said with a questioning look at Logan.
“Nobody’s more surprised than me,” Logan retorted with an irritable edge to his voice.
If there had been any chance of learning anything from Gordon, Lauren now realized this was not to be. A flush of embarrassment came to her face as she realized he considered her an intrusion. It was obvious he had not been told she would be there, and neither had Logan. However, it was too late to reverse the course of events, so she had no choice but to make the best of it. She remained standing uncertainly until Logan took a few deliberate steps toward a chair and pulled it out for her. He seated himself beside her and promptly joined Gordon in his silence.
An excruciating five minutes went by before Gordon remarked to no one in particular, “I noticed there was nothing further about the McGuire incident in this morning’s paper.”
“There’s been nothing further to report,” Lauren quickly said.
Logan remained silent.
Virginia looked at him worriedly. “I read somewhere we have the highest murder rate in the world,” she declared in a desperate effort to start a conversation.
“I think South Africa has earned that distinction,” Logan corrected her.
“Really? Where did you get your information?”
A conversation about the rise in crime on the island ensued to which Lauren contributed very little. Still embarrassed by what had taken place, she was praying brunch would soon be served and over with so she could make her escape.
“Did you sleep well?” Virginia asked Lauren as they finally sat down to brunch on the veranda.
“Yes, very well, thank you.”
“I’m glad you did. I don’t sleep well in strange rooms myself.”
For the sake of something in response, Lauren said, “I was curious about the portrait in the room. The person has a striking resemblance to Logan.”
“That’s our father’s portrait,” Virginia explained, relieved that Lauren had opened up a topic of discussion.
Gordon, now somewhat thawed since the disruptive start to his day, added a few strokes of his own to the portrait as he popped the cork from a champagne bottle. “My father-in-law was quite a man. Whatever David Armstrong touched turned to gold.” Fending off Virginia’s attempts to interrupt he pressed on, “By the time David hit his mid-forties, his business acumen had become legendary throughout the island.”
“Like father like son?” Lauren murmured, noting Gordon, now on safe ground, had made a complete turn-around from the evening before when she had said she would like to learn about the family from him.
“Yes and no,” Gordon told her. “David was the beneficiary of a substantial inheritance. We’re talking about thousands of acres of prime agricultural land. Logan didn’t have those advantages. He pretty much started from scratch.”
Lauren was now all ears. During her interview with Logan, she had not learned why he had had to start from scratch. She was about to ask when Virginia thwarted her by swiftly taking the stage.
“That’s true, but Daddy would have done it, inheritance or not. Anyway, I don’t think farming was ever enough for him.”
“Don’t think anything was enough for our father,” Logan muttered under his breath.
“That’s not true,” Virginia objected. “Besides, you’re just like him, Logan.”
“How so?” Lauren asked with growing interest.
Logan groaned inwardly as Virginia rattled on, “Well, let’s put it this way. Despite his outward ease, our father had a tough streak and, they say, razor-sharp business sense. In that respect, Logan is a chip off the old block.” She gave Logan a surreptitious look as she continued, “Although my brother’s business sense didn’t become apparent until that time when…”
“You were much too young at the time to remember that,” Logan interrupted.
“I most certainly wasn’t, I was ten.”
“Well, it’s ancient history, so maybe you can skip that one. Don’t forget
“Nobody’s more surprised than me,” Logan retorted with an irritable edge to his voice.
If there had been any chance of learning anything from Gordon, Lauren now realized this was not to be. A flush of embarrassment came to her face as she realized he considered her an intrusion. It was obvious he had not been told she would be there, and neither had Logan. However, it was too late to reverse the course of events, so she had no choice but to make the best of it. She remained standing uncertainly until Logan took a few deliberate steps toward a chair and pulled it out for her. He seated himself beside her and promptly joined Gordon in his silence.
An excruciating five minutes went by before Gordon remarked to no one in particular, “I noticed there was nothing further about the McGuire incident in this morning’s paper.”
“There’s been nothing further to report,” Lauren quickly said.
Logan remained silent.
Virginia looked at him worriedly. “I read somewhere we have the highest murder rate in the world,” she declared in a desperate effort to start a conversation.
“I think South Africa has earned that distinction,” Logan corrected her.
“Really? Where did you get your information?”
A conversation about the rise in crime on the island ensued to which Lauren contributed very little. Still embarrassed by what had taken place, she was praying brunch would soon be served and over with so she could make her escape.
“Did you sleep well?” Virginia asked Lauren as they finally sat down to brunch on the veranda.
“Yes, very well, thank you.”
“I’m glad you did. I don’t sleep well in strange rooms myself.”
For the sake of something in response, Lauren said, “I was curious about the portrait in the room. The person has a striking resemblance to Logan.”
“That’s our father’s portrait,” Virginia explained, relieved that Lauren had opened up a topic of discussion.
Gordon, now somewhat thawed since the disruptive start to his day, added a few strokes of his own to the portrait as he popped the cork from a champagne bottle. “My father-in-law was quite a man. Whatever David Armstrong touched turned to gold.” Fending off Virginia’s attempts to interrupt he pressed on, “By the time David hit his mid-forties, his business acumen had become legendary throughout the island.”
“Like father like son?” Lauren murmured, noting Gordon, now on safe ground, had made a complete turn-around from the evening before when she had said she would like to learn about the family from him.
“Yes and no,” Gordon told her. “David was the beneficiary of a substantial inheritance. We’re talking about thousands of acres of prime agricultural land. Logan didn’t have those advantages. He pretty much started from scratch.”
Lauren was now all ears. During her interview with Logan, she had not learned why he had had to start from scratch. She was about to ask when Virginia thwarted her by swiftly taking the stage.
“That’s true, but Daddy would have done it, inheritance or not. Anyway, I don’t think farming was ever enough for him.”
“Don’t think anything was enough for our father,” Logan muttered under his breath.
“That’s not true,” Virginia objected. “Besides, you’re just like him, Logan.”
“How so?” Lauren asked with growing interest.
Logan groaned inwardly as Virginia rattled on, “Well, let’s put it this way. Despite his outward ease, our father had a tough streak and, they say, razor-sharp business sense. In that respect, Logan is a chip off the old block.” She gave Logan a surreptitious look as she continued, “Although my brother’s business sense didn’t become apparent until that time when…”
“You were much too young at the time to remember that,” Logan interrupted.
“I most certainly wasn’t, I was ten.”
“Well, it’s ancient history, so maybe you can skip that one. Don’t forget
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