#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!”

a hand through his hair, rueful. “Face it, Evelyn. He outsmarted me. He slipped something in my drink to give himself the advantage, and

over, eventually nodding and conceding the point. “Okay,” she says, “I get it.” Then she narrows her eyes, looking around the house. “But I’ll beat him to a pulp for

laughs a little, charmed at the mental of image of Evelyn beating his brother soundly with her little fists. “Thanks for the offer,” he says. “But I think I’ve already got

living room, indicating the two boys still talking quietly with their grandfather. Evelyn raises her

two parents stand together, considering the already-formidable force that

Victor says, his voice

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

about them,” she says, running her teeth along her lower lip. “They have significant gifts, Victor, but I’m not sure that guarantees them happiness in life. With such

he puts a hand on Evelyn’s back. “We’ll just have to do the best

totters into the room. She comes over to stand with

you guys doing?” Bridgette says, confused at the quiet in the

bright smile. No

on her stomach, which is still flat as a pancake. “I

other part knows that Bridgette’s pregnancy is threatening

towards Bridgette. Sensing that this talk might be better left to the women alone, Victor quietly moves away, sliding his hand down

says, looking at Evelyn

little, liking this girl’s blank innocence more than she

“Oh, no. I actually feel totally

or changes in the way that

it like, way too early for that? I’m only like two weeks

in confusion. “Is that

blinking again at Evelyn. Then she laughs. “Oh, 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

“Um, sure…” she says, awkwardly. “But are

to have one glass of wine

was pregnant, my doctor told me that it might be a good idea to wait until my 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 cheery tone as she says this, trying to keep the conversation

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