Chapter 92: Hawthorne Family Dinner II
"Annalise!" Horace immediately said in distaste, but it wasn’t before Amelia shot Annalise a scathing look. "What do you think you’re doing?"
"Dad, Emmeline has always been on your left," Annalise argued, and as she spoke, she reached down, ready to pry Amelia off the chair if she didn’t move. "I am just making sure that the newcomers are aware of the lessons you’ve drilled into us from day one."
Before Annalise could even touch Amelia, her hand was swatted off by Horace’s walking stick. He glared sternly at Annalise just as Matteo placed a hand on Amelia’s, glowering in the same manner. With both men staring her down, Annalise felt the hairs at the back of her neck stand.
However, she had no choice but to stand her ground. Her daughter... her poor daughter...
Annalise turned to look at Emmeline, whose eyes were already watering. She then looked at her mother and grandfather, before her gaze finally landed on Matteo. Slowly, she shook her head. Teardrops fell from her eyes, glistening like the diamonds that hung on her ears as they slid down her cheeks.
"It’s alright, Mama," Emmeline said, her voice quivering a little as she tried to put on a strong, brave front. "If Amelia wishes to sit there, then she can. I don’t mind sacrificing the seat and making do with the other end of the table if that’s what she wants."
"Of course not!" Annalise snapped. "No daughter of mine will be expelled to the end of the table―"
"Sacrifice?" Matteo echoed with a scoff. "Expelled? Those are rather big words, don’t you think?"
He got up and helped to push Amelia’s seat back in again before sitting back down, raising a hand to tenderly neaten Amelia’s hair. He looked dotingly at her, and just as intensely, glared at Emmeline and Annalise as though he wanted nothing more than to send them into the pits of Tartarus.