21: A Mistake

KATHY

A mistake.

I called it a mistake.

The words just rolled off my tongue so easily this morning, but it had been haunting me for the rest of the day.

Because it wasn't true.

If anything, the real mistake was been lying to Viktor.

Every time I closed my eyes, I remembered the way he had looked at me... the way he kissed me... the warmth of his hand around my waist.

No matter how hard I tried to push the memories away, they kept finding their way back.

I let out a frustrated groan and buried my face in my pillow.

"This is ridiculous," I muttered to myself.

I wasn't supposed to be thinking about him.

He was arrogant, controlling, infuriating...

And yet, he was all I could think about.

A sharp knock on my bedroom door interrupted my thoughts.

"Come in."

One of the maids stepped inside and bowed politely.

"Miss Katherine."

"Yes?"

"Mr. Svyatoslav has requested your presence at dinner."

I frowned.

"Me?"

"Yes, Miss."

She gave a small smile.

"Miss Anya refuses to eat unless you're at the table."

That caught me by surprise.

"I'll be down in a minute."

The maid nodded before leaving.

I quickly changed into something more presentable before making my way downstairs.

As soon as I entered the dining room, every pair of eyes landed on me.

The dining table was enormous, large enough to seat more than twenty people.

Only four seats were occupied.

Anya.

Viktor.

Natalia.

And one empty chair...

Right beside Viktor.

Anya's face lit up the moment she saw me.

"Kathy!" she squealed. "Ty uzhe zdes'!"

I smiled.

"Looks like someone summoned me."

"YA skazal dyade Viku, chto ne budu yest' bez tebya" she said in Russian.

I looked toward Viktor.

He didn't say anything.

He simply gestured toward the empty chair beside him.

"Sit."

I hesitated.

From everything I'd observed over the past three weeks, only the family ate at this table.

I certainly wasn't family.

Still, refusing didn't seem like a wise idea. And it was good they were all beginning to trust me. It would make my job easier.

I quietly took the seat beside him.

Across from us, Natalia watched me with an expression that could have frozen fire.

When we finally started eating the only sounds were the clinking of silverware and Anya's cheerful chatter.

Then she picked up one of the polished forks.

"Kathy!" Anya beamed, picking up a fork. "Salad."

She pointed at my plate before grabbing another fork.

"Fish."

Then she picked up a knife.

"Meat."

I looked down at the sea of silverware surrounding my plate.

"That's... a lot."

Anya giggled and pointed at the fork furthest from the plate.

"First."

She made a little motion with her hand, moving inward.

"Then... this."

"Outside first?" I guessed.

Her face lit up.

"Da! Yes!"

I laughed, shaking my head.

"You're a much better teacher than I am."

Anya laughed so hard she nearly dropped her fork.

Natalia let out a quiet scoff.

"I suppose that's what happens when someone isn't raised with proper manners."

The smile faded from my face.

I pretended not to hear.

She continued anyway.

"Some people simply don't belong at tables like this."

I calmly picked up my glass of water.

"I've managed just fine so far."

Natalia smiled, but there wasn't an ounce of kindness in it.

"I'm sure eating with ordinary cutlery is more familiar to you."

Anya looked between us, the cheerful mood beginning to disappear.

Before Natalia could continue, Viktor spoke.

His voice was calm.

Cold.

He said something in Russian.

And I could immediately tell her was telling her to shut the hell up.

Natalia's expression changed immediately.

She looked at him for a second, surprise crossing her features, then she continued eating.

Silence settled over the table once again.

A few moments later, one of the maids approached carrying a bottle of red wine.

She filled Viktor's glass.

Then Natalia's.

Another maid poured apple juice for Anya.

The first maid stopped beside me.

"I'm sorry, Miss."

The apology came a fraction of a second too late.

The entire glass tipped over.

Dark red wine splashed across the front of my cream-colored dress.

The stain spread instantly.

The maid gasped.

"I'm so sorry! It was a mistake"

The maid's face went pale.

She kept glancing toward Natalia and back to my dress, keeping her head down.

Maybe it was fear.

Maybe it was guilt.

I looked at her trembling hands.

Then at Natalia.

The smug satisfaction in her eyes told me everything I needed to know.

A mistake huh? How ironic.

How could a grown woman be so pretty.

I could have made a scene.

I could have accused her but none of it really mattered.

I felt disrespected but shouting or accusing her wouldn't make her respect me.

So I just dropped my cutlery and stood up.

"It's alright," I said quietly to the maid.

"I think it's time to call it a night."

I walked around the table toward Anya and knelt down besides her. I felt bad for her, the fact that her mother always had a way of ruining her mood.

"Goodnight, Anya" I said, giving her a forehead kiss.

Then turned and walked toward the dining room doors.

I had almost reached the doors when Viktor's voice stopped me.

"You." He said so calmly.

The room fell silent.

I turned slightly.

He wasn't looking at me.

His cold gaze was fixed on the maid.

"You're fired." He said removing the napkin from his legs.

The maid's face turned ghostly white.

"S-Sir..."

"Leave."

His voice remained perfectly calm.

There was no shouting.

No anger.

Just a single command.

The maid's eyes filled with tears as she lowered her head.

"Yes, sir."

She hurried out of the dining room.

I glanced toward Natalia.

For the first time since I'd met her, the satisfaction she always had on her face whenever she was causing me trouble had vanished from her face. It was replaced with disbelief.

Viktor reached back for his napkin as if nothing unusual had happened.

"Go change," he said without looking at me.

"We'll wait."