--
Later that day, Eleanor announced a family dinner in honor of her visit. The dining table was set lavishly, with crystal glasses and silver candlesticks. Sophie felt out of place but tried to blend in.
Ava and Theo, however, had other plans.
"You have to sit next to Uncle Lucien!" Ava declared, dragging Sophie toward the table.
"That's not necessary," Sophie said quickly, trying to resist.
"Yes, it is!" Theo chimed in, pulling out the chair beside Lucien.
Lucien, who was already seated, raised an eyebrow but said nothing as the children pushed Sophie into the chair. She sat stiffly, acutely aware of how close they were.
As the meal began, Theo "accidentally" spilled his juice, and Ava kept dropping her utensils, both incidents requiring Lucien and Sophie to lean closer to deal with the chaos.
"You two make a good team," Eleanor said with a sly smile, watching the scene unfold.
Sophie blushed, but Lucien remained unfazed.
After dinner, as Sophie excused herself to go to her room, she overheard Mrs. Marinda and Genevieve talking in hushed tones.
"She's uncomfortable," Genevieve said. "That means she's hiding something."
Mrs. Marinda nodded. "We'll see how she handles tomorrow."