#Chapter 117 – Panic

Evelyn creeps up silently behind Victor and he jumps as she pulls on his sleeve. Silently, she puts her finger to her lips and nods her head back to the kitchen, indicating that he should come with her. He nods and follows.

“What’s going on with those three?” she whispers, curious. “They wanted to have their dinner with him. It’s weird.”

“What’s weird about that?” He asks, frowning. “They want to have dinner with their grandfather. He’s nice to them.”

She laughs a little, shaking her head and looking in at them again. “Clever man, sucking up to the heirs.”

Victor shrugs, his face going a bit dark. “Perhaps not the heirs, if I don’t pass this next trial.”

“You will,” she says, looking up at him with faith in her eyes. She shakes her head a little. “Yesterday…something was wrong. I can’t put my finger on it.”

“The boys figured it out before I did,” he says ruefully, glancing over at them.

Evelyn frowns and c***s her head to the side, inquisitive.

“I just heard them asking him for a cup of that tea Rafe made us,” he says, putting his hands in his pockets ruefully. “But they said they wanted a cup of his tea, not my tea. Because they smelled different.”

Evelyn’s eyes go wide, her mouth shaping into a little O as she figures it out. “Oh my god, Victor,” she says, a little breathless with disbelief. “He cheated – you have to have a rematch! –“

She begins to move towards the living room, about to demand just that, but Victor grabs her by the arm.

“No, Evelyn” he says quietly, looking around to make sure no one is overhearing them. “In other tests, sure, cheating would be discouraged. But one of intelligence and tactics? Honestly, it’s something which I think my father would respect – which I frankly respect.”

She frowns up at him, not understanding.

“Think about it,” he says. “Rafe knows I can beat him at chess any day – I’ve been running circles around him intellectually since we were kids. He knows he can’t beat me, so, he changes the field. He brings me a cup of tea that he prepares outside the room to drink before the game – he gives it to me in front of everyone! And I’m dumb enough to drink it!”

through his hair, rueful. “Face it, Evelyn. He outsmarted me. He slipped

and conceding the point. “Okay,” she says, “I get it.” Then she narrows her eyes, looking around

at the mental of image of Evelyn beating his brother soundly with her little fists.

with their grandfather. Evelyn raises her eyebrows,

considering the already-formidable force that is

Evelyn” Victor

understands completely what he means. If this is what they’re like as

“They have significant gifts, Victor, but I’m not sure that

he puts a hand on Evelyn’s back. “We’ll just

Evelyn look into the living room, considering their children’s future, Bridgette totters into the room. She comes over

you guys doing?” Bridgette says, confused

about the kids,” Evelyn says, putting on a bright smile. No reason Bridgette needs to know all the

and placing a hand on her stomach, which is still

other part knows that Bridgette’s pregnancy is

you doing with all of that?” she says, turning towards Bridgette. Sensing that this talk might be better left to the women alone, Victor quietly

what?” Bridgette says, looking at Evelyn and

liking this girl’s blank innocence more than she probably should. “Your pregnancy, Bridgette. Are you sick

“Oh, no. I

hunger? No cravings or changes in the way that your

“Isn’t it like, way too early

nose in confusion. “Is that what the doctor told

I haven’t been to a doctor. No, I mean it’s been two weeks since I took the pregnancy test!” She flips her hair back, “Hey, do you

awkwardly. “But are you sure

have one glass of wine when

third trimester to have a glass of wine. You know. Wait until the baby is fully baked before you indulge a little.” Evelyn adopts a

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