Chapter 46 - Forty Six
It was a new day at the grand Carson family mansion. The morning sun streamed into the breakfast room, a cheerful, airy space filled with flowers and the scent of freshly baked bread. Duchess Lyra sat at the head of the table, taking a slow, contemplative sip of her morning cinnamon tea. Across from her, the Dowager Duchess, her mother-in-law, took a delicate bite of a warm scone with clotted cream and jam.
Amber came into the room with a bright smile, followed by a maid who carried a large silver tray holding three small, ornate dishes of freshly chopped mixed fruits containing strawberries, grapes, and melon.
"You can just drop it on the table, Elara. I’ll take it from here," Amber said kindly to the maid. "Thank you."
The maid did as she was told, curtsied, and left the room. Amber, humming a cheerful tune, took a plate of fruit from the tray. "Grandma," she said, her smile warm as she placed the dish in front of the Dowager Duchess.
Then, her smile faded a bit as she turned to her mother dropping a plat of fruit in front of her. Lyra was staring blankly into her teacup, a deep frown line etched between her brows. "Mama," Amber said, her cheerful tone softening with concern. "Why are you so moody this morning?"
Lyra snapped out of her thoughts, her gaze clearing. "Amber," she said, her voice serious. "What do you think?"
Amber popped a bright red strawberry into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out slightly as she sat down. "Of what?" she asked.
"The family of the girl who wants to marry your brother," Lyra clarified. "The Ellingtons. What did you think of them?"
Amber chewed thoughtfully for a moment, then swallowed. "Do you remember that book I procured last month from that bookseller in the north?" she asked. "The one about the evil stepmother who torments the poor orphan girl?"