Chapter 5
Victoria was relieved her mother had indeed kept the dinner on the small and intimate side. She hadn’t realized how much she expected to walk into a crowd after all until it didn’t happen.
Only the overly long mahogany table for such a small family, with one end covered by a white lace table cloth holding seven places settings. The rest of the impressive collection of flatware, silverware, and glassware of every possible description remained in the glass-fronted cabinets that lined the room.
Several small crystal bowls sparkled in a line down the middle of the tablecloth between the plates, each prepared by Victoria earlier that day. The spicy, sweet scent of the colorful bunches of flowers floating inside brightened up the dark space considerably.
Pale yellow candles surroun
