Engel, much to her delight, decided to take his sweet time. Lyra used this to her advantage and as he perused his wardrobe for the perfect attire, she perused his room for the perfect murder weapon. Arrogant noble boy in his fine coats and linens. Running out of time, Lyra swiped at the letter opener and hid it within the pocket of her evening dress, It wasn't the most dangerous weapon, but it was something she could use to stab him in the neck when he least expected it. She would have to wait for the perfect opening, for now, despite how much it disgusted her, she needed to play along. It was easy considering she still felt so violated and broken.<br/><br/>She shunned him when he spoke, allowing him to prattle on about trivial things and excusing his insults to her family name. Later, she was saving a knife for him<b>later</b>. When he offered her his arm, she took it in hers and shamefully allowed herself to be led by her captor.<br/><br/>Even when Engel's brother appeared to exchange greetings, she kept up the wall she'd built to protect herself. "Charmed," a one word, non-committal greeting that meant nothing at all. Lyra tried to take the opportunity to analyze the living room. She could try to steal a better knife, maybe, but it would be difficult with so many Geslack snakes observing her. There was no doubt they'd stare, an injured Bremmington at Geslack dinner was comparable to a lost lamb in a lion's den. If she had a bottle of poison, now would have been the best moment to use it. Alas, imagination did little to make her dreams come true. It did provide some relief though, she was only brought back to the harsh reality when Engel made her sit beside him. She wanted to move away and his breath in her ear made her shiver. She didn't want him anywhere near him.<br/><br/>"I hope you choke," she whispered back.<br/><br/>As dinner preparations took place, Engel's younger sister (18-year-old Merci Geslack) came bounding toward the table, glee written on her face. "Big brother! You were out all day today. I was hoping you could give me magic lessons." There was a childish cheer that concealed the darker aspects of Merci's personality. Much like her older brother, she had a beat of a mean streak, but a far more child-like one. "I see we have a guest at the table." She smiled brightly. "Your new girlfriend, brother? I didn't know we associated with Bremmingtons."<br/><br/>Lyra felt sick. They knew she wasn't here of her own free will and looked like they were more than happy to play along with Engel's fantasies.