Anathea pretended not to have heard Theo, but instead of getting angry, he only raised his voice slightly. “Anathea, I’d like to talk to you about something!”
If he spoke any louder, it would definitely draw attention from the guests at the other tables.
Anathea was left with no choice but to cut Theo a sidelong glance. Her eyes were wary as she prompted, “Go ahead.”
She half–expected Theo to say something that might aggravate things between them.
“The floral arrangement you designed for me the last time–the flowers wilted even though I tried my hardest to preserve them. What’s up with that?” Theo asked seriously, seemingly eager to learn flower preservation tips.
Anathea was a little taken aback by his question. She didn’t think that would be the first thing he asked.
But seeing his earnest expression and also considering the subject was her area of expertise, she let her guard down and answered, “The flowers I used in that arrangement were carnations, baby’s breath, and hyacinths. They’re best kept in a vase with about a quarter full of water.
“Also, water mixed with 0.3 milligrams of aspirin makes for a simple preservative that help flowers in bloom hold out for a week to ten days longer…”
Anathea did some quick math in her head and figured it had been nearly two months since she designed the floral arrangement for Theo. That was way past the usual floral preservation period. It was only normal for the flowers to have wilted by now.
As such, she gave Theo a firm, if not a tad brutal, answer. “Just throw the flowers out and get new ones.”
Theo went still, looking a little reluctant to accept her suggestion. He asked, “Will you be sad over a bunch of wilted flowers?”
Anatha thought it was an odd, random question. She’d seen countless fresh flowers meet their natural end throughout her career and had grown accustomed to their wilting. “No…”
“Well, I do.” Theo leveled an even stare at her and added solemnly, “Because it’s the first floral arrangement you made for me. I’ve taken great pains to preserve it because that’s how much I cherish it.”
Anathea stiffened but said nothing.
She hadn’t thought Theo would blurt out something like that at a party like this! Only God kn
it would stir up if someone overheard him!
She curled her fingers nervously. Theo was like a ticking time bomb!
Theo watched as frantic helplessness washed over Anathea, and his gaze darkened.
hat kind of gossip and trouble
He knew that he shouldn’t have blurted out his thoughts so impulsively. But now that he’d finally met a woman who’d managed to steal his heart, he didn’t want to give up so easily on her.
Besides; he’d been nearby when Anathea and Gregory got out of the car earlier. He’d seen the way Anathea looped her arm through Gregory’s and smiled as she greeted the elders of the Sinclair family.
But in truth, when she’d moved away from the crowd’s line of sight, her eyes were full of indifference and resignation.
All of that told Theo that Anathea wasn’t happy to stay by Gregory’s side. It filled him with a desperate urge to pull her out of this suffering before she drowned in it.
But Theo knew what Anathea was worried about.
He couldn’t take her away with so many people watching. All he could do was wait until Gregory left the scene. Only then did he swoop in and quickly stake the table beside hers just to be closer to her.
Alas, with such little distance between them, he could no longer keep his feelings for Anathea bottled up.
1/2
T23 DUINUS
“If I have to be honest, I didn’t just want to talk about the flowers but about you as well.”
He stared at her and elaborated gravely, “You’re just like a flower in bloom, and I can’t stand to see you trapped in a tiny, cramped vase and watch you wilt.”
Anathea belonged in an open space. She was such a stunning, talented young woman, and when she worked on a floral arrangement, he thought she outshone any of the flowers she worked with. When she danced, she looked like she was glowing.
Theo had seen how captivating she was. From the bottom of his heart, he believed a woman like her didn’t deserve to be shackled in a loveless marriage that only wore her out, body and soul, so he wanted to help her.
His eyes were full of sincerity as he offered, “Listen, if you don’t want to be Mrs. Sinclair anymore, just tell me and let me help you, okay?”
Chapter 321
