---
Before he could say anything more, a knock sounded at the door.
The interruption hit both of them strangely, like ordinary time rudely remembering it still existed.
Sekhmet straightened slightly. "Come in."
A maid stepped inside with a tray at first, then paused when she sensed the thickness in the room and wisely decided the tray mattered less than the message.
"Young Master, Lady Lily," she said with a bow. "It is already lunch time."
Lily blinked once as if she had forgotten time was still moving.
The maid continued, "Lady Elena asked that Lady Lily come down when possible for lunch."
Of course Elena had. Elena probably measured emotional conversations by the hour and made sure no one starved while collapsing under ancestral revelations.
Sekhmet looked at Lily. "Go have lunch."
Lily frowned immediately. "That sounds like a dismissal."
"It is practical." He nodded toward the door. "Elena called for you. And I need a little time."
