The Height Of Happiness

It was hard not to be in awe. The allure Teddy had over Serena didn’t match the enduring magic his mother had. Her son was at her side with a flit of her well-decorated fingers. Her rings caught the light as she reached up to pat Teddy’s cheek.

“Darling, can you call Rosita and ask for the tea? I was waiting for you all to arrive before I began.”

“You take tea?” Serena asked.

“Oh yes, it’s a habit I picked up when I was just a girl in finishing school. As a mother, I used it as an excuse to share a special moment with my precious prince every day after he came home from school.”

Serena looked over and caught Edward blushing. She couldn’t help but laugh under her breath about his embarrassment. Teddy came back after talking into an intercom, and sat in the leather wingback armchair on the other side of his mother. She patted his knee, and before she could speak again the Rosita came down the hall with a rolling gold and glass cart.

“I’ve fixed a Sencha for you today, Miss Lydia,” Rosita offered. “I also have some chocolate truffles and fruits for you to eat. Make sure you eat something for your blood sugar.”

“Of course, Rosita, thank you dear.”

Rosita continued as she laid out the tea tray and dessert platter on the coffee table, “Chef Loren just arrived to fix the dinner, and I’ll be heading home soon.”

Lydia seemed accustomed to the conversation, she replied with an understanding smile, . “Drive safely, and give your family my best.”

The woman nodded, and disappeared back down the hall with the gilded cart. Teddy pouring tea for all of them.

“Do you take any sweetener with your tea, Serena?” Teddy asked.

“Only if it’s iced.”

Lydia took her teacup with its silver rim and hand painted floral design. Serena was in awe of the china set.

In hopes of kickstarting a longer conversation, Serena offered the compliment, “This tea set is lovely, Lydia.”

“Oh, you’re a girl after my own heart, Serena. I picked it up in Italy with my late husband Julian. We were actually on our honeymoon. I was about your age, and it was springtime in Rome!” Lydia closed her eyes as she thought of the memory. “It was a beautiful day. I like to tease my Teddy bear here that he should get married and take a nice girl to Rome in the spring. She would live the rest of her life on that happy memory, and that girl would never leave him!”

After almost choking on his tea, Teddy replied sheepishly, “I don’t know if I’m getting married anytime soon, Mother.”

Lydia sighed, “Well, I’m not getting any younger. Maybe you should just marry this southern belle sitting next to me. She seems nice enough, and I like her. What else do you need in a woman?”

Serena’s eyes widened as her heart stopped for a brief moment. She could hardly make eye contact with Teddy, but something inside her wanted to see his reaction. His cheeks were pink again.

“Mother, let’s just talk before you try to set me up with Serena, okay? You have heard of small talk, right? Why don’t you tell her more about England? That time you stole all of the headmistress’s undergarments is a real riot.”

Serena smiled at him, hoping to give him some encouragement when he caught her gaze. Teddy seemed to take the comfort fondly as his mother animatedly launched into narrating her life as the first American to attend this prestigious finishing school during her high school years. Her own mother apparently working in London on the West End and her father traveling in India for business, she’d spent four years terrorizing staff and teaching British girls about what it meant to have s*x. It had been a surprise to everyone when she’d finally received her acceptance letter to Bryn Mawr College.

The whole time Edward sat dutifully by. Serena wondered if he even knew what he was doing. He doted on his mother for the whole hour they sat there, and Serena became an extension of that servitude. He kept all the cups full and handed both women anything they needed. It seemed as if Edward Summerfields was single-handedly trying to keep chivalry alive.

When she left to change for dinner, Edward did his best to show her around the house. There were three stories and several wings, not including the private cellar with the family’s wine collection that spanned a century. He showed her the art his family had collected throughout the generations, and told her about the history of his grandmother planning the house. It was obvious from the story and the end result that she’d been overly eager when it came to the project. Edward’s mother now spent much of her time ensuring the place wasn’t falling to pieces.

He led her to her room and Serena found that her designated space was a confection of pastels that looked out over a pond through its wide window. It was a lot for her eyes to take in. The white lacquered antique furniture gleamed in the sunshine, and the California King bed invited her to take a nap that would last the rest of the day. Fresh peonies sat on her bedside table. Sitting on the bed, she took those massive and fragrant blooms in as Edward admired her.

“I take it you like it?” he asked her somewhat rhetorically.

“The walls are very pink,” Serena told him. “But it is lovely, thank you.”

Eager to show her the ensuite bathroom, Teddy explained to her, “The shower is big enough for two you know.”

“I know what you’re trying to imply,” Serena said with a smile. “That won’t convince me to join you in there.”

He sighed dramatically, and came back into the bedroom, “Maybe some other afternoon we can have a party just for two.”

He laughed, but Serena just rolled her eyes.

“Let me get rested for dinner,” Serena pleaded. “I have oh so many questions to ask your mother.”

“I know she’s your idol. She does too.”

“Really?” Serena’s eyes went wide with horror.

He nodded, “And she loves you for it.”

“Well,” she finally said. “That’s not a bad thing then.”

“Anyway,” Teddy spoke as he looked at the peonies himself. “You should get rested for a work week with me.”

“What? Are we having meals with people to get them to agree to more favorable contracts with the company? Are we taking wine tours and meeting with people who want to suck up to you?”

As he lost his smile, she knew that she was right.

“It can be a lot to do. I can attest to that!”

“I believe you,” Serena said in a soft tone before deciding to add some words of gratitude. “Thank you for having me.”

He kissed her cheek softly, and left her new room. Finally, Teddy replied once he’d disappeared out her doorway.

He called out, “I hope you don’t regret that!”