âPuh, puh, puh, donât say such unlucky things,â Mrs. Ormond exclaimed, trying to stop her daughter
from speaking negatively. âIf it comes to that, Iâd rather you marry far away. At least youâd have a
home, a companion, and your own children.â
In her mind, Mrs. Ormond thought that even marrying far away was better than Elora not marrying
at all. As long as the man was good, distance didnât matter.
She added, âElora, do you know any good men from other cities? Have you met any at social
events? If you find someone promising, bring him home, and weâll help you choose. We trust your
judgment, but with our experience, we can guide you in making the best decision.â
Elora replied, âNo, the men I meet at social events are all married, and some are old enough to be
my grandfather. There arenât many young, successful, single men around.â
There were a few, but none caught Eloraâs interest. She felt her standards were high. âMom, letâs
change the subject. Iâm feeling a bit hungry. Letâs go see if there are any snacks. Iâll have a bite to
tide me over.â
Elora stood up, clearly wanting to avoid further discussion.
Mrs. Ormond said, âTatum went on the business trip with you, didnât he? The snacks here were
made by the pastry chef, and you think theyâre too sweet. Youâve never liked them.â
The family enjoyed the pastry chefâs treats, but Elora was picky and found them too sweet. She
could tolerate the snacks Tatum made, though.
Tatum often said he wasnât great at making snacks, but Mrs. Ormond found them less sweet and
softer than the pastry chefâs, which might explain why Elora could eat them.
Elora walked into the kitchen.
When Tatum saw her, he glanced over, smiled, and continued his work. âMiss, are you hungry? The
soup will be ready in about half an hour. You can have a bowl then.â
Tatum knew Elora was picky. She had only eaten the breakfast he made before returning, so it was
no surprise she was hungry now.
The soup was almost done but needed another half hour to reach its best flavor. Since
Elora was particular about food, Tatum didnât offer her any early, even though she might have
wanted it. He didnât want to compromise the high standards he had set in her mind.
âI am a bit hungry. I was thinking of having a few snacks, but I remembered you were on the trip
with me, and I donât like the ones here. I can eat the snacks you made, though,â Elora said.
As she watched him focus on cooking, she found him particularly attractive when he was serious
about his work. In fact, she thought he was charming even when he wasnât doing anything.
His features were strikingly handsome. Elora assumed his parents must have been very good-
looking to produce such a handsome son.
He was even more charming than the celebrity idols her younger sisters admired. If Tatum entered
the entertainment industry, he would surely become a star.
âIâll wait for half an hour. Donât rush; make sure the food is as good as ever,â Elora said as she
turned to leave.
Tatum responded, âDonât worry, Miss. I take this seriously and wonât let my cooking fall below its
usual standard.â