Mrs. Astor narrowed her gaze. Isaac’s hands shook. His twitching fingers clenched into fists on the table. Looking closely, Lavinia could see the haze in his eyes had intensified. The icy blue of his eyes faded into a misty grey. He hunched forward over his plate, trying to avoid eye contact with Vivian Astor. Her own eyes were stern and focused. Their light hue seemed to be almost glowing, a mesmerizing blue as she stared at Isaac.

“Are you ready to answer me, ...