Bella's POV
The lunch at Jack's estate had been proceeding smoothly on the surface, but beneath the polite conversation, I sensed undercurrents of tension that made me increasingly uncomfortable.
Vance sat beside me like a statue carved from ice, his attention drifting everywhere except the people trying to engage him in conversation. His responses came in clipped, one-word answers that barely qualified as civil. Each time someone directed a question his way, I watched him retreat further into his shell of indifference.
Even more troubling was Lady Norma's unusual behavior. The spirited woman who had regaled us with vivid war stories during our previous visit seemed like a shadow of herself that day. Gone was her infectious enthusiasm and sharp wit. Instead, she picked at her food in silence, offering only brief comments about mundane topics like the weather, her health, or the interview with the child from the day before.
