The Corinthians Series: Somebody To Love

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Callie felt like hiding herself under the covers until Christmas. She certainly did try doing so, until her mother came calling and tried to yank the blanket off of her. Callie buried her face in a pillow and moaned in misery. It did not matter how hungry she felt at the moment, she was not going down for dinner. Ever.

"I am not going down for dinner," she whined, flailing on her bed. "I am not going down until all the leaves fall and we return to Kent. Oh mama, can we please return to Kent, now?"

Lady Penelope sighed. "Don't be difficult, Callista. Everyone is waiting for you."

"All the more reason for me not to come down, then." Callista attempted to drag the quilt blanket over her head again, hoping that by lying still under it all of her embarrassment would disappear. She had locked herself in the bedchamber all day.

"Nonsense! Missing dinner is not an option," her mother answered. "Honestly daughter, this sort of behavior cannot be tolerated," chided Lady Penelope, trying to drag her daughter from bed.

"What do you mean?" Callie responded, face still planted firmly in the pillow. "This is how I usually behave at home." 

Lady Penelope's tugging became more persistent. "But we are not home, are we? I shudder at the thought of Rafe finding out how exactly you do behave at home."

"We can't have him knowing that I run wild can we?" Callie responded dryly. "That would be a terrible crime!  After all, I was brought up to be the personification of grace and refinement."

"Young lady..." Lady Penelope warned, using the tone she had perfected years ago. Her eyes narrowed and nostrils flared. She plunked her hands on both hips. Immediately, Callie sat up and grabbed her mother's hands.

"Mama, please... I wanted to go home..." she beseeched. "Can't we please go home now?"

"We cannot," Lady Penelope answered stonily. "Besides, after all the trouble Rafe had went through to ready Greystone Castle for us? Returning to Kent now will paint us as ungrateful guests. Surely I have taught you better."

"But... but..." Callie spluttered.

"You are embarrassed, aren't you?"

Callie's pouting lips quivered for moment. "Yes! Of course I am embarrassed! I am so embarrassed I feel like I could die. Now can we please leave, mama?"

Lady Penelope was, first of all, a mother. No matter how severe she seemed at times, seeing such distress come from her daughter, her face softened. Reaching forward, she carefully smoothed Callie's red hair. "How did you end up in Rafe's study in the first place?"

"I was looking for a nightcap! I could not bring myself to sleep last night," Callie answered was muffled as she had her face buried in a pillow.

"Nevertheless, you do know that it is wrong to venture into a gentleman's study uninvited? This is not home, where you can go wandering around as you please. It is entirely your fault that you've ended up in such an uncomfortable predicament."

Callie hung her head in shame. "Yes, mama."

Lady Penelope nodded. "Also, you know how you can get whenever you are inebriated..."

"I tend to forgot everything from the previous night," Callie supplied reluctantly.

"Precisely. Knowing that, why did you drink too much of Rafe's brandy?"

Callie hugged the pillow and recalled what had happened last night after Raphael had locked her in the study. "I was afraid when he locked me in. It was so dark mama, and cold!"