Chapter NINE

The snow fell steadily outside the windows of the Cliffside BB kitchen, where Ariel, Darcy, and Jill worked in harmony preparing dinner. The cozy kitchen glowed from the oven and stove tops, a refuge from the blustery winter night outside.

Ariel expertly trimmed beef tenderloin while Darcy chopped mushrooms with focused precision. Jill whisked together ingredients for a béarnaise sauce, the sizzle of the pan punctuating the industrious sounds of dinner preparation. They worked in sync, an assembly line of culinary talent hard at work.

"Pass the tarragon, dear," Ariel said to Jill in her melodic voice. Jill handed Ariel the small jar of dried tarragon, and Ariel sprinkled a pinch over the tenderloin before searing it in a hot cast iron pan. The kitchen filled with the smells of browning meat and simmering sauce.

Darcy scraped the finely diced mushrooms into the pan with the meat, the pieces sizzling as they made contact. "This is going to be the best beef tenderloin ever," he said with a grin.

Jill smiled back at him as she drizzled the velvety béarnaise sauce over grilled asparagus on a serving platter. Ariel slid the tenderloin into the oven, and then came to put the finishing touches on the asparagus dish, sprinkling flakes of sea salt and cracked pepper over the top.

They paused to admire their work, several dishes perfectly plated - edible works of art. The snow continued to fall outside, but inside the warmth of the kitchen, their passion for food brought them comfort and connection. Tonight's dinner was sure to satisfy and delight their guests.

"Quick break. Give them five more minutes to finish their salads, and for that tenderloin to reach temp, and we'll switch courses," Ariel said.

"The porch is covered in snow. Want to go make snowballs?" Darcy asked.

Jill laughed. "Uh, yes!"

"You two go. I'm going to see how Miles is getting along with the pipe insulation."

The pair dashed outside, and Ariel shivered in the gust of cold air from outside as she texted Miles.

Everything ok out there? Dinner's ready, if you're hungry.

His text came back in moments.

House is all good. But the garden irrigation main is fully exposed. It"ll be a little while. Save me dessert.

Arial smiled, vowing to save him multiple desserts. She couldn't wait for the night to settle so she and Miles could have that movie night together and she could fill him in on all the happenings of the day. Darcy and Jill returned, laughing, noses red, and the oven dinged.

Ariel, Darcy, and Jill carried the platters of food into the dining room, where the guests were gathered and seated around the large wooden table, soup and salad courses finished. The flames from the fireplace cast a cozy glow over the room.

Bradford stood up as they entered. "It smells incredible in here. Please, come join us," he said, motioning to the empty seats at the table.

Ariel set the beef tenderloin platter down and paused to take in the scene. She noticed Victoria scowling, while Randall leaned towards her, invading her personal space. Ariel felt a pang of unease ripple through her.

Darcy and Jill began passing the dishes around the table.

"I insist," Bradford said.

Ariel sat down next to Bradford, across from Victoria and Randall. She noticed how Bradford studiously avoided looking in Victoria"s direction. Darcy and Jill took the chairs next to Ariel.

"Thank you all for cooking such a wonderful meal for us," Bradford said, raising his wine glass.

"Of course, we hope you enjoy," Ariel replied, forcing a smile. She glanced around the table at the clashing personalities and complicated relationships on display. Though the dining room was warm and cozy, she felt a chill of tension in the air.

Bradford turned to Ariel and she stammered, "So when"s the big day?"

Bradford shifted in his seat. "We haven"t set a date yet."

"Part of what this weekend was for," Jessica said brightly, as though it made all the sense in the world.

"That"s probably for the best," Victoria said sharply. "I mean, what"s the point? Half of all marriages end in divorce anyway. It"s an archaic institution."

An uncomfortable silence descended on the table. Ariel noticed Randall leering at Victoria, seemingly emboldened by her cynicism.

"Don"t listen to her, mate," Randall slurred. "She's divorced. But I think marriage is brilliant. And you know what they say - happy wife, happy life!" He guffawed loudly.

Victoria shot him a look of pure revulsion. "Ugh, don"t be crass," she snapped. She turned back to Jessica. "I just think you"re too young to tie yourself down. You have your whole entertainment career ahead of you."

Bradford sighed. "I know you mean well, Victoria. But this is what we both want. I"m not getting any younger."

Ariel winced at what was unspoken—neither is Jessica.

"Well, I think it"s foolish," Victoria declared defiantly, gulping more wine.

Ariel watched the heated exchange anxiously. She felt badly for Bradford and Jessica. Victoria seemed intent on ruining the weekend with her cynicism.

Randall, meanwhile, seemed undaunted by Victoria"s disgust. He leaned in close and said, "Don"t worry, you could convince me to feel the same way about marriage. We could have a very...mutually beneficial arrangement."

Victoria shoved him away forcefully. "Ugh, you"re revolting," she spat.

Ariel cringed again. Both sets of parents seemed frozen in embarrassment. Ariel shot Bradford a sympathetic look across the table, hoping to provide some comfort amidst the tension.

Ariel decided it was time to intervene. She caught Bradford"s eye and tilted her head towards the kitchen, silently asking him to step aside. Bradford gave her a small nod in agreement.

