In Love With Mr. Billionaire

CHAPTER 34- THE GOLDEN CARD

I was in a much more cheerful mood by the time lunch was served. Margot had prepared another one of her exclusive, original delicacies for us. It was hard to think it was possible, but her dishes got better with every bite we savored.

Throughout our lunch I told Aaron stories of painting with my mother. I told him how we used to sneak all the stuff around the house, away from my father, and pull them out while he was away. I told him stories about how we used to sneak out of the house to visit art exhibitions and museums. The memories were precious to me, melancholic and some of them were funny. He didn't laugh at it though. Not even once. Not even a smile.

Just when I had started to feel he was getting bored of my rambling, he placed his hand over mine, looking me directly in the eye. "What was so bad about working on your hobbies that you had to sneak around?"

That was when I realized he had seen through the humor of sneaking out of the house like criminals and the excitement of getting to see more paintings. He had recognised the sadness of not being allowed to do the one thing that gave me and my mother solace. He had realized how painful it was to not be allowed to be the unfiltered self in our own house. He had seen the fear looming over our heads, screaming and warning, that we were going to get caught. And I saw the hatred he held for James grow in his eyes.

And for the first time, I wondered what would happen if I told him about the things that had happened on the occasions where James had caught us. The things he had done to my mother. The way he had treated me all my life.

That was a painful door to be opened.

"He didn't like it," I answered his question. He didn't like a lot of things.

Art.

My mom.

Me.

"Well," Aaron said, squeezing my hand. "That doesn't matter now, does it?"

I shook my head and smiled at him. It doesn't matter now at all.

Tobias returned from the main island by the time we finished our lunch. He had gone to fetch canvas papers and paints for me.

"This arrived for you, Mr Woodwords," he passed a white envelope to Aaron. Aaron took it and excused himself to the balcony to make a call.

I helped Tobias take the dish to the kitchen. Margot was there, cleaning the counter. I could smell the sweet, delicious aroma coming out of the oven.

"What is it?" I asked, taking a peek through the oven window.

"A pudding cake," Margot smiled at me, proud of her creation.

I tried to help her with the cleaning, but she simply pulled out a chair and pushed me in it. "You sit. I'll clean."

"You don't allow people in your territory?" I teased as she swiped the area clean.

"It's your territory, Mrs Woodwords. I hope you don't mind me trespassing," she smiled back at me and I laughed.

"Caroline please," I requested. No amount of request seemed to take away the formality of her addressing me. "You could easily be a high profile chef any time you want. Why do you still work here?"

Though Aaron had told me many of Margot's exclusive dishes were available in his restaurants, they were replicas learned and created by the top chefs there. Margot had taught them. The dishes were credited to her. But she had never made a public appearance. Never took a public claim, any more than her name as the original chef.

"Because Tobey and I wanted an ordinary life for us and our children," she told me. "We both were looking for stable jobs when Tobey and I were offered to look after this island. We accepted it without a second guess. It was the best decision of our lives, it changed everything for us. The first time Mr Woodwords came to this island with his friends for vacation, they loved my food so much that I was offered a job as the top chef in one of his restaurants. I always wanted a quiet life, and when I told him the same he offered me another arrangement. I could invent new dishes, share the recipe with the chefs in his restaurants, have it under my own name and still live a quiet life. Guess what I did?" Margot was beaming by the time she finished her story.