All of the heirs gradually gathered around the long dining table. As was tradition, there was one chair set apart from the rest. It was slightly larger, slightly more ornate, upholstered with a deep red backrest. This was the chair reserved for Dennis Stern, the patriarch, placed squarely at the head of the table so that his presence anchored the entire hall.
There were no assigned seats for the heirs, not in any formal sense, but patterns had developed over the years. Typically, the younger generation would sit on one side of the table while the older heirs positioned themselves opposite. The arrangement was more a matter of comfort than ceremony, and yet it revealed the invisible lines that divided the family.
Still, the actual seats changed from gathering to gathering depending on alliances, grudges, and whispered schemes. That was why, once again, everyone noticed Chad's actions with surprise.
