Page 75 of Unleash Hades
“Touché,” I said, trying to hide a smile.
“Touché indeed,” she said with a tilt of her head, and a wry smile. “Bon chance,Hugo. I hope it all ends well.”
Me too.
Chapter 25
Calissandra
Breakfast was tranquil. Thedining room was still white and peach, like I remembered, with floral wallpaper. The house staff had changed faces over the years, but the service was still immaculate. Just as Papa always liked it.
The summer gardens were in full bloom, the trees were full, and ripe with summer fruits.
It was as if nature itself was welcoming me back to my home. A hope I had ignored. I had tried to keep it out of Richard’s notice… Like Eleanor Aquitaine and France.
At least as portrayed in the movie A Lion in Winter. His favorite movie.
“Mummy, how long will you be gone?” Romulus asked.
“Just for the evening,” I said with a small smile. “Then I’ll be back tomorrow, for your Birthday blowout,” I said, leaning across the table to pinch him in the cheek like he was a kid.
“Stop, Mummy!” Romulus blushed and pulled from my grip.
I tried not to laugh, as his eyes darted to Bellamy, and he blushed. What kind of mother would I be if I did not try to embarrass him, even a little, in front of his crush?
“Alright, darling,” I said, with a laugh, bringing a napkin onto my lap as I broke open a crumby croissant. “Any requests for tomorrow? Or is it Mummy’s choice?”
Remus shrugged, his nose in a book. He was reading Machiavelli today.
“Maybe that bookstore we saw on the road?” Romulus suggested.
“Then what about dinner in town? There used to be a lovely French restaurant on the main street. Is it still there?” I asked Chloe.
She smiled. “Yes, it is. It used to be my favorite spot too.”
“Alright,” Romulus said with a smile. “Asa, will you come to the bookstore with us?”
Asa’s eyes lit up. “I love books!”
“I thought so,” Romulus said, bopping him on the nose with his index finger. “Well, maybe I’ll use one of my presents tomorrow to get the book of your choice.”
“A full set of the Encyclopedia Britannica?” Asa practically bounced in his seat with excitement.
“Are we sure they’re all adopted?” I asked Chloe. “I swear you made a similar request on your birthday, too.”
“No, I wanted a copy of the 1755 Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary,” Chloe corrected, pointing her butter knife at me. “That’s completely different!”
“Is it?” I asked, rubbing my chin in mock question.
The morning went much that way. Like a real family. We went from the breakfast room, to the sitting room, where Romulus and Asa started playing on the old antique piano, as Remus kept reading his book. I knew he grew fond of his cousin, when he came and loomed over the two, and even joined in for a duet with Asa.
Remus would never admit it, but he excelled at singing. It was his real talent.
The afternoon passed in tranquil family existence. I was treated to the image of me and my sister, working together to raise our sons, as one family, in this house. A life that could have been, had I not been lured in by Richard. A life that could be again, maybe, if my plan to expose Richard worked.
If I managed to infiltrate the Underground Circuit, and show his underhanded dealings…
If my sons could forgive me, for putting away their father…
