by Bella Bryce
“He has, darling,” Brayden said, turning his iPhone to silent and replacing it in the inside pocket of his suit jacket. “They’re meeting with the wedding planner this morning.”
Alice played with the end of a few of her ringlets as they hung over her delicate shoulders and watched Brayden glance as Wellesley placed a fresh cup and saucer with coffee in front of him.
“Thank you, Wellesley.”
“But they haven’t had the engagement party, yet,” Alice said, picking up her crystal goblet of orange juice.
“These things take time, darling, as I’m sure you’ll learn one day,” Brayden said, picking up his cup.
Alice shook her head and half-smiled.
“I already told you, I’m not getting married.”
“Good. You can stay my darling, ten-year-old girl forever then,” Brayden said, and gave her a gentlemanly smile.
Alice exhaled an amused breath and didn’t quite roll her eyes although the impression was there. She wasn’t allowed to roll her eyes, joking manner or not.
Wellesley served breakfast before taking his place near the French buffet along the wall where he stood, observing and waiting. The opposite side of the dining room behind Alice’s place were ceiling-high windows with thick, beautiful drapes held back by cording then secured to intricate ornaments on the walls.
Alice and Brayden’s mealtime conversations were always intended to be a chance for them to speak as father and daughter, to connect but with Alice always remembering she was not her father’s equal. She was his child. When there were guests dining at Waldorf she was not allowed to speak unless she was spoken to, although sometimes that rule was overlooked when the conversation was highly participatory and she wanted to contribute. When it was just the two of them Brayden encouraged his daughter to start and maintain active conversation on all matter of subjects, providing of course that it was appropriate and enriching.
“Is Aunty Evelyn and Uncle Jon hosting the engagement party?” Alice asked, between polite mouthfuls of her favourite breakfast, eggs benedict.
“Are,” Brayden corrected.
“Are they?” Alice asked.
“Yes, darling,” Brayden replied, wiping his mouth with his napkin. “Harriet will be coming to fit you for your dress.”
Alice sipped her orange juice and frowned.
“I thought I was wearing the one I wore for your birthday ball,” she said, having had her heart set on it. She loved that dress.
Brayden stopped cutting his breakfast and glanced up at his daughter.
“You can’t wear that one, darling, you’ve worn it already. And as soon as you outgrow it Celia will take it to charity.”
Alice’s frown remained. “But you hate waste!”
Brayden paused the cutting of his breakfast once again and looked at Alice.
“There are some conventions I won’t ignore. In my circle, ladies do not wear the same dress to an event or social gathering and once they become obsolete, ideally, they would be recycled so that those who can’t afford such things will have an opportunity to buy it from the charity shops.”
“Can I have the exact same dress but in a different colour?” Alice asked, as though she’d just come up with a brilliant idea.
“I’ve already emailed a picture of the design I would like to Harriet, my love. You just need to be in the sitting room on time for your measurements to be checked. The girls will come with most of the dress done.”
“They could probably make me a dress without even coming, by this point!” Alice joked.
Brayden smiled at his daughter’s comfort and positivity toward her bespoke wardrobe and the whole process it took. His mother, Kathryn James, had been a serious advocate for custom-made and designed clothing. She never wanted to put on clothes that had been cut and tailored to another woman’s body.
“Harriet will be bringing your recital dress with her, as well, when she comes.”
Alice’s eyes remained on her plate; she wanted to groan so it was best if she didn’t look up at all.
“Everyone’s so looking forward to hearing you play again,” Brayden added, glancing at Alice.
He knew his daughter wasn’t keen on performing piano recitals in front of their close friends, but he saw it as necessary, especially considering he was her piano teacher and took great lengths to help her learn and then master the instrument.
Brayden’s own two decade-long musical tutelage had been overseen by his late father, Oliver James, who had been as kind and unconditionally loving as he’d been strict and rigid on matters regarding education, study, morality and discipline. His father had salaried a private piano teacher who stayed with Brayden from his first lesson until he was twenty-one and was fully supportive of the Russian teacher taking a cane to his son when he saw fit. Brayden’s approach to Alice’s piano study was definitely more gracious, although he punished for silly mistakes, backchat and whenever she needed to refocus. It was otherwise utterly amazing that she had picked up the piano in under a year and played as well as she did.
Alice played her first piano recital several months into her new life at Waldorf but not another since, although she took it upon herself to surprise Brayden with a small performance of sorts on her own. Anabelle Greyson, the events coordinator from Tweed Events Co. had been hired in December by his best friend, Bennett Fowler to host Brayden’s twenty-ninth birthday ball. In the organisation of the ball, Anabelle also managed to oversee the rolling of the Steinway grand from the music room into the nearby ballroom without Brayden seeing or knowing anything of it. Having secretly practised and memorised Yiruma’s “River Flows in You,” she then played it (flawlessly) in front of over one hundred guests at the ball. It had been Brayden’s pride and it took everything in him not to act emotionally in front of the ballroom full of friends and acquaintances. In his mind, it spoke to the appreciation she had for their daily piano lessons and the nearly two hour daily practise she’d worked up to. But she hated recitals.
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Bella Bryce
Please Enjoy Chapter One of the last book in the Waldorf Manor series!
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