The Knight's Mysterious Maid-Chapter 317: Family dinner (3)

"There you are," Celeste said, going straight to where Rafael sat. "Why isn’t anyone greeting me? Did you forget that you invited me over for food?" She asked since the house had gone silent upon her arrival.

"How could we forget grandmother? Your timing just surprised us. I am happy to see you joining us tonight. Rafael, this is my grandmother, Celeste Woods," Annalise said, getting up to greet her grandmother with a hug.

Dinner was always fun when Celeste came around.

Rafael stood up with Annalise to greet Celeste. "It is nice to meet you. I am Rafael Callahan," he said, extending his hand to her for a handshake.

Celeste stared at Rafael’s hand. "It appears that this family will continue to have tall men in it. Don’t greet me with a handshake. Greet me with a hug. I have a bit of a connection with your family. First Iris and now Annalise," she said, walking toward Rafael.

Celeste hugged Rafale for the purpose of trying to determine if he was a negative or a positive person. She was talented at telling what person might bring happiness and those that would drain you. It was why she stayed in her house when she saw someone walking her way.

"He’s a good one though I sense a bit of death around you, but that wouldn’t make you any different than Phillip. Sit down so we can talk," Celeste said, stepping away from him to go to her seat at the head of the table. "I have been waiting many years to hear more about Nicolas and Iris. Little did I know that I would hear about my old friend this way."

Celeste believed it was all nature’s doing that Annalise and Rafael had come together. Putting a different ending to Nicolas and Iris’s story. Their romance had the potential to put an end to the war and make life better for couples with one person from each side.

Celeste wished there had been a way for Nicolas to be here to spend Iris’s last days with her. As the wife of a former leader, she could not bring that change to have Nicolas welcomed here.

Celeste thought of how happy Iris might have been to see a knight sitting here with them. A knight with the last name Callahan.

"Do you have any memories of Iris?" Celeste asked, hoping he had some he could share with her later. For once, she wanted to be the one hearing about Iris so she could close her eyes and imagine the things her friend did.

"I was young when she was around so there are only a few. I remember her being interested in medicine. Going out to pick things she thought was good for my grandfather’s health," Rafael answered. "He didn’t like drinking them, but he wouldn’t turn away what she created." freёweɓnovel.com

Celeste smiled, remembering how Iris would make her join in collecting things and having to taste the medicine Iris tried to create when they were younger. Many times it ended with one of them getting sick. "That is like her. You Callahan men just can’t stay away from the women important to me," she said.

"I am going to give Rafael the box so he can protect it. He can take it to his father to share the memories. I think it is better in hands than mine," said Annalise.

Celeste didn’t mind since the box would still be in Annalise’s hands either way. Eventually, Woods would change to Callahan and the box would be passed down to the people meant to have it. Celeste had done her part in keeping the box for the person meant to have it.

"I heard that you were wounded by my son. I apologise on his behalf. I have always said that Phillip is quick to lose his mind when it comes to Annalise. I must admit that I am the same way. Although I see you as someone important, this is still my granddaugther. I have my ways of tormenting you should something go wrong," Celeste said, getting her threat out of the way.

Nature happened to like her so there would be a way to get him injured to the point he wouldn’t be sitting around at a table right after.

"You can come talk to me whenever you want to. I am just up the hill away from everyone else. We can talk about Annalise, your grandfather, or just life in general. I don’t mind guests as long as you do not annoy me. I’m too old to be bothered by foolish things," said Celeste.

"I will keep that in mind," Rafael replied. So far, he liked Celeste. She was similar to Celine in welcoming him to the family and there was the fact that Iris would have told her stories about Nicolas.

Rafael would like to hear what Celeste knew about Nicolas so he could share the stories with his father.

"Stop sitting around talking to women and make yourself useful. Help put the food on the table or the plates. Or do you find that to be hard since you have servants at home? Like my daughter was," Phillip said, putting down an empty glass in front of Rafael with a bit of force.

"His family wasn’t always a rich father. We shouldn’t pick fights at dinner," Annalise said, tapping her fingers on the wooden table. Dinner wasn’t ready yet and it was already turning sour. "Play nice."

"I am. I asked him nicely to help us," Phillip replied, moving to the next chair to carefully put down another glass.

Annalise stood up to join her father in preparing the table. "Our guests shouldn’t have to help set the table. I will do it. I’ve had good practice in his manor."

"As a guest, I am not getting up," Celeste declared, motioning with her hands for Rafael to remain seated when he started to get up. "I still have more I want to talk to you about."

"We don’t need any more help setting up the table. You should sit back down too Annalise," Celine said, as she brought the first dish to the table. "Rafael will feel comfortable with you at the table."

Instead of sitting back down in her seat, Annalise walked around the table to where Rafael sat to sit in the chair beside him. Before she could reach the chair, Phillip pulled it from her reach.

"This is my seat. Go back to the one you have already picked," Phillip said, pushing the chair away from her.

Annalise’s lips twitched because of her father’s actions. "You realise there are other chairs I can use to sit beside him right? Why would you want to sit there when you do not like him? Just let me sit there," she said, turning around to pick up the empty chair she passed.

"I’m sitting there to get to know him while we eat. Stay over there so you can sit with your mother," Phillip said, pointing to Annalise’s seat.

"Phillip, why are you being so difficult?" Celeste asked, stepping in to save the day. " Don’t you have something better to do than get in between two lovers? I remember there was a time you used to sneak around to see Celine. Spent nights with her outside and I didn’t bother you. You had Celine pregnant close to Annalise’s age."

"Mother, now is not the time for you to get involved," Phillip said, disliking the way this turned on him.

"Don’t get in their way. You can’t stop now what is forming between them," said Celeste.

Phillip looked down at the source of his problems. "Am I in your way, Rafael?" He asked Rafael.

Rafael looked down at the table. Why was he pulled into this? What did Pillip think was going to happen with Annalise sitting right there?

To solve the problem, Rafael stood up, walked over to where Annalise was being told to sit and sat down on the empty chair to the left of her. Rafael looked up at Phillip, not minding the look he was receiving.

"Ha!" Annalise exclaimed, sticking out her tongue at her father.