Page 19 of Tattle Tail
She looked away, as if embarrassed, and grabbed two glasses. Pouring a generous amount in each, she said, “I am turning thirty in the spring, and my mother is anxious. She is determined to find me a match. A mate.”
“And I’m better than the alternative?” He accepted the glass she offered.
“Recently, she set me up on a blind date with a male I’ve known my entire life.”
“That’s not really a blind date. Technically.”
Her nose scrunched like it itched. “I thought I was meeting her for lunch to plan a New Year’s party, but it was Lord Resolve. Only Lord Resolve, who is thirty years older than me and needs an heir.” She sighed. “He is at least upfront about his motive, but Mother demands to know why he is not good enough for me. Why am I so picky? Why am I determined to be alone? Here are more males, all willing to make do with you, so be agreeable.” She spread her hands, like a magician with a card trick.
“Wait, she said that?”
Peaceable did not answer his question. “My mother will not let this go. You’ve met her.”
“Briefly.” The older woman had seemed very…focused, but more curious about Joseph than anything else. He didn’t have enough information to form an opinion.
“Trust me, she is relentless.” Another sigh. “Which would be a better name for her than Tolerance. So, I told her I had someone to make her quiet.”
“Me.”
One shoulder lifted in a shrug. “I was thinking about the piece of chocolate you left me. I only wanted her to stop talking. For a little while. I planned to tell her the truth, I was, but then she saw you at the market and…”
“You went straight to fiancé, completely skipping the whole section where we fake date.”
“She would pick at you, find fault, and keep bombarding me with better suitors. If there was affection, if you held my heart, then she would cease. Only an engagement would do,” Peaceable said.
Joseph stared at her; misery visible in every atom as she clutched the end of her tail in her lap. He had left that piece of chocolate as a joke. Just a joke. Was her mother so terrible that a ridiculous lie was better than confrontation?
Or maybe she needed an escape, any escape, from the pressure.
Joseph had more than his share of an overbearing mother, but Valerian never made him feel like he couldn’t disobey. She encouraged disobedience and a healthy distrust of authority. His mother, for all her sins, was always his ally, never his adversary. He had never felt alone.
Peaceable needed an ally. He could see that now.
Well, shit.
Time to face the consequences of his unintentional actions.
“How long are you talking?” he asked.
Peaceable
“Pardon?” Peaceable’s voice squeaked.
“This fiancé gig,” he said. “How long do you need me to play along? Dinner with your parents tomorrow, obviously, but is there an end date to this charade?”
Joseph Moonquest was full of surprises.
“My parents are having an anniversary party on New Year’s Eve. It will be their thirtieth anniversary,” she said.
“That’s six weeks away.”
And already she tried his patience.
“The food is getting cold.” She fetched the serving bowl and dishes.
“Let me. You make a list or a spreadsheet of events we need to attend. Silverware in here?” Joseph randomly opened cabinet drawers until he found the silverware.
“A spreadsheet? That is not the best way to organize a schedule.” Though she did a spreadsheet of daily and monthly tasks that helped keep her work organized.
