I reached for the wine bottle, pouring him a glass. He had to deal with the Davis family too, I was certain he could use a stiff drink.
"I am so sorry about this, but I'm not sure of your name." I said slowly, frown on my lips. Had we been introduced? I couldn’t recall.
"Harry." He replied, sipping at the merlot in his cup, "Harry Bircham."
"Nice to meet you, Harry." I responded, taking another big bite of mashed potatoes, "This is absolutely amazing."
He grinned again, nodding in agreement, "I don't often get to taste my own work." He chuckled, "It is quite tasty, isn't it?"
I nodded, listening to the soft English tenor as the man spoke. I wondered if he'd come overseas with Sebastian and his family.
"Have you worked with the Davis family for long?" I asked curiously, curling up into the chair in a most unladylike fashion. Harry didn't seem to even notice. Karina would have had a heart attack.
"I was his father's chef for years." Harry replied, gazing off for a second before shaking his head, "Worst years of my life." He added, eyes suddenly going slightly wide as he jerked his chin back towards me. He'd had a bit too much wine already.
I shook my head, raising a hand, "My lips are sealed." I promised, lifting my glass to clink against his own, "Believe me."
"I feel for your situation." Harry sighed, frowning at me, "Unfortunately, it seems the only way the Davis family ever weds is through business negotiations."
"Oh, really?" I responded curiously.
So, Harry knew all about our wedding’s conditions then. Interesting, what loose lips this family had. Though I suppose with the staff in all corners of the house, it was difficult to hide anything.
The gray haired man nodded judiciously, "Karina's father owned a large business here, George's father owned a large business in London, and a merger was born along with Sebastian." He chortled again, dabbing at a spot of wine spilled onto his thigh.
I shook my head, leaning back in my chair.
No wonder Karina was so against my marriage to Sebastian, she'd been in my shoes. She knew how this goes. And the way her husband interacted with Alissa, no doubt she was miserable. She was stuck though, the appeal of vast amounts of wealth kept her wedding band securely on her finger.
For a moment, I felt a twinge of pity for the elegant, cold woman. Though I highly doubted she felt pity for me.
"Where is Sebastian tonight?" I asked, glancing at Harry from the corner of my eye. I wondered if I feigned ignorance if I could get more information from the obliging cook.
For a second, guilt panged inside of me, as though I were manipulating him. But the thought of Sebastian and Alissa alone, doing who knows what, who knows where, for who knows how long, made my heart thump at a funny pace.
"He's with Miss Grant this evening, I believe." Harry said with a thoughtful frown, "I'm afraid I don't know more than that, Macy." He added, giving a knowing wink, "I'll be sure to fill you in if anything comes up, though."
Embarrassment pooled in my belly. Of course Harry would know what I was up to. He was much more used to this world of manipulation than I was.
"Sorry, Harry." I mumbled, "I just don't know what to think about Alissa."
She was perfectly content going after a married father. I was sure she'd try and get Sebastian on the hook while he was still unwed.
"If Sebastian wanted to marry her, he would have, now wouldn't he? Alissa’s been trying for years." Harry said softly, watching as I nodded dejectedly.
"You're right." I sighed, "I know it's silly to be jealous when we barely know each other."
The cook shook his head, taking my empty plate and piling it on his, "Nothing silly about it." He replied, "Now I've got cleanup and you need some rest. Your big day is coming up fast."
"Do you need any help?" I asked as I climbed to my feet.
The old man shook his head, disappearing through the kitchen door, "Goodnight, Macy." He called after me as I exited the dining room.
The path back to my bedroom was basically a maze.
All that I could recall was that I slept on the second floor. The halls twisted and turned so sharply that I had little chance to orient myself. The doors, all identical, all beckoned me.
I was going to have to hang a sign on mine or something.
By the time I managed to find my way back to the right bedroom, I was more exhausted than I ever thought I could have been in my life.
Despite the urge to stay up waiting to hear Sebastian return, I knew that I would never be able to hear him through all the walls in this large, quiet house.
The only thing I could do now was rest.
I changed quickly, brushing my teeth and basically hurtling into bed.