Foul Play 🩷

Twenty-Two

Millicent clung nervously to Henry's hand as they entered his parents' house. Reluctantly, she handed over her coat. "Don't be nervous, Shortcake," he whispered, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze before leading her into the kitchen. The room fell silent as they entered.

"Everyone, this is Millicent... my girlfriend," Henry announced with a wide grin, emphasizing the word 'girlfriend.' Millicent smiled back, her nervousness easing as she playfully nudged his shoulder.

His mother, Marianne, stepped forward to introduce herself first. "I'm Marianne, and this is my husband, Colin." She motioned to Henry's father on her right, and with a warm smile, pulled Millicent into a hug before she could react, leaving her feeling slightly awkward. Henry sighed and intervened, "Mama, personal space, please."

"It's okay," Millicent mumbled, allowing Marianne's arm around her shoulders as she turned toward the rest of the family. "And these are Henry's older brothers, Piers, Nik, and Simon, and their wives."

Millicent timidly raised her hand in greeting as Henry gently moved her away from his mother's enthusiastic embrace. "You didn't tell me your family was so big, Henry..."

"I didn't want to scare you away before you even got here," he admitted with a teasing chuckle.

"Sneaky," she replied, a playful gleam in her eyes, as Henry chuckled and kissed her temple before offering her a seat at the table and sitting beside her.

Glancing around the table, Millicent noticed that most of Henry's family members were still watching her. She took a sip of her water as dishes were passed around. "Let me guess, Henry has never brought a girl home before?"

Laughter erupted around the table, confirming her suspicion, and she saw Henry blush slightly. Colin spoke up once the laughter subsided, "What's a pretty girl like you doing with Henry to begin with?"

"Dad..." Henry groaned, but Millicent found his father's curiosity endearing.

"He wore me down, I guess." She nudged his shoulder teasingly as he chuckled.

"You're American? What's the story there?" Colin inquired next as Henry sighed annoyed beside her.

"It's fine," she reassured, and then proceeded to share her story. "My mother was American. She did a semester over here, slept with my dad, and found out she was pregnant when she returned home. I met my dad when I was 16 through one of those DNA tests. When my mom passed away, he asked if I wanted to move here with him, and he could get me into college. So, I accepted."

"And what is your degree?" Colin inquired.

"I want to be a lawyer," Millicent answered, pausing to consider the terminology. "Or, I guess you call it a solicitor here? Or a barrister? I haven't chosen my path yet. Although I'm generally shy, there's something exciting about potentially pleading your case in court."

Colin chuckled; his eyes filled with pride. "A solicitor. That's great. It was a pain trying to get Henry to go to college and obtain a degree. I'm still hoping that he leaves his childish dream of being a rugby player behind and becomes a solicitor too."

"Dad..." Henry groaned again, and Millicent saw him hang his head down, pushing food around his plate.

She reached out and rested her hand on his thigh, giving it a supportive squeeze. "Well, he's really great, and I believe in him."

Marianne smiled warmly as Henry lifted his head to smile at Millicent. "You guys are cute."

"Yeah, what did you do to get this girl, Henry?" His oldest brother, Piers, teased, and Henry shrugged modestly.

"Just lucky, I guess."

"At least you'll have a level-headed woman at your side when you realize it's time to hang up your dream and get an adult job," Colin chimed in, grinning.

"Can we please talk about something else, please?" Henry requested, his tone becoming more serious as Colin sighed and everyone broke off into smaller conversations.

Millicent discreetly took Henry's hand under the table, making him look at her. She smiled and leaned closer, whispering softly in his ear, "I'm sorry about them. I believe in you."

"Thank you, Milly," he replied softly, nuzzling her nose with his before planting a sweet kiss on her lips and returning to his meal.

***

"So, I'm really the first girlfriend, huh?" Millicent asked Marianne as the two women worked together to clean up the kitchen, while the men retreated to the lounge for drinks and conversation.

Marianne chuckled, and one of Henry's sisters-in-law chimed in, "First girlfriend, no. First girl he brought home, yes."

Millicent laughed in agreement, nodding as she dried some plates. "Right. Well, thank you for having me. I'm not used to having such a large family around. I'm an only child, and it was just my mom and me. And now it's just my dad and me."

"You're welcome here anytime, sweetheart," Marianne said warmly, patting Millicent on the shoulder reassuringly. "I can see how smitten Henry is with you."

"I appreciate that. Thank you, Mrs. Cavill."

"Marianne is fine, dear."

"Thank you, Marianne," Millicent replied, her cheeks tinged with a slight blush.

***

Millicent turned to Henry as he began to drive her home. "I like your family. Though they're quite loud."

Henry laughed, his hand resting on her thigh. "Yeah, maybe I should have warned you. I didn't want to scare you away. Hopefully, I still haven't?"

"You haven't," she replied, leaning to rest her head on his arm. "In fact, I already told my dad that I'll be spending the night with you at your apartment... if that's okay?"

"Really?" Henry turned to her with a wide grin, and she nodded. "You want to spend the night with me?"

"I do."