ell silent the mo

dark mahogany table that could seat thirty. Th

n sat to its right, his attention buried in official-looking

Lucas, a woman with a perpetually pinched expression. Beside her, Lady R

fifteen, stared down at his plate with a sullen expression. Jasper, a year younger, watched everything wit

It was like walking

lm. She moved to the empty chair beside Dyla

her tea. The si

the table, a pained grimace flashing across his face. She noticed his riding boots. T

tight? If they cut off your circulation, it wil

e. He hadn't expected her to speak to h

flicker of something-curiosity, perhap

aw," she sneered. "You have a keen eye. One might think we'

in, approving smile. Kaelan

Dylan's son, which makes him my son now. Is it so improper for a mother to be concerned about her child's well-being?" She paused, then shift

turned their attack into a question of family values, forcing the

and Rosalind we

ing with a crisp, deliberate motion and looked at Kaelan. "If the bo

able, but his words were a clear v

h fury, but she dared not argu

ella's direction. The wall of his resentment had its first small crack.

an to ease, the dining

of Mrs. Gable. Her sharp eyes swept across the table in a single, a

face, and her lips thinned. A higher