Caleb hurried to his master's table just as Cathleen was walking out of the restaurant to give him the news that his father would be joining them for dinner the following day. Xavier, though, stopped paying attention at that point. The thought that he doesn't know anything about his wife continued to occupy his thoughts throughout the conversation.
Caleb's frantic calls for his attention went unnoticed as Xavier was lost in the depths of his own thoughts. The man's distant gaze made it clear that he was preoccupied with some unknown struggle. As Xavier pondered her extreme iciness, he couldn't help but wonder what could have caused such a drastic change in her demeanor. According to his father, she was the sweetest girl alive, yet Xavier had never witnessed this sweetness firsthand - only brief glimpses when there were family members around, and even then it seemed forced or insincere.
"Sir, you have dinner with your father tomorrow night." Xavier finally raised his head to meet one of his assistants and answered the man.
"Of course." The first time he had hated it was when his father had come to his house, but now he was ready for this dinner. In fact, he was wishing that the dinner would be tonight. So, he asked Caleb, "Can he make it today?" Caleb looked at his master, but he didn't answer him. When he didn't answer, Xavier looked at him with an icy expression on his face, but Caleb pretended to make a phone call.
"His number has been disconnected, sir," Caleb replied.
"That man is no fun," Xavier replied and stood up to leave where he sat. Unlike him, he was making sure to eat all of the food that Cathleen had paid for the day. "I couldn't leave anything over, after all, it was my wife who paid for it."
The two men walked out of the restaurant and made their way to Xavier's office.
The sky was a murky mixture of dark grays and oranges, a foreboding sign of the impending storm. The looming clouds obscured the moon, casting a dim light over the landscape. Cathleen let out a sigh of relief as she finished preparing dinner with the help of Ava, the head maid in Xavier's grand house. Despite her age, Ava moved with nimble grace as she assisted Cathleen in setting the table with fine china and silverware. The aroma of roasting meat filled the air, mingling with the scent of spices and herbs from their secret recipes. As they put the final touches on their meal, they could hear the distant rumble of thunder, adding to the eerie atmosphere outside.
Feeling the chill in the air, Cathleen turned to Ava and asked her to turn on the heat. The weather was anything but friendly, with a biting wind that seemed to seep into their bones. She quickly made her way upstairs to take a hot shower, hoping it would warm her up. After drying off, she slipped into a simple red dress that clung to her curves and accentuated her ample breasts. Cathleen was a natural beauty, and she didn't need fancy clothes or makeup to catch the eye of any man. As she descended the stairs, each step echoing through the grand foyer, she caught sight of old Mr. Knight coming in through the front door. At the same time, Xavier appeared from around the corner with a doorknob in his hand, ready to assist the elderly man inside.
A quick sweep of the room revealed that the old man was not alone. By his side stood Finn and his father, Edward Knight. Olivia, a gracious hostess in her own right, had already taken her seat and eagerly awaited the arrival of the others. As they settled into their designated spot, Olivia proudly proclaimed that she had personally prepared every dish on the table. The aroma of garlic and herbs filled the air, tempting even those with the strictest of diets to indulge in a bite or two. The flickering candlelight cast a warm glow over the scene, creating an atmosphere of comfort and camaraderie.
"Please be seated. I hope you enjoy what I have prepared for you today." At Olivia's bold statement, the hand of Ava, the head maid, flew to her mouth in shock. But Cathleen was not one to allow others to steal the credit for her hard work.
"Oh, please, if anything. The only thing you know is to open your mouth and eat. Ava, thank you very much for all your hard work. You are free to leave us. We will call you if we need you. You need to get some rest. It has been a long day."
Ava's warm smile matched the sun's rays as she looked upon her young mistress, Cathleen. Her eyes twinkled with love and admiration for the girl, who had become like a daughter to her. She knew that Cathleen was the one who truly needed rest after tirelessly preparing everything for the evening. All Ava had done was assist in setting the table with delicate precision.
Olivia sensed that Cathleen would never give her an opportunity to impress old Mr. Knight. With a resigned sigh, she turned her attention to Finn as he made his way over to her, a warm smile lighting up her face and beckoning him to join her at the table.
Through his weary eyes, Mr. Knight saw right through their facade; he could see that Olivia was not just a mere acquaintance of Cathleen's but rather already acting as Xavier's wife. His gaze turned to Xavier with a mixture of pity and understanding. In his mind, if he could bring the two together, perhaps they could figure out a way to make it work. But as he observed their interactions, it became clear that Cathleen had closed her heart off completely to Xavier. The weight of disappointment and sadness settled heavily on Mr. Knight's shoulders, knowing that there was no chance for love to blossom between these two.
Xavier was already making love to someone else under their roof. So instead, the man looked at Cathleen, who didn't seem to be in the slightest bit offended; his eyes were swollen and bloodshot as if he had been crying for hours. Rather than partaking in the meal that Cathleen had prepared with such care, he reached out and grasped her hand so tightly that it made her wince. His face was contorted with emotion as he forced her to meet his gaze and spoke with a trembling voice, full of pleading and desperation. "Cathy, are you happy?"