The woman nodded, the white hair clipped close to her head not moving at all. “And how about you, dear?” she asked me.

I glanced between Trent and the woman. “What’s the usual?”

“Four eggs over easy and three slices of rye toast done on one side.”

I felt myself blanch. “That’s eating light?” I said before I could stop my mouth.

Trent arranged his jammies’ collar, peeking from behind his robe. “High metabolism.”

My thoughts went back to how he and Ceri never seemed to get cold. The temperature of the river, too, hadn’t affected him. “Um,” I said as I realized she was still waiting. “The toast sounds good, but I’ll pass on the eggs.”

Eyebrows high, Trent took a sip of his tea, eyeing me over the rim. “That’s right,” he said, his voice unaccusing. “You don’t tolerate them well. Maggie, let’s go with waffles.”

Shocked, I leaned back in my chair. “How did you …”

Trent shrugged, looking good in his bathrobe and bare feet. He had nice feet. “You don’t think I know your medical history?”

My wonder died as I recalled Faris dead on his office floor. What in hell was I doing here eating dinner with him? “Waffles would be great.”

“Unless you’d like something more traditional for dinner. Chinese doesn’t take long. Would you rather have that? Maggie makes fabulous wontons.”

I shook my head. “Waffles sound good.”

Maggie smiled, turning to putter back into the kitchen. “Won’t be but a moment.”

I put my napkin in my lap, wondering how much of this let’s-be-nice-to-Rachel scene was because Ellasbeth was in the next room listening and Trent wanted to hurt her for accusing him of cheating. Deciding I didn’t care, I put my elbows on the table and took a sip of the best coffee I’d ever tasted. Eyes closing in the rising steam, I moaned in delight. “Oh God, Trent,” I breathed. “This is good.”

The sudden thump of heels on carpet pulled my eyes open. It was back.

I straightened in my chair as Ellasbeth came in, her dress coat open to show a starched white shirt and a peach-colored scarf. My gaze went to her ring finger and I blanched. You could run a city on the sparkle that thing put out.

Ellasbeth sat beside me, a shade too close for my liking. “Maggie?” she said lightly. “I’ll have tea and biscuits, please. I ate while out.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Maggie said as she leaned through the open archway. Her tone lacked utterly in any warmth. Clearly Maggie didn’t like Ellasbeth, either.

Ellasbeth fixed a smile to her face, setting her long, fragile-looking fingers on the table to best show off her engagement ring. Bitch. “Seems we got off the horse on the wrong side, Ms. Morgan,” she said cheerfully. “Have you and Trenton known each other long?”