Page 11 of A Sight to Behold
“Nothing.” Felix shrugged. “His cavities are wider rather than deep, so the nerves are unaffected. Never minded them until now.”
“He just wants to be perfect for his bride. For their lovely castle wedding.” Wendy swayed in her chair as if she was dancing at a royal ball. How could women be so naive and forgiving of human flaws when men couldn’t?
“I don’t know if that’s true,” Felix said. “He has to grow up and pass on the torch.”
“Well, I hear there’s a pavilion of pleasure in his townhouse gardens,” Alfie said. Andre gave an appreciative nod.
“Not everything is about lovemaking,” Nick said, conscious of his innocent little sister at their table.
“He has to produce an heir,” Alfie said.
“He can produce an heir just fine with or without teeth,” Nick said to Felix, “no offense to your craft.”
“My craft is medicine, Nick. Mark my words if you ever need my help.”
“I know, I know. Dentistry is medicine. I won’t need your services, but thank you,” Nick said.
Felix got up and picked his plate up to wash it. They only had five plates, one for each of them. After each use, they’d wash their plates for the next meal, which was hopefully something they could purchase from their earnings rather than barter for, even though this evening’s venison and mashed potatoes had been delicious.
“If you ask me, he’s getting into shape for the marriage bed, just like the debutantes,” Felix said. “I have several mothers who have brought their daughters to me. They expect me to repair the girls to make up for the neglect during their girlhoods.”
“That’s rather crude, Felix,” Wendy said.
“It is, Wendy. But if they know that their daughters have so many holes in their teeth, why don’t they care until just before they debut? It’s because their mothers care more about society than their children’s well-being, I’m telling you. And suddenly, they ask for polished gold to replace the amalgam and beautification so the girls can dazzle some titled nobleman into a proposal.”
“But maybe the girls just need a little nudge in the right direction and fall in love so irrevocably that their grooms are mesmerized by their beauty—”
“Wendy, keep dreaming. It’s sweet that you think that,” Felix said. He spoke with the wisdom of an older man who’d loved and lost, and Nick knew it was because his friend knew what a broken heart felt like.
“A smile can go to the heart like a dagger,” Andre finally said. He’d been quietly eating.
“Another hopeless romantic.” Alfie laughed.
“I’m Italian. What do you want from me? Passion runs in my blood.” Andre blinked at Wendy and then he cast Nick a sardonic brow.
“Stop that right now!” Nick interjected, and Wendy and Andre broke into laughter.
“Well, I think it’s wonderful that he is trying to be healthy for his wedding,” Nick said. “It’s his way of wooing the woman he already married.”
“How so?” Wendy asked.
Nick couldn’t help but smile dreamily. He’d known the earl for such a long time and accompanied him on a path to betterment. “He’s trying to be the best version of himself for his bride. There’s no greater compliment he can pay her, don’t you think?”
His sister shot him a look, at first confused but then interrogating.
I’m not going to tell you who caught my attention.Nick winked.
Chapter Six
Lord and LadyCanton from Oxfordshire had come for dinner and Pippa recognized them as soon as she entered the dining room as usual at seven o’clock. The candelabras twinkled, but the chandelier had been left unlit in favor of the ambiance for dinner. Pippa never liked to eat in half-darkness, which didn’t add much to the atmosphere for her, either. Come to think of it, dim light truly affected her vision. Could the handsome doctor have diagnosed what she’d struggled with for years in just a matter of minutes?
Or was it as evident to everyone as it had been to him, and only she was blind to her own perspective?
She heard the clanking of spoons on plates and a low slurping sound coming from Lord Canton, one of the bald guests. Nobody had waited for her to start eating, which showed Pippa that she didn’t matter to them. And yet, this was her home; the house technically belonged to her because her father only held it in trust for her.
And still, she didn’t feel welcome.
The audible sounds of Wife Six ’s lip smacking and messy dining reached her ears. Truly, her etiquette at the table was akin to that of a farmyard pig. Meanwhile, Father sat at the head of the table, the guests on his right and Bea on the left, next to the empty chair reserved for Pippa.
