Chapter 10: The Get-to-Know

Barbara Brown's POV

I was nervous, to say the least when Brad was parking in front of the house, nope it's a mansion, and I was breathing heavily. I don't know if I can pull this off right now when everything was so close to me.

"Oh, one more thing," Brad said before he went to the dashboard that was in front of me and I was trying to not flinch at his nearness with my body.

"Here, for tonight you need it to convince them," he said as he pulled the red box and I saw what it was.

An engagement ring.

Citrine.

My favorite gem.

I turned to look at Brad as I was trying to control my emotion but failed as I smiled at him. He smiled back before he took my hand and slid it on. I looked at it before he got out of the car. I sighed before he opened the door when the big oak door was opening.

"Where is she?!" A feminine voice that called out when I saw the butler was stepping aside to let the mistress and master of the house walk out into the foyer.

Brad's parents.

My future in-laws.

Brad put his hand on my lower back before we were walking toward the couple. They were smiling as I can sense that they have been waiting for some time now for our arrival.

"Mum, Dad, I would like you to meet Barbara Brown, my fiancée," Brad introduced me to his parents as he was putting his hand still on my lower back.

A possessive move.

My stomach churned at the thought.

I smiled at the couple who was in their mid-40s. They looked young rather than old. I thought they were off but nope.

"Hi, Barbara. Nice to meet you,"

"And you two, Mr. and Mrs. Cornwall, as well. Brad never talked about his family that much," I said as I was looking at him. He smiled but he was pinching my back with his hand.

Play nice, he said.

I smiled as I turned to look at the couple. His mum waved her hand dismissively at me.

"Please dear, call me Anne, and maybe in the nearest future Mum. Oh, I can hardly contain myself today. You see I have always wanted a daughter but I cannot conceive after I had Brad," she said as I was smiling at her. Brad groaned.

"Mum, Barbara doesn't need the details," he said as I was chuckling at his discomfort.

"Oh, hush you. I think we will get along pretty well," his mum replied.

"I hope so," I said as Brad linked his hand with me before his dad was talking with his mum into the house. I walked behind them with Brad as I was looking at him.

"Your parents are cool," I said as he arched his eyebrow. He smirked at me.

"Wait till you live with them," he said before I laughed at his snide remark. We went past the living room before we were in the dining room. The table was elegant as it was mahogany and I was seated next to Brad on his right.

His father was at the head of the table and his mother was in front of Brad. I was facing the wall but I think I preferred it this way.

"I hope the journey here was not that exhausting," his dad, James said as he was looking at me. I smiled at him.

"No, sir. It was fine and Brad was driving so I'm okay. I don't think I can say the same for Brad though,"

"Now you should appreciate me more,"

"Don't I already have?" I asked him as I put my hand on his. He did not flinch but he was squeezing my hand in return.

"My, so hot in here," his mother said before she was winking at me. I felt blush in my face.

"Okay, enough chit chat. Where is the food?" His dad asked before the servants were coming into the room and serve us. I was happy that I finally get to eat some decent food. I was happy but I don't know what to say.

"Bon appetite," his father said before they picked their knife and fork. I looked at the table set before I know nothing about table manners.

Shit!

"Here, try this one," Brad whispered at me as he was mentioning to the fork and knife that was suited for the main course right now. I saw there was another spoon for something else and there was another thing on the table that I don't even know why the utensils were so much.

I cleared my throat as I sipped on the wine that was served before Brad and James were talking about his business.

"So, I heard that you will do an excavation in the Bay Area. Have you find everything that you need?" James asked Brad as he nodded before he dabbed his mouth with a napkin. I think he always did that whenever he wanted to talk after eating. Maybe I have to learn this etiquette if I was to be the daughter-in-law of this family.

"What about you dear? You have anything to do this summer? If you're free, we can go—"

"Barbara will be accompanying me to the Bay Area. So I would say that her schedule was pretty tight up," Brad answered for me as I was looking at the steak that I was cutting with the knife.

"Oh? Why would she be there? You will be on the field trip," Anne asked when she was staring at me and her son.

"Well, believe it or not, under this," Brad said as he was pointing at me, "Barbara was a Ph.D. student of the Geology department at NYU. It was nice to know that someone from my old school will be joining me on the field trip," Brad said as he was looking at me. I tried to ignore the blush that was coming onto my face.

"Good golly, you have to get yourself like one of you, huh?" James said as he laughed at his statement. I smiled at him before Brad and Anne joined his laughter.

"Well, what can I say? She was one of a kind, like a precious gem," he said as I looked at him and there was mischief in his eyes, gleaming for me.

I felt like I can't breathe when he looked at me like that.

I cleared my throat before I smiled at them and I was sipping on the wine. I felt the bubbly taste of grapes, sweet and tasty, in the red wine that they served tonight. It went well with the medium-rare steak that I was having.

I don't even know how Brad knows my favorite food.

"Well, I hope that you will come back soon to visit again. Honestly, when it was me and James, I found it very boring," Anne said as I was smiling at her. She was nice and friendly. She reminds me of my mother herself.

"So, is everything in order? When is the wedding date? I wanted to get involved with the process if I could," Anne asked me as I was looking at Brad before he put his hand on my lower back as we were about to leave the premise.

"I cannot say but we will send words when," Brad said as he was looking at me with his caramel eyes. It was unnerving but it sent shivers to me as well.

"You do that. I'm so glad that Brandon finally found someone to tie the knot with. If it were up to me, I will have killed him if he did not find it now," Anne threatened her son before I laughed at her notion. She beamed at me.

"Well, good thing I met him then. I don't want him to be dead because he could not find me," I said as Anne was looking at me with softness in her eyes. I felt something moved at that moment.

"You take care of him in the Bay Area. I think he would see how precious gem you are," Anne said before she kissed my forehead as a mother would. I could not say anything before Brad kissed his mother's cheeks and we went to the car.

"That was nice. They like you," he said as we were inside the car, ready to go home.

"What can I say? I am adored by parents," I said before he looked at me and smirked.

"Of course you do," he said as he sped off from the mansion and en route to my home.