Both the quality and price were more than double what Sebastian Lockwood had initially picked out. In short, everything had to be respectable; there was absolutely no room for a breach of etiquette.
Time was tight, and Julian Chambers was worried something would go wrong.
She went ahead to check the private room and finalize the menu.
"Is there a happy occasion for you, Mrs. Lockwood?" the manager asked with a smile.
"It's nothing much, just treating some friends to a meal."
Julian Chambers didn't elaborate. If word got out, she knew it would cause a huge uproar. Jane Spencer and her daughter were already figures of intense public debate.
It would keep the kids from being able to date in peace and quiet.
"Is there anything else you need us to prepare for the private room?"
"Just decorate it a little. Make it festive and lively, but don't go over the top."
"I understand."
...
