The air in the dinning room was incredibly thick with tension. The only sounds were the loud ticking of the grand clock in the corner and the sharp clinking of silverware against fine china.
Delaney sat quietly on one side of the long table. It had been so long she sat at the table since her parents death. Her posture was perfectly straight, her hands moving gracefully as she cut her roasted meat. She looked exactly like a proper, obedient young lady.
At the head of the table sat Cole Kingsley. His face was pale, and dark circles rested heavily beneath his eyes. He looked like a man who was carrying a massive, crushing weight on his shoulders. He pushed his food around his plate, his appetite ruined by his own greed and the constant fear of Lord Hawksley.
Opposite Delaney sat Aunt Eunice.
