Leopold: Part Five by Ember Casey, Renna Peak Read Free Book Online Page A

heads of the table, while we children have places in between. Neither of our other brothers are here—William is fulfilling his service with the Royal Military, while Nicholas won’t finish his university courses for another few months—so their seats will remain empty tonight. Frankly, I can’t remember the last time the entire family dined together. The older we get, the more our lives stray in different directions.
    I glance down the table at our father. Perhaps that’s why he’s clinging so desperately to traditions and these outdated ideas about serving the family— but that’s still no excuse for the way he treated Elle.
    Three months , I remind myself. Three months of good behavior. Three months to prove ourselves to him. Sure, Elle isn’t a member of the European nobility, but that’s hardly important in my case—Andrew is the one who must carefully consider his companion, since he’s the one responsible for the next heir. I have no such responsibility.
    And I pity the woman who ends up with my brother. The poor girl will have to spend the rest of her life dealing with a stodgy bore who’s afraid to break the rules or have any fun. Though I suppose I can’t blame the fellow—look at what happened that one night in Prague when I convinced him to let loose. If anything, that night probably convinced him to never set a foot out of line ever again.
    The family sits in silence as the minutes tick by. Sophia still has yet to arrive, and while my mother seems unconcerned by this, the wrinkle between my father’s brows grows deeper with every passing moment. Finally, my mother waves over our dining attendant and asks him to begin pouring our wine.
    “Where is she?” my father grumbles. “She knows the rules in this household.”
    “Honestly, darling, she’s only a few minutes late,” says my mother. “Let’s not let it ruin our supper. I asked the chef to prepare braised rabbit for us. I know that’s your favorite.”
    How she can be so patient with our father is beyond me. But I see no judgment or annoyance in her eyes as she looks down the table at my father—only understanding.
    Perhaps there’s hope for dear old Andrew after all , I think. If my father can find a woman who loves him, then maybe my brother can as well. Me? I want to make the woman I love laugh and smile, not force her to fight her way through layers of sourness and anger. There’s nothing in this world more valuable to me than one of Elle’s smiles.
    God, I wish I were back in her room. I want her in my arms again. I want to hold her close and think only of the joy we can bring each other. Instead, I’m stuck at supper with the most dysfunctional of families.
    As soon as my glass of wine is filled, I grab it and take a swig. I’m going to need a lot of alcohol to make it through this meal.
    At seven fifteen—after another eleven minutes of uncomfortable silence—my mother calls for the food. Sophia still hasn’t arrived, and my father’s lips are a hard line as his plate is laid in front of him.
    Maybe it would be better not to bring Elle to these meals after all , I think. I can’t imagine forcing her to sit through this torture. She’ll still need to practice her table etiquette before the state dinner, of course, but there are other ways to do that—other private ways, which sound infinitely more enjoyable.
    The food serves as a welcome distraction, at least. While we’re eating, it’s easier to pretend we aren’t sitting awkwardly beneath the thundercloud of my father’s anger. Normally I would attempt to break the silence with a joke or funny anecdote, but I sense that both of those would be unwelcome at present.
    I glance back at my mother. She seems relaxed, as if she’s perfectly at ease with the situation at hand. Perhaps she knows something I don’t. Or perhaps she has fully accepted this farce for what it is. After a moment, she seems to sense me watching her. She glances up from her plate and smiles at