I took the opportunity to study the table and noticed an almost too well put together Abri staring our direction. I smiled softly as if I was unaware she was secretly seething inside before turning back Imogen’s way.
“What brings you to Cape Town?” I asked her.
“Simon does,” she said, laughing. “We attended graduate school at Oxford together.”
“Really?” I asked, leaning her direction more, her shoulders relaxed another inch. “How did you meet?”
“In our Stochastic Analysis class,” she said before looking at Simon.
“Goddard!” they said in unison before breaking into laughter.
It died quickly when Abri cleared her throat before taking a sip of her own water.
“Fascinating,” I said, turning toward Ian. “You never told me Simon went to Oxford.”
“Simon went to Oxford, Sophie.”
I rolled my eyes. The table seemed to be getting more comfortable by the moment. Imogen’s shoulders were almost completely at ease and Ian placed his arm on the back of my chair. Henrik and the four of us continued with our conversation until the waiter took our drink orders.
“We’ll have four glasses of your best red,” Abri ordered.
“Oh, just bring the bottle,” Henrik said.
Abri’s hand rested on her husband’s. “Henrik,” she said, tossing her eyes my direction.
Imogen looked at me, but I just rolled my eyes and shook my head. She nodded in understanding.
Henrik narrowed his gaze at his wife then back at the waiter. “Bring the bottle,” he said, handing him the wine menu.
When the waiter walked away, Abri sat up in her chair. “Why don’t you just come out with it, Simon?”
The entire table got quiet.
Simon cleared his throat and took Imogen’s hand underneath the table. “All right. Mom? Dad? Imogen and I are going to be wed.”
I knew it! This news made me giddy inside. I narrowly escaped my own beheading though when Ian stayed me with a hand to my shoulder, preventing me from shouting the congratulations balanced at the tip of my tongue.
Abri quietly lifted her napkin from her lap and laid it across her plate. I guessed correctly that was a bad sign.
“And you thought bringing me here would be the perfect venue for such an announcement?”
Simon sank in his chair, running a hand over his face. “This is hardly the end of the world, Mother. Most people rejoice when their children announce their engagement.”
Abri leaned in closer toward him, balancing herself over the table. “We are not most people,” she gritted between teeth.
“Lovely impression you’re giving our Sophie.”
I subtly shook my head at him. A silent Don’t bring me into this!
“Maybe I should go,” I said, when Abri’s chilling stare sank through me.
I made an attempt to get up, but she locked me in place with a single look.
“No, it would be blasted all over the papers tomorrow if you left our table before we’d even gotten our wine.”
“What?” I asked.
“You seem to be under a mistaken impression. Look around you, Miss Price. There are two paparazzi waiting by the valet as well as a Cape Times journalist in the main dining hall.”