A Secret Vow

20 Petal by Petal

I bite my buttered bread and listen to Mrs.Leighton's abnoctious lecture about marriage.

"And you see honey, you need to not only look the part. But feel the part..."

I stare at the untouched jar of jam, hidden away by large plates of cooked sausages and eggs. Guarded by decorative sandwiches stacked on one another like a castle made of cards. I look at the silvery plate of already picked fruits and cheese. Sad that my little jar of jam, sitting at the far end of the shiny long wooden table, was untouched.

Mr. Leighton's arm blocked my view of the jam, grabbing a grape. I noticed he kept on picking off the green grapes. And the eggs. And the sausages. And the cheese.

I look back at Mrs.Leighton and pretend to listen. Only to fantasize about Clive eating beside her. Cutting his meal and taking a big bite. Then sipping his coffee and glancing at me.

Staring at me with a cold sexy stare.

Demanding me to climb onto the table by pulling on the chain wrapped around my neck. To feel my palms press against all the food. Dragging their colourful blood all the way to his lap, where I would force his to lick it off me.

I scratch my arm.

Curse my sneaky mind.

"For example, when I married, I felt utterly useless. But as our marriage progressed I learned to take my womanly needs to work. I supported him and encouraged him to take risks. Well, when I was a child my dear, I always took risks..." she snorted.

I poke at my egg.

My stomach turns when I eat egg.

I look back up and reach for another cup of coffee, when I was suddenly stopped by Ida.

"Ms. Rosz, I'll pour you a cup of coffee" she insisted, as she grabbed the kettle and bag of crushed coffee beans.

As Ida prepared the coffee, I looked to my right and watched Edmund eat the last of his toasted bread. He struggled eating it early since his father constantly threw funny jokes at him. Making him spit out his coffee at one point. Of course his mother thought it was stupid and silenced them. But Mr.Leighton being a funny man, continued with his jokes. Which I part took in at some point.

I'm gonna give it to that old man, that one joke about the eggs was pure gold.

As Edmund finished and his mother lectured her husband about table manners, Ida placed a steaming cup of coffee onto my little plate.

I notice the tiny details around the cup.

The painted flowers look beautiful.

The way they swirl and swirl...

What is that?

I turn to Ida quickly and she nodded her head and put a finger to her lips.

She then excused herself.

I look back down at my coffee.

Nervous.

Did anyone see that? Did Edmund already see it?

I stare at it.

Is this a test? Did they do this?

I glance at the Leighton's and none of them seemed to care.

When. When do I take it?