They Ranked Their Daughters, So We Chose Each Other novel · Chapter 3 of 24
Chapter 3: The Honor Chair
The sisters give the honor chair to the adults who praise it. Victor announces a croquet match, and Audrey chooses May despite her lack of experience.
Audrey carried the daughter-of-honor card to the breakfast table.
She placed it beside Caroline's plate.
"You've got the most experience," she told her.
Caroline looked at the card, then at the velvet chair.
"It's for one of you," she said.
"We're having breakfast together," I answered.
I sat beside Audrey on two ordinary dining chairs.
The velvet one remained empty at the head of the table.
Victor came in carrying a folded newspaper.
"Who's being honored?" he asked.
Caroline gestured toward the large chair.
"Perhaps you'd demonstrate," Audrey suggested.
Victor sat down and spread his newspaper.
The chair's high arms trapped his elbows.
He folded the paper narrower.
Now the top reached his nose.
He folded it again and read a small section about shipping.
"It's an excellent chair," he announced.
"Can you reach your breakfast?" I asked.
He looked at his plate beyond the tall velvet arms.
Caroline began moving it toward him.
Edith entered with her red shoes squeaking on the floor.
"Nobody can eat in that thing," she said.
Victor lowered the newspaper.
"You sit in it," he told her.
"When I don't want to move," she answered.
She took the seat beside me.
Audrey passed her the toast.
The serving plate had a large chip beneath its rim.
Edith turned the chip toward the wall without commenting.
Caroline rang a little handbell.
A woman appeared at the door with a coffee pot.
"We're waiting for eggs," Caroline told her.
"They're coming," the woman replied.
She filled our cups and went back to the kitchen.
Victor tried to butter his toast with his elbows still trapped.
The toast skated around the plate.
Audrey watched him make a second attempt.
"Would you like my chair?" she asked.
"I'm perfectly comfortable," he said.
He turned sideways and reached around the arm.
His napkin slid onto the floor.
Edith picked it up with the toe of her shoe.
She lifted her foot toward him.
"There you are," she said.
Victor took the napkin from her shoe.
Audrey suddenly needed to drink her coffee.
I looked down at my toast until I stopped laughing.
Caroline put her hand over the daughter-of-honor card.
"We were planning a lovely welcome," she told me.
"You can welcome both of us," I answered.
"Audrey lives here," Caroline said.
Audrey cut her toast into small squares.
I didn't want to speak for her.
I wanted Caroline to notice what she'd said.
"Would you like to be welcomed?" I asked Audrey.
She looked up.
"Very much," she answered.
Edith held her cup out for more coffee.
"Then do that," she told Caroline.
Caroline fetched the pot from the sideboard.
She poured Audrey a little too much.
Coffee reached the rim, and she stopped before it spilled.
Audrey lifted the cup with both hands.
"Thank you," she said.
She meant the effort, and I liked her for it.
The eggs arrived before Victor managed to get out of the velvet chair.
He stood and moved the velvet one backward.
Its rear legs caught the edge of the carpet.
He stopped before tipping it over.
"This needs a different room," he said.
Edith took another slice of toast.
"It was happy in mine," she replied.
The woman who'd brought the eggs moved an ordinary chair into its place.
Victor thanked her and sat down.
Audrey passed him the butter without saying anything.
I asked for another egg because I was hungry.
Nobody marked my appetite on a scorecard.
For a few minutes, breakfast was only breakfast.
Victor folded his newspaper into a square and put it away.
"The club has arranged a little croquet match," he announced.
Caroline straightened at once.
"A daughter on each team," he continued.
Audrey reached for the toast plate.
"I'd like May on mine," she said.
I put my hand beside hers.
"I haven't played," I admitted.
Victor looked at the two of us.
"Then you can't expect to win," he answered.
Audrey took the last slice of toast and split it with me.
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