Affected Manners

Eric might not be easily swayed, but Rachel was confident that with time and the right tactics, she could gradually make him grow tired of Ella. Eventually, she believed, his attention would be focused solely on her.

Amelia walked over to Ella. "What happened? How did you get hurt all of a sudden?"

Ella shrugged, clearly exasperated. "I don't know either. I was just peeling an apple, and she came over to talk to me. Somehow, she managed to bump into my knife."

Ella stated the facts plainly, and Amelia shot a cold glance at Rachel. "Rachel, are you blind or something? She's over here peeling an apple, and you just walk right into her knife?"

Rachel lifted her tear-streaked face, stealing a glance at Eric, who was staring at her intently. She quickly averted her eyes in feigned embarrassment.

"Amelia… it wasn't that I walked into the knife. It was an accident—Ella accidentally nicked me!"