"Excuse me for a moment," Ariel said, standing up from the table. She walked around and gently touched Bradford"s shoulder. "Bradford, could I borrow you for a quick second?"

Bradford looked relieved for the interruption. "Of course," he said, rising from his seat.

Ariel led Bradford into the kitchen, away from the bickering guests. Once they were alone, she leaned against the counter and took a deep breath before speaking.

"I"m so sorry about all this," Bradford said first, and earnestly. "I had no idea Victoria would be so...vocally against marriage. I know she means well in her own abrasive way."

"Still, you shouldn"t have to defend your choices to anyone," Ariel said. She hesitated before continuing. "There"s also something I need to tell you..."

Bradford looked at her curiously. "What is it?"

"Well...my daughter"s boyfriend showed up unexpectedly today," Ariel confessed. "I know we"re already at capacity, and you guys booked the whole inn, but I couldn"t exactly turn him away."

She looked at Bradford apprehensively. "I completely understand if you"re upset. The last thing I want is to cause problems for your weekend."

Bradford smiled kindly at her. "Ariel, please don"t worry about it. I would never want you to turn away family. This weekend is about love, and that includes your daughter"s."

Ariel sighed in relief. "Thank you for understanding."

"Of course," Bradford said. "Now, shall we get back out there and pretend to enjoy ourselves?"

Ariel laughed. "Yes, let"s do our best."

They shared a look of amusement before heading back out to rejoin the unpredictable dinner party. Ariel found her apprehension about Bradford loosening just a little. Back in the dining room, the debate still raged.

"Oh good, you"re back," Victoria said flatly as they entered. "Now you can help settle this. All men cheat."

Randall leaned towards her eagerly. "Maybe you just haven"t met the right man yet."

Victoria shot him a withering glare. "Don"t make me pour my wine on you."

Ariel suppressed a smile as she and Bradford took their seats. She caught Jessica"s eye from across the table, giving her a subtle wink. Jessica gave her a watery smile in return.

Outside, the snow swirled in eddies as the wind picked up. They were all snug inside this bubble of warmth, even if tensions ran high. Ariel took a sip of wine, thinking to herself that it was shaping up to be an interesting Valentine"s weekend.

"How is the steak, everyone?"

The dinner progressed with a mix of lively discussion and tense silences. Connie and Carl could have been strangers seated beside each other at an event. Vivienne fussed over every bite Hugo took, much to his visible discomfort. Victoria continued her anti-marriage crusade while Jill and Darcy gazed dreamily into each other"s eyes, oblivious to the drama around them.

Randall persisted in hitting on Victoria, despite her clear disgust. At one point, she threw a bread roll at him, nearly taking out one of his eyes.

"Hey, watch it!" he protested. "I was just being friendly."

"Well, stop it," Victoria snapped. "Your "friendliness" gives me the creeps."

Randall, unfazed by Victoria"s hostility, leaned in closer, a smirk playing on his lips. "Oh, come on, Vicky. You know you like it," he slurred, his breath heavy with the scent of wine.

That was the last straw for Victoria. She stood abruptly, her chair scraping back loudly against the floor. "You"re disgusting, Randall," she hissed. Without another word, she picked up her glass of red wine and unceremoniously dumped it over Randall"s head.

The wine cascaded down Randall"s face and shirt, leaving crimson stains in its wake. The entire table fell into stunned silence, mouths agape at the sudden eruption of chaos.

Randall sat there, drenched and spluttering, his expression a mixture of shock and anger. "You crazy—"

"Enough!" Jessica interjected, standing up and raising her hands for calm. "This is completely inappropriate!"

Bradford, also standing, tried to mediate. "Let"s all just take a breath here. Victoria, I think you should—"

But Victoria was already storming out of the room, her heels clicking furiously against the wooden floor. Randall, dripping with wine, stood up and staggered after her, shouting obscenities.

One by one, the other guests began to excuse themselves, the mood irreparably soured. Connie and Carl left in a huff, followed by Vivienne, who was dragging a reluctant Hugo behind her. Jessica, looking distressed, followed Bradford out of the room, whispering apologies to Ariel.

Soon, the once lively dining room was silent, save for the crackling of the fireplace. Ariel, Darcy, and Jill were left standing amidst the remains of the chaotic dinner. The uneaten beef tenderloin sat forlornly on the table, surrounded by half-filled glasses and crumpled napkins.

Jill let out a long sigh. "Well, that escalated quickly."

Darcy shook his head, disbelief etched on his face. "What a disaster. I"ve never seen anything like it."

Ariel, feeling a mixture of exhaustion and disappointment, began to clear the table. "Let"s clean this up. I"m sure everyone will be calmer in the morning."

As they worked together, the storm outside seemed to mirror the tumult of the evening. Ariel thought about the movie night she had planned with Miles, now overshadowed by the evening"s events. If the rest of the weekend went like this, it could be terrible—not just for the guests, but also for her business. What if they have such a bad time they left a bad review? What if everyone wanted to leave?

Just as Ariel was about to stand and attempt to clean, the dining room door swung open, revealing Miles, snow-dusted and grinning. He looked around at their tense faces, the half-eaten meals, and the palpable air of drama.

"What"d I miss?" he asked, his voice filled with a comical bewilderment that only added to the absurdity of the situation.