Adam checks his list for the West Hotel and sighs in exhaustion, taking the offer from the West Hotel was not such a good idea like he first thought. Making furniture for over twenty rooms was insane, especially when they are made by two people. He checks his calendar and realizes they had three weeks to complete the order, he rubs his eyes, where was his father? He was supposed to be helping. He takes his list and crunches it in his hand. He doesn't have the heart for this anyway.
He walks towards the window and looks out the streets of Lakewood. The funeral was a week ago but the streets seem to have stayed dark and gloomy.
He wonders how Sophia's doing. Ever since her sister's tragedy, Sophia hasn't been feeling too well. She wakes up very early in the morning feeling nauseas, sometimes she vomits. Just two days ago, she actually fainted. Adam finally convinced her to go see Dr. Harris, the situation was starting to scare him. He hopes it's nothing serious, he hopes it's just some bug going around. He looks out the window, the cloudy day mocking his emotions.
"You won't believe the great news."
Adam doesn't move.
His father continues, his excitement radiating from his voice. "The Mayor wants us to join him and his family for lunch. Ever since the deal with the West Hotel, Mayor Smith has been extremely interested in our business, I suspect he wants to make some kind of agreement with us. How do I look?"
Adam turns and sees his father with a giant smile on his face, he feels happy for him, even though business with the Mayor could only mean one thing: favors. Any wish and want the mayor may want, they would have to comply. The Mayor was well known for his "favors". If anyone did anything with or for the mayor, he will bring it up and make them feel like they owe him. Adam's not ready to be anyone's puppet. But his father is so enthusiastic about the whole situation, Adam doesn't want to be the one with the bad news.
"You look great," Adam replies.
His father smiles then furrows his eyebrows. "Is that how you're planning to go?"
Adam takes a look at himself, his stained and wet from sweat work clothes aren't suitable for a lunch date with the Mayor's family. "I shall go change," he says. But he doesn't want to his empty house. The house without Sophia it's just that, a house.
Ò Ò Ò
"Well, isn't this is nice," Adam's mother awes. "I've never been in the Mayor's house before." She holds Adam's arm tightly as the butler leads the Lancaster family into the drawing room.
"Ah! Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster welcome to our humble home," Mrs. Smith greets them fanning herself with a hand held fan. "I apologize for my husband. He's been held back at the office. But my dear daughter in law will sing and play the piano for us as we wait," she finishes, Adam feels like her greeting was rehearsed but he shrugs it off. For how many families have they done this charade for their personal gain, Adam doesn't dare to even think about it.
The woman with the long dark hair smiles and curtsies as she makes her way to the piano. He barely recognizes her from the party, her fake smile seemed vaguely familiar.
Adam wants to go home. He doesn't want to be in this extravagant house with these irritating family. He turns to his brother, he's looking out the window admiring the horses that Adam assumes, are being trained. He finds himself looking out the window along with him and realizes he has barely payed any attention to his own horses back at home, which Adam mainly see as means of transportation, but as he watches John admiring those horses, he wonders if he was missing out on something.
"And will your husband join us Mrs. Smith?" his mother's voice brings him back. The woman has stopped playing the piano at some point in the evening.
"Yes, he's with his father so they should arrive together."
Adam shakes his head, he has to face Daniel now? Why isn't this day over yet?
Mayor Smith's wife laughs at something his mother said when Daniel's wife, whose name Adam can't remember, sits between John and him and starts talking to Adam, but Adam is so enthralled by the horses, he doesn't even hear her.
"It's been such a sad week, hasn't it? For you and your wife, I mean. For her sister to kill herself like that and in her parents' house? That is so disgraceful."
"Hmm," Adam replies half listening.
"How's Sophia holding up?"
At the sound of his wife's name, he comes back to the present. "She's doing very well."
"She's a strong woman, I knew it the moment I saw her when she came by days ago."
"She's been here?" Adam enquires not knowing what she was talking about.
"Yes, I believe it was right before your welcome back party. Sophia came by to talk to my husband."
"Uh," he comments not knowing what to think, why would Sophia want to talk to Daniel? Why didn't she mention it?
The woman smiles and flips her hair to the side. "Tell me Mr. Lancaster, is it true that you own the carpentry down the street?"
"No, my father owns it."
She watches him not understanding why she can't keep this handsome man's attention, so she tries a different approach. "How was Miss Lucia like? I never got to meet her but I've heard all sort of stories."
Adam rubs his eyes again deciding to let Sophia's visit go. She never gave him a reason to doubt her, why start now? "She was a lovely person." He replies lowly.
"I bet she was, but," she leans closer to him and whispers, "What about those rumors?"
"Rumors?"
She nods sheepishly. "Well the rumors concerning her... profession, so to speak."
Adam turns to her for the first time since he walked inside the Smith's house. "Mrs. Lucia Willis was a lovely person." He repeats feeling angry at Mrs. Smith's desire for gossip. He stands abruptly and stands by the window. He sees an expensive carriage pulling in, the porter opens the door and two gentlemen in top hats walk out, Adam finds himself holding his breath as he watches the Mayor of Lakewood and his son making their way inside the magnificent house.
"Greetings!" says the Mayor as he hands his coat to one of the servants. "We apologize for our tardiness, you know how business goes."
"Of course Mr. Smith," says his father with a cheesy grin.
"Shall we go in then?" says Mrs. Smith cheerily and everyone agrees as they are being led to the dining room.
"Adam," Daniel whispers. "I'm so pleased to see you."
"Likewise," he replies shaking his hand firmly. He doesn't hate him like before, but Adam's not ready to be friends just yet. Maybe he will never be ready for that. Their friendship stained by the love of a woman. "Daniel," Adam comes to a halt, the rest of the company keeps forward not noticing their retreat. "Did my wife come see you before my return?"
Daniel runs his hand through his hair nervously. "Well, she did drop by the day before your arrival."
Adam tries to hide his disapproval. "For what purpose?"
"It was about the party, your party. She asked me not to attend it."
Adam turns to him baffled. "She did?"
"Yes, she seemed very adamant." A smile comes to Adam's face as Daniel keeps talking. "That's when I decided to seek you in New York. To state my position."
"I see," he replies feeling relieved, but tries carefully not to expose it.
"When I saw how much Mrs. Lancaster despises me, I learned my lesson and took my cue to leave."
"She doesn't despise you," Adam replies without a second thought. "When she married me, she loved you. But, you broke her heart."
Daniel nods fully understanding the pain he caused her. "And now, you have mend it, I suppose, and she gave it to you without remorse."
Adam doesn't reply. He hadn't considered the pain Daniel was going through, and now he feels sorry for him, for his unhappiness.
"Mr. Smith sir," they're interrupted by the nanny, she's holding his child in her arms. "He's asked about you, I thought you would want to hold him a bit."
Daniel looks like he's considering it, but then shakes his head. "No, take him to his mother."
The child is taken away immediately but he keeps smiling oblivious of his rejection.
"He's a lovely boy," Adam comments looking after him, his own wishes for his own son surfacing.
"Yes, I suppose he is."
They continue towards the dining room slowly side by side. "He's not mine." He says after a pause.
"Pardon me?" Adam asks unable to process his words. The boy was the same image as Daniel. Blonde, blue eyed and clear complexion. Everything about the little boy resembled him.
"Never mind, shall we eat?" Daniel says distracting himself.
Adam nods without questioning him further. He's known Daniel since they were school boys, but he's never felt like he knew him like he was getting to know him now.