Chapter 483
At the dinner table, all the kids had washed up and were ready, but Tarquin was still holed up in his study.
Elysia went to call him. After all, he was the host and it would be rude not to invite him to his own dinner after he’d been bustling around preparing everything.
Pushing open the door to the study, a cloud of cigarette smoke hit her, making her cough immediately. Frowning in disapproval and worried the smoke might drift into the rest of the house, she stepped inside and quickly shut the door behind her. As she made her way to the window, muttering under her breath, “Don’t you know smoking’s bad for you? With a habit like that, you’re heading for trouble p>
She flung open the window to air out the room. Tarquin, lost in his thoughts about Blossom and the mysterious person, barely acknowledged her. Elysia tapped on the desk to get his attention, “Earth to Tarquin! Quit smoking, it’s time to eat p>
Tarquin looked up at her, simply saying, “Elysia p>
“What’s up?” she asked, puzzled by his tone.
He seemed like he wanted to ask her if she’d noticed anything odd about Blossom lately but then thought better of it, considering her naive nature and the cunning of the mysterious person.
After a moment’s silence, Tarquin finally stubbed out his cigarette and stood up to leave.
Elysia, confused by his behavior, pressed, “What was that look for p>
Tarquin shot back, “Seems like you only grew a brain to make yourself taller p>
With that, he opened the door and left, leaving a stunned Elysia to process the insult.
“Jerk! What’s his problem?!” Elysia stormed out of the study, only to be greeted by the bright faces of her four little ones, eager to have her join them at the table. Tarquin had already taken his seat, and despite her irritation, Elysia couldn’t bring herself to argue in front of the children. She shot him a glare and then smiled at her kids as she approached.
The small dining room was cozy, the family of six gathered together, the cold wind howling outside while inside was warm and cheerful. This was their first family dinner together, and Elijah was more excited than anyone, having longed for a family reunion like this.
Before they started eating, Elijah asked Tarquin, “Dad, what about the surprise you prepared for Mom p>
Caught off guard, Tarquin hesitated as Elysia looked on, surprised, “There’s a surprise p>
“Yeah, Dad said he had something special for you p>
Elysia eyed Tarquin suspiciously, “You prepared a surprise for me p>
Elliot, Evan, and Emmett also turned their attention to Tarquin, clearly intrigued.
Wanting to avoid turning the surprise into a shock, Elliot suggested, “Let’s see what it is p>
Elijah gave Tarquin an encouraging look, signaling it was time to reveal the surprise.
Feeling the pressure with all eyes on him, Tarquin reluctantly headed back to his study. Everyone waited in anticipation, curious about the surprise. After a moment, Tarquin returned, handing Elysia a plain white card.
“What’s this?” Elysia asked, puzzled.
“It’s a thank you for all you’ve done for Elijah. This credit card is for you to use as you like while you’re taking care of him. Don’t worry about paying it back,” Tarquin explained.
So, it was just money?
Elijah’s expression fell, clearly disappointed in Tarquin’s lack of creativity. Evan and Emmett also lost interest; money wasn’t something they cared much about.