My Husband Bought His Mistress Our Downstairs Apartment novel · Chapter 9 of 24

Chapter 9: A Toast to Loyalty

Odette's Tuesday dinner had twenty guests and four kinds of wine.

I wore a black dress Bree had pinned at the hem herself.

Quinton held my coat for me at the door.

His fingers did not touch my shoulders, and I noticed it more than I would have noticed a touch.

"Remember the terms," he said quietly.

"I'm the one who wrote half of them."

"Then you won't forget."

We walked into the dining room together.

The room went through the usual little stages.

First came the surprise, then a few quick smiles, then the whispering behind raised glasses.

Odette rose from the head of the table and kissed my cheek.

"You look well," she said. "Better than last week."

"Thank you."

"The ring suits you."

"It's lovely."

"It was lovely on its first owner," said Odette, and for a moment her voice caught.

Then she steered me to a chair at her right.

Dexter sat halfway down the table.

He was alone.

Paloma had not been invited.

I felt the whole room watching to see what he would do.

He didn't look at me.

He ate his soup and talked easily to the woman on his left, and he was warm and charming and wounded.

He was very good at it.

When the plates were cleared, he stood and tapped his glass.

"If I may," he said. "A few words for my mother, who has kept this family together for thirty years."

There was gentle applause.

"Family is the only thing that lasts," Dexter said. "I know there's been some noise lately. Some people have been confused and some people have been unwell."

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