Chapter Three
Meeting
When he entered the lodge, Lucien noticed that his father had taken the overstuffed chair closest to the fireplace. Instead of taking another chair, his mother sat on the cold hearth, right next to her husband, drawing up her legs and wrapping her arms around them. Mattox leaned with his arms crossed in the doorway leading to the kitchen and rear bedrooms. And had chosen to park herself on the iron staircase that spiraled up to the overhead bedroom. Seeing that all the good places were already taken, he went over to stand behind his father and rest against the chair’s tall, padded back. barely glanced at him. There were only a handful of people the battle lord would allow to take that position, and his family made for four of them.
The noise inside the lodge was
