Chapter 65: Dinner with Ruby
In fact, Christian’s words came as a bit of a surprise.
His voice, usually calm and restrained, took on a particularly serious tone at that moment, which made what he said seem even more significant than it would have been in a normal conversation. There was an unexpected sincerity in it, or perhaps anxiety, barely noticeable but palpable.
I even lost my train of thought for a second and stared at his face, as if trying to read the hidden meaning behind every line of his face. It seemed as if he was about to say something much more than just words — as if these words were part of something unspoken that he kept inside himself.
And yet, I could understand him. After all, from the outside, everything looked exactly as he said. For today’s society, my situation was indeed unusual, if not rare. Too many circumstances came together to cause condemnation or bewilderment.
In a world where women often found themselves dependent on men — whether husbands, fathers, or brothers — I was the exception to the rule. My independence set me apart from those around me, making my life different and unfamiliar.
A single woman raising a child on her own, and managing an estate without any support from a husband or relatives. I ran the business myself, made decisions, managed the household, and was responsible for Ruby’s future.
It’s no surprise that in the eyes of those around me, I may have seemed strange, or at least curious.
But, to be honest, I never saw myself that way. For me, it wasn’t a feat or a choice, but a simple necessity. Life had put me in these circumstances, and I had no right to shirk my responsibilities.
Nevertheless, I was a little surprised that the man asked about it right now. We had just finished a business conversation about Ruby’s class schedule, so I didn’t expect the conversation to take this turn. The change of topic was so abrupt that I was taken aback for a second.
"A reliable shoulder nearby..." I repeated his words in my mind. They sounded particularly strange in my head.
In fact, until that moment, I hadn’t even thought about such things. Did I even need it? I wasn’t sure simply because I had never thought about it before.
My life was already filled with responsibilities that left no room for thoughts about other aspects of my life. Until then, marriage or a partner had always seemed like something far away.
Besides, until then, the main focus of my life had been taking care of Ruby. Her upbringing, education, future — all of that always came first. And in between, I also did other things. My time was scheduled almost down to the minute.
And where in this busy schedule could there be room for thoughts of marriage or a partner...?
That’s why Christian’s words sounded as if someone had suddenly opened a window in front of me to a world I had never even looked into. And I didn’t know if I wanted to look there.
But before I could answer Christian, the door suddenly opened.
Rubiella was standing in the doorway.
I was a little surprised to see my niece here, and I even flinched slightly, as if waking from a dream.
"Rubi, what are you doing here?" I asked.
"Auntie, you didn’t come to dinner, so I went to look for you."
Oh, right. Dinner! I had completely forgotten about it.
I felt a little guilty that my long conversation had made the girl wait, and instead of staying in the dining room, she had gone to look for me.
Christian apparently felt the same way, because he immediately stood up with an embarrassed expression on his face. His cheeks were slightly red, and he adjusted his tie.
"I’m sorry, Lady Weinstein. I must have taken up too much of your time."
"It’s all right," I replied and stood up as well. "At least we discussed what we wanted to."
I tried to smile to smooth over the moment, although an unresolved feeling lingered in my chest from his words.
"Then I’ll be going, Lady Weinstein."
"Yes. Goodbye, Mr. Lockwood," I nodded.
He turned his gaze to Ruby and, smiling gently, added:
"Lady Rubiella, farewell. See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow, Mr. Lockwood," the girl replied politely, bowing her head slightly.
On this slightly confused note, the situation was finally resolved. Christian Lockwood nodded goodbye to us and left the room.
Ruby and I remained in the office, and for a few moments there was a strange feeling in the air — like after a storm, when the clouds have already dispersed, but the smell of rain still lingers. I watched Christian until the door finally closed behind him.
I stood at the door, watching him for a while, lost in my own thoughts. However, at some point, Ruby pulled my hand, and I pushed those thoughts away, looking at her with a smile.
"Auntie...?" the girl called me, a little uncertainly.
I looked down and met her eyes. There was a slight anxiety in them, mixed with her usual tenderness.
"Everything’s fine," I said, smiling. "Let’s go have dinner."
After that, Ruby took my hand, and we went down to the dining room together to finally have dinner. The sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway, and the smell of freshly cooked food wafted from afar, promising a warm and peaceful evening.
We sat down next to each other — I took my usual place at the head of the table, and Ruby sat a little closer than usual, as if to emphasize that she wanted to spend the evening with me.
The food was already on the table: baked chicken with aromatic herbs, fresh bread, and a light vegetable salad. I mechanically cut off a piece of chicken and, trying to strike up a casual conversation, asked:
"Ruby, how are your classes going? Is everything okay?"
"Yes, Auntie, I like everything," the girl replied with a smile.
"Good," I smiled with relief, feeling the tension ease. "And Mr. Lockwood? Do you have a good relationship with him?"
Ruby paused slightly, as if considering her answer, but then nodded confidently. Her smile widened, and her voice sounded genuinely sincere:
"Uncle Christian is very nice. I like him too."
I exhaled a barely noticeable sigh of relief. Listening to her, I felt a slight warmth in my chest. It seemed I really hadn’t made a mistake in choosing a mentor for my niece.
"That’s wonderful," I said, allowing myself to relax a little more.
But as soon as I focused on my food again, Ruby suddenly asked a question.
"Auntie, what did you talk about with him?" the girl asked me unexpectedly, looking up from her food and staring at me with her big eyes. Her question hung in the air.
The fork froze in my hand. The question came so unexpectedly that I was speechless for a second.
"Um, what?" I froze, feeling a slight blush rising to my cheeks. Why was she asking about this right now? Maybe she had heard something through the door?
"You and Uncle Christian were talking about something before I came in. What was it?"
"Well, um..." I felt embarrassed and cleared my throat. "Nothing special. We were just discussing your classes and making a schedule that would be convenient for you."
"Is that all?"
"Of course. What else could we have been talking about?"
Nevertheless, it seemed to me that Ruby’s expression after my answer was still somewhat strange. The girl paused for a second, then smiled strangely and nodded to me.
"I understand."
I sighed when this slightly awkward pause finally passed, in my opinion, and we were able to continue our dinner in peace. At that moment, I just focused on my food.
Nevertheless, it seemed to me that Ruby was still acting a little strange after that. At one point, she suddenly asked, looking up from her plate:
"What about you, Auntie?"
"Huh?" I put down my fork.
"You asked if I liked Uncle Christian. Do you like him?"
I coughed again at this unexpected question. Well, obviously, it caught me a little off guard.
However, Ruby probably meant whether I liked him as a person.
Christian Lockwood did make a pleasant impression: he was a well-mannered and educated gentleman. On the other hand, it would be strange if I chose someone I didn’t like as Ruby’s mentor.
So I answered quite easily:
"Mr. Lockwood is a good man. I like him too."
I answered without any hidden meaning in my words, and yet... once again, Ruby’s expression seemed strange to me.
I didn’t think much of it and blinked when, in the next second, the girl’s expression returned to normal.
"That’s good. A man my aunt likes... He must be very good indeed."
Ruby said this with her usual smile on her face, but for some reason, that smile made me feel uneasy. I couldn’t even explain it to myself. But maybe it was just my imagination?