Page 22 of Enchanting the Elf
But he never came out of his study.
We enter the kitchen and I hang back in the doorway as I take in my new favorite room in the house.
The kitchen is cozy with a strong character that’s both old and new at the same time. It has solid wood furniture that looks hand carved but modern appliances are scattered throughout. Rough, exposed beams hold up the low ceiling, making it feel almost medieval, and to one side is a large oak table with live edges I want to trace with my fingers.
“Sit.” Adelbert points at a chair at the dining table before moving to the fridge. He pauses, head drooping and shoulders rising with a deep inhale before he slowly turns back to me again. “I mean, please have a seat while I prepare something for us to eat.”
A grin tugs on my lips—my frustration with him all but forgotten—but I bite it back, trying not to ruin the moment by expressing how endearing that self-correction was.
“Thank you. Is there anything I can help you with?” I ask as I carefully pull back the heavy wooden chair and lower myself onto it.
Adelbert angles his head. “What do you like?”
“Oh, anything is fine.”
“Any allergies?”
“Nope.”
“Any dislikes?”
“Not really.”
“Tell me.”
“Oh, um, don’t worry about it.”
“Tell me.”
“I don’t like peanut butter,” I blurt out.
“That’s fine. Anything else?”
“Not that I can think of while you’re interrogating me.”
Adelbert scrubs a hand down his face, and his shoulders slump. “Interrogation is not my intent. I am merely trying to establish what you can and cannot eat, or what you do and do not like. You seem to be hesitant about expressing your needs, therefore, I am trying to help narrow down your preferences through various questions.”
“Oh.” I grimace as the truth and logical manner of his thinking hits me, and a blush creeps across my cheeks and burns my ears. “I don’t mean to be a burden to you. I’m only here for a little while and I’m trying to make things as easy as possible for you.”
“It would be easier if you would just tell me what you would like to eat,” Adelbert sighs out.
“What are you having?” I attempt to dodge the question, not prepared to be as bold as I was in front of my room earlier.
“I was thinking about making someKartoffelpuffer. They are German potato pancakes.”
“That sounds wonderful. But please let me help you.”
“I am afraid this part of the kitchen does not have enough space, and the possibility of accidentally making contact is too high. However, I appreciate your offer of assistance.” Adelbert inclines his head in that gentlemanly bow he likes to make, an apology hiding beneath his frown.
My smile is a little wobbly but I let it curve my lips to show him that I understand. I’m not quite sure what to do with myself because the silence stretching between us does not feel as companionable as it was previously, so I just follow his movements with my eyes as I fiddle with the hem of my shirt.
Adelbert moves around the kitchen like he’s familiar with every square inch of the space. He returns from the pantrywith a few potatoes and meticulously peels them on the central counter.
Thankfully, he’s first to speak as he proceeds to roughly grate the potatoes.
“Was it your sister you were talking to earlier?”
I instantly perk up. I love talking about Dede, and I’m so happy things are going well with her and Everett. I just hope she will give things between them a real chance before she self-sabotages their relationship with her own fears.
