Drake had wondered if the eight tiers of Matilda’s pink dress would fit into the chair and underneath the table, and was mildly surprised when she easily slid into her chair without batting an eye. Melody, Ravi, the Prof, and Sarah took their places to the left of Matilda’s seat, while Janie, Jordan, Amanda, and Treena were seated on her right side. Drake’s feet ached, being on them too long, so he leaned against the wall for support.
“Stand straight!” Matilda snapped. “I’ll not have my slaves disrespect their station.”
Drake stood erect once more. “Yes, Mistress Matilda, ma’am.” He eyed the shiny silver knife by her plate and imagined it elsewhere. Sarah cleared her throat. “When shall we have our next chess game, Father?”
“Oh, so you feel confident enough for another game, do you?” An
