[Erik eyed the waitress and finally ordered a black coffee. That would shoo her away. He had a sort of unspoken menace, depending on who he was talking to. For Claire, that edge softened. She was one of them, to start with, or a version. And he tried not to glower at young people. He was more than twice his age, he could tell that right away.]
I know this area well. [And the mansion to. He knew it like the back of his hand, and wondered how much of it Charles changed. Their chessboard and favorite brandy, for instance. Charles looked like a drunk when he saw him right out of the prison. His accent was difficult to place, but it was clearly not American.] Can I ask what appealed to you the most in what I said?