Chapter 45
Mary blushed prettily.
Father blustered.
Catherine tried to hide a grin.
Vincent seemed to be the only one able to answer her. "Jenny, this is Mary. She is a mother to all of us here in the tunnels and is Father's right arm."
"So they aren't married?" Jenny asked for clarification.
"We are not, Ms. Aaronson," Father reported as he retook his seat.
Vincent pulled out the bench for Jenny and Catherine. He then walked around the table and took a seat next to Mary facing Catherine.
"We are happy that Catherine has brought you to meet us Ms. Aaronson," Mary said, then added, "And I want to thank you again Catherine for the yarn. It was so very generous!"
"You are most welcome Mary. I know you and the other ladies will put it to good use."
"We most certainly will!"
"Ms. Aaronson…"
Jenny interrupted Father, not knowing this was something no one but Mouse ever dared to do, "Oh please call me Jenny! Ms. Aaronson is so formal."
Father stared at her for a moment as if trying to decide if he should scold her, but instead continued what he had started to say before the interruption, "Publishing must be a fascination business, won't you tell us about your work?"
"It does have it's moments, but mostly it is just a lot of hand holding for a bunch of neurotic writers," she admitted with a giggle.
"I see," Father replied with a slightly disapproving bite at her lack of propriety.
"Oh don't get me wrong, most of them are really great writers, but anyone that has the balls to write 'Sex Lives of the Rich and Famous' shouldn't have to have their hands held through a book signing tour!"
Mary was blushing again.
Vincent was a bit uncomfortable.
Catherine was worried how Father would react and didn't have long to wait.
His back stiffened, his eyes widened, and you could almost see the hairs on the back of his neck rise as he declared, "Ms. Aaronson that kind of book is most certainly NOT acceptable here! If that is the type of literature you represent we will need to decline your offer of donations."
"I am sorry…Sir," the hesitation was because she still didn't know his name, although Father did not realize that and thought instead that Catherine's friend was not sure he deserved to be called that after his comment. "We do represent all kinds of books. Many are children's stories, and family books. Vincent had told me that you would not want anything racy, that was why Catherine suggested that he could vet anything I sent down and only pass along what he thought would be appropriate."
"As you can probably guess Ms. Aaronson, my son is not a worldly man. It would not be a wise choice for him to be subjected to books like you mentioned."
Normally Jenny's unique sense of humor would have led her to ask 'Do you mean the children or family books?', but she could tell this pompous man would not have appreciated the joke. So instead she replied, "I will be very careful of what I send down and try very hard not to shock Vincent's sensibilities in any way."
Although her voice sounded completely sincere, Catherine could tell from the gleam in her friend's eye that her comment was very tongue in cheek.
Father, thank heavens, did not know Jenny as well and taking her at face value, said conceding, "I guess that would be alright then."
Catherine could feel the silent resentment that Vincent was feeling through the Bond about Father's comments. Here he had just implied that Vincent was a callow young boy in front of their guests instead of the grown man that he was.
She couldn't reach across the table to take his hand without making the situation worse, so instead she slipped off one shoe and ran her toes up his leg from ankle to knee hoping that he would understand that she was trying to be comforting.
Vincent, having never been in a relationship before, was startled and almost jumped up from the table at the contact. His eyes flew to Catherine and he opened the Bond in the hopes of figuring out why she would initiate such an intimate act while they were in a public place!
To be continued….