Separate Weddings, Separate Lives novel Chapter 43

How awkward.

"Mrs. Holten, how old are you? Do you still need a pacifier?" Elijah asked, not shying away from humiliating her further.

Louisa had already been sweating due to the spicy taste of the lobster. After Elijah's brazen mockery, a thin layer of sweat had formed over her nose, making it shine under the lights.

"No. The sauce is where the taste of the lobster really shines through," Louisa said. It was the truth, after all.

The best part about eating lobster was getting to eat a big bite of lobster flesh and then sucking the sauce off her fingers afterward.

Elijah looked at her panicked expression and kept going. "So you're still a thumb-sucker, and a stubborn one too."

Louisa didn't want to eat anymore after that.

She was done. She decided to stop eating.

She took her gloves off and had just put them down when Elijah picked up the pair next to him and began de-shelling a chunk of lobster. Once he was done, he reached across the table and shoved it into her mouth.

Louisa stared at him with wide eyes, but all he did was begin peeling another piece of lobster. As he de-shelled it, he sighed helplessly and said, "Everyone told me 'happy wife, happy life,' but it's so hard to keep one happy."

Louisa wasn't that hard to keep happy!

"Whatever," she thought to herself. "I'll let him have it. I don't want to argue."

Louisa stopped peeling lobster chunks, but eventually, the plate full of red, shiny lobster chunks became succulent white pieces of lobster flesh that were fed directly to her.

She didn't dare to turn down the chunks of lobster that the mighty Mr. Holten peeled for her. Who knew if that would be added to her list of crimes?

Louisa was rather shy after Elijah's continuous feeding and decided to say something flattering. "I didn't know you could deshell lobsters."

"Happy wife, happy life. I decided to learn," he said. He seemed pretty comfortable with calling her his wife. Besides, what was he trying to say?

Had he always known she would become his wife?

He hadn't said no.

Louisa looked down. The image of Letitia's injury flashed into her mind. "If I told you it had nothing to do with me, would you believe me?"

The atmosphere was silent. All she heard was the relaxing music playing over the restaurant's speakers. Elijah's silence was his answer.

Louisa wasn't sad or surprised. Instead, she felt even more relaxed now that she knew why he married her. "Actually, there are plenty of ways to get revenge on me. You don't have to marry me to do it."

Elijah's fingers were starting to turn pale from how hard he was wiping them. He tossed the napkin away. It was a quick, light movement, but it made Louisa's heart clench nervously.

"Why do you think I'm doing it, then?" he asked. His voice was nonchalant, but his gaze was sharp.

Louisa wasn't afraid because she knew she had nothing to hide. She shook her head gently. A lock of hair tumbled onto her shoulder from the movement, so she tucked it behind her ear, exposing the mole on her earlobe.

"I don't know what you're trying to do, but I won't let anyone blame me for something I didn't do."