A particularly loud crash came from upstairs, followed by the unmistakable sound of a bedframe slamming against a wall with enough force to shake the chandelier above their table.
Diana let out a scream that was half sob, half delirious moan: "Oh god, yes! Right there, don't stop!"
Theo froze, his eyes bulging. He looked at Elaris, desperate for the matriarch to intervene, to demand silence, to acknowledge the obvious violation of decorum.
But Elaris simply offered him a serene, patient smile. "You're working too hard, dear."
"Your nerves are frayed. Take a breath."
"Frayed?" Theo's voice was almost a whisper now, strangled by anxiety. "I'm not frayed, I'm... I'm hearing things!"
"Can't you hear her? Can't you hear Diana screaming?"
"I hear nothing but the scratching of pens and your own agitated breathing," Elizabeth said flatly, not a single muscle in her face betraying any awareness of the sounds that would have made a lesser person faint.
