behind her, she continued to walk where he often sat. Ready to take a seat on the ground when he caught her arm to stop her from sitting down on the hard cold marble floor.
“Sit next to me,” he said, pulling the chair for her. Penny didn’t know how to react as suddenly she felt all the four pairs of eyes that had been busy now looking at her. Being unaware of what had transpired last night while she was fast asleep in Damien’s room, she wondered if he was letting her sit right at the table because she had hurt her back.
With her heart that was beating slowly, she walked around the chair where Damien had pulled out for her. Damien soon sat next to her, “What would you like to eat?” at this question, Lady Fleurance stood up from her seat with a glare that was sent to Penny.
“Grace and I shall not sit at the table from now,” she looked at the new butler who was newly assigned only this morning who looked startled. He was a half-vampire who was sent by the magistrate for temporary purpose until they would find a permanent one for their mansion, “We won’t eat at the same table as that girl. You can bring our food to Grace’s room. We will have our meals there,” she ordered the butler who immediately bowed.
“What a shame,” murmured Damien under his breath which was nowhere meant to be subtle.
Suddenly a plate fell on the ground, breaking it to many little pieces.
The butler looked with his widened eyes at the ground. The white broken pieces that were scattered into bits and pieces. He was half-vampire who had been converted from a human to a vampire two months ago. Still adjusting with the new life which was given by a man who was in a higher status than him, he had registered himself to work and earn money for himself after hearing about the big money that was handed down by the elite families of the society.
With a seventy percent efficiency in his work and a hundred percent lack of how the higher pureblooded family were, he stood still like one of the statutes that were kept outside in the garden for decoration purposes.
Like Penny who knew nothing about what had happened the previous night, he saw the lady pick up a late and throw it right at the man who sat the table. The man caught it with ease without having to look as he ate his food with another. Twisting the fork, he put the vegetable into his mouth.
But the lady was not done and she smashed another plate out of anger which had the servants standing still.He had been hoping to have a pleasant day but with the plates being smashed, he wasn’t sure how pleasant it was going to be.
And why wasn’t the person sitting at the head of the table reacting to anything? Was this how they greeted each other and was this the normal daily routine? asked the butler to himself.
“You!” Lady Fleurance said looking at the butler, “Get the food to Ms. Grace’s room immediately,” he nodded his head obediently before he heard the man who had caught the plate say to him.
“Do you know to cook or is it just the management you are proficient with?” Damien took another bite looking at the butler before placing down his fork on the table.
“I know to cook, Sir,” the butler bowed his head.
“Very well. I would like some lamb broth with the minced vegetable that is fresh. And by fresh I mean lamb fresh. Get it ready before in the next thirty minutes,” said Damien folding his hand across his chest and staring at the butler who looked torn and confused, “And it is master Damien.”
Grace had been very quiet the entire time, and when her mother had stood up, she had stood up along with her to go out of the dining room without a word that Penny found to be very strange.
The butler blinked his eyes. Once. Twice. Finally speaking up, “Master Damien, it takes more than forty-five minutes to get the rich broth out of the lamb.”
“What are you doing standing here and yapping instead of getting it done then?”
The butler looked at Lady Fleurance who glared down at him as if he were ant who was going to be squished under her feet if he didn’t get her food, “Now,” said the lady, turning around she walked out of the room.
Though the room was cold, the butler started to feel hot, “Master Damien could wait for a little time longer while I go serve the breakfast at the room?”
“No,” came the bland answer, “They don’t appear to be too hungry as they left the table. I am sure they can wait. Don’t you think so?” Damien gave him a smile that freaked the butler to his very bone.
Penny could see the distress that was being caused for the butler who looked as if he was about to cry and she could feel nothing but pity. Welcome to Quinn’s mansion, said Penny in her mind.
