[Silco preferred to nurse his wine at this point, and as usual, conversation was one way of deterring him from actually eating. It was such a chore, and his interest was clearly on other matters. He watched his daughter over the rim of his glass, even as he mentally continued to convince himself that everything was as it should be between himself, his lover and his daughter.]

Have you? You know I don't believe in such things. You're doing exactly as you're supposed to be doing, nothing more, nothing less. You should worry less about my relationship. Let's consider the one you're formulating with the boy.

[He smoothly switched back to the topic they had started on that she had tried to avoid. Two could play her game after all, and he was nimble as he sipped his wine and nodded at her compliment. He hated cooking, but he had to muster some kind of parental aspirations, didn't he?]

No doubt those I pay could and will do better.