My Prince Of Edinburgh's

Chapter 40. Dinner With Portia.

Dara prepared her courage and mentality to meet a woman named Portia Johanssen that night. He is picked up by Nicholas and taken to their mansion which certainly looks like a palace. Geez-nothing, Dara felt she was so small upon entering the Johanssen family's stunning residence.

Who he was to get to know the son of a prominent family in Edinburgh. All cannot escape the madness of Nicholas. If you can choose, maybe at that time Dara did not need to worry about his bike that hit Nicholas' car.

"Mama is waiting for you in the dining room" said Nicholas, increasingly making Dara hot cold. "Come on." The young man clasped his hands through a long corridor adorned with red carpets. On the left right are paintings on the wall that seem to be the work of famous painters, Dara guesses.

"Will your father come to dinner?" ask Dara to make sure. He was really anxious if he had to face both of Nicholas' parents, even though he had never met before.

"Oh, no. Just mom. My father lived in a different mansion. I don't know why my parents chose to stay apart. It's their deal and I don't want to interfere" said Nicholas.

Dara was a little relieved. Unknowingly he clenched his hand at Nicholas, making the young man smile happily as he glanced at him.

They arrived at a spacious room with a rectangular dining table consisting of eight chairs. Two chairs each on the short side of the table. And on one of those chairs sat a middle-aged woman in a blue dress. Dara believes she is Mrs Johanssen. The girl hurriedly pulled her hand from Nicholas' grasp as the woman glanced towards his hand.

"S-good evening, Madam," Dara said with a thumping chest, making her voice tremble slightly.

The woman gave a fleeting smile to Dara, then turned her gaze towards Nicholas. "Nic, I'll have dinner alone with ... What's his name? Dara, right?"

"What?" Nicholas surprised. He didn't know he wasn't going to join dinner. Dara was no less surprised. So, he would be alone with that woman. His entire body seemed to be now sweating cold sweat.

"Yes. You heard me, Nic," said Portia.

"Why is that, Mama?" nicholas Protest.

"You just go have fun. I'll call you when dinner's over."

Nicholas exhaled a rough breath. But he can't do much. He understood, right now Dara must be so tense. He touched the girl's shoulder and stroked her. "I'll be around here" he said, convincing Dara to stay calm.

Dara nodded slowly. After Nicholas died, Dara was welcome to sit on the chair on the other short side of the long table. Then, some waiters came with a menu of food.

"Please" said Portia from the other end.

Dara swallows saliva. Not because he was tempted by the strange food in front of him, but he was confused by the manners of eating nobles. He was afraid to make mistakes, and made a bad impression in front of Nicholas' mother. Because, although beautiful and elegant, Dara still feels faced with Cruella in the film Dalmatian 101. Horrifically.

"I heard you're from Southeast Asia?" Portia started the conversation.

"Yes, Madam." Dara who was still struggling with her cutlery gasped.

"How did you get into the University of Edinburgh?"

"Through a scholarship from the government, ma'am."

"Hmmm ... and how do you finance your life here?"

Dara felt that the meat she was chewing was so difficult to pass through her throat. Carefully he grabbed a glass of water and sipped it. "I work part-time, Madam."

"Oh, what's your job?"

"I work at the flower shop, ma'am."

Dara glanced at the haughty-looking woman. He was not happy with his answer. Or whatever he's thinking. What was clear, Dara was sure, her first impression in the woman's eyes, was bad.

"What do your parents do?" ask Portia later.

This is no ordinary dinner. The woman was scraping through Dara's background, which was definitely not worth the Johanssen family a piece of stuff.

"Emmm ... my father .. he ...." Shit, Maki Dara in the heart. He had not seen his father since he was in Junior High. His father's job used to be odd. While the mother, who has built a new family, is an ordinary housewife.

"My parents are divorced. I used to live with my grandmother. We sell snacks. But, now .. my grandmother is dead." Dara looked at the woman. Of course he seems unhappy with his story.

"It's sad for your life" Portia murmured.

"How can a girl like you know my son?"

Here comes the interrogation begins. Dara really felt so discouraged by the woman. However, it was a fact, he was so small in the middle of this Johanssen family. He was angry at Nicholas who had been presumptuous to force come in his life. Though he had fortified himself to not have any taste in the young man.

"Oh, so." Portia chimed in on Dara's story about the beginning of her encounter with Nicholas until they were close enough now.

"I don't know my son's taste .. hmm ...." Portia chuckled faintly. "Well, Nicholas is a little unruly. He always does as he pleases. I can't ban all his desires constantly. Because, the more I forbid it, the more reckless he gets."

Dara was stunned by the woman's words. But it seems like it is not finished. While finishing the piece of meat on his plate, he waited for the woman to continue her words.

"But I memorized my son's character. He gets bored quickly. I don't want to, if he gets tired of you, you're gonna sue him. He's been in touch with a lot of girls. Even with girls far more than you."

"In the end, he dumped the girls."

"In Nicholas flows the blood of pure nobility. The Johanssen family has inherited most of Edinburgh. I think Nicholas deserves to have fun, before he's with a woman who's worth our family."

"I'm sorry if I offended you. But, it's been our family's tradition for a long time."

Dara swallowed her saliva back with great difficulty. To be honest he did not bother much if the woman refused his presence. After all, his feelings for Nicholas were still in doubt.

"I'm just friends with Nicholas, Madam," said Dara.

"Thank God. I'm glad to hear that. I just wanted to warn you before I'm done."

Dara took a deep breath. That dinner really made him suffer. He wanted to quickly finish and leave this palace. If necessary, don't see or know Nicholas anymore. Back to his life when he first came to Edinburgh, before getting to know the young man.

"Hey, are you done? How's dinner going?" Nicholas pursues Dara's steps through the corridor that connects the dining room with the living room.

"I want to go home" replied Dara. "No need to drive me."

"You kidding? This mansion is far from the highway. Wait a minute, I asked you how the dinner was. Why didn't you answer it? Did my mom treat you badly?"

"Oh, no. Your mother is good" said Dara ironically. "He's a very realistic person."

Nicholas thunts. He did not understand the direction of Dara's conversation. However, it seemed that the girl did not feel depressed after spending time with her mother for an hour.

"Nic, who are you carrying?"

The voice of a man made Dara and Nicholas turn their heads. A man had just appeared from behind the main door. He was handsome and at first glance similar to Nicholas.

"Hey, Thomas," said Nicholas, smiling broadly. The two men hugged each other while patting each other on the back.

"How are you, Big Bro?" nicholas asked as he gently slapped the arm of the man he called Thomas.

"As you can see. Hey, you don't want to introduce me to this pretty girl?" thomas said as he looked towards Dara.

"Ah, Dara, this is Thomas, my first brother. Thomas, this is Dara, my boyfriend."

"Ow, girlfriend? Wow, cool, Lil Bro," Thomas reached out to Dara, then patted the girl on the back. "

"Hi," said Dara while commenting on a thin smile. He thought, This Nicholas is too confident to introduce him as a girlfriend to everyone.

"Okay, I won't bother you. I have to meet Portia. Does he exist?" ask Thomas.

"I think he's in his room."

Thomas nodded. Then he glanced at Nicholas as he said, "Have fun." He chuckled as he passed leaving Nicholas and Dara.

***