"Lyra, leave the poor children alone," the Dowager Duchess Elena said, her voice full of a warm, amused authority that immediately calmed the room. She turned to the couple, her eyes twinkling. "Thank you both for coming home. Now, let us all eat. Please, sit."
Eric and Delia smiled, the momentary tension from Lyra's questions dissolving. As Delia want to settle into her chair, Eric reached over and pulled it, making a loud scraping noise on the marble floor as he dragged it much closer to his own.
The sudden, loud noise caught the attention of everyone at the table. Everyone including Delia looked at him.
"She was too far away," Eric explained, a perfectly innocent expression on his face. "I needed her to be closer so that I could pass the dishes to her more easily."
Amber, sitting across from them, let out a knowing grin. "Indeed, brother. To pass the dishes. Of course."
Eric replied playfully, a challenge in his eyes. "What is it, Amber? Do you have something to say?"
