there’s a journalist in the house,” he added shooting Lauren a playful glance.
“I think Lauren would find it very interesting,” Virginia insisted with a mischievous smile. “Lauren, would you like to hear the story?”
Not waiting for an answer, Virginia quickly proceeded to give her mother’s account of the morning when the first piece of bad news concerning Logan had made its way from the office of the headmaster of a pricey boarding school in England to the breakfast table at Vale Verde. A storm passed over David Armstrong’s face as he read the letter written in the headmaster’s perfect hand.
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Armstrong,
It is with regret I write to inform you that your son, Logan, can no longer be part of the student body of Bishop’s College.
In his first year at Bishop’s, Logan has failed to meet our standard in every way. In addition to an abysmal academic performance, Logan has shown an alarming inability to conform to school principles, flaunting rules and displaying disruptive behaviour at every turn.
As you well know, Bishop’s College is dedicated to providing the finest academic experience and has maintained its reputation as an ideal school for students matriculating into the world of higher learning. We do not give up easily here at Bishop’s, but it has become apparent this is not the academic environment for your son. He needs a firmer hand than we seem able to offer.
Please feel free to call me to discuss this matter at your earliest convenience. You have my deepest regrets. I am as disappointed as you both must be.
Respectfully yours,
Charles Applebee
David threw the letter aside and glowered at Elizabeth across the table. “I take it you saw this?”
“Yes.” Elizabeth wrung her hands nervously, cringing at the explosion she knew was inevitable.
“What the bloody hell do we do with that boy?”
David brooded silently for a moment before launching back into his tirade. “If he was here, I’d give him a damned good thrashing. That boy has turned his back on every opportunity we’ve given him. That bloody school has cost me a damned fortune and all for absolutely nothing! What in the name of God could he be thinking, the little idiot?”
Although they never failed to jar her, Elizabeth Armstrong had learned to deal with her husband’s outbursts and, as protective as she was of her son, she admitted David’s anger was justified on this occasion. Although she tried not to make it obvious, Logan was the apple of her eye. In many ways he was much like his father, although David had never been able to see that. “What about Wellington?” she ventured cautiously, afraid her suggestion might inflame David’s already foul mood.
“What about Wellington? More money down the drain? Why don’t we just put him in a local school and let the little bleeder sink or swim?”
“Well, we could do that,” Elizabeth answered, appearing to demur to him. “I went to a local school and my education was good enough.”
David stared at Elizabeth. He seemed to be considering her suggestion seriously. “He’s my son,” he finally said in exasperation.
“He’s my son too. And I think we both want the best for him. Maybe being expelled will turn him around.”
“I don’t know about that, Liz. What do you know about Wellington?”
“From all I gather it’s an excellent school. The problem is it might be hard to get him in after this.”
“He needs a school that will administer discipline instead of carrying on all that elitist nonsense like that damned place that’s been charging a king’s ransom. They should be throwing in a university degree for that kind of money.”
Elizabeth decided silence was the best course now the seed had been planted.
“Find out more about Wellington and let me know if they’ll take him, Liz. Let’s see where we go from there.”
Lauren repressed a smile as she glanced fleetingly at Logan.
“I should have known you would ferret
“I think Lauren would find it very interesting,” Virginia insisted with a mischievous smile. “Lauren, would you like to hear the story?”
Not waiting for an answer, Virginia quickly proceeded to give her mother’s account of the morning when the first piece of bad news concerning Logan had made its way from the office of the headmaster of a pricey boarding school in England to the breakfast table at Vale Verde. A storm passed over David Armstrong’s face as he read the letter written in the headmaster’s perfect hand.
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Armstrong,
It is with regret I write to inform you that your son, Logan, can no longer be part of the student body of Bishop’s College.
In his first year at Bishop’s, Logan has failed to meet our standard in every way. In addition to an abysmal academic performance, Logan has shown an alarming inability to conform to school principles, flaunting rules and displaying disruptive behaviour at every turn.
As you well know, Bishop’s College is dedicated to providing the finest academic experience and has maintained its reputation as an ideal school for students matriculating into the world of higher learning. We do not give up easily here at Bishop’s, but it has become apparent this is not the academic environment for your son. He needs a firmer hand than we seem able to offer.
Please feel free to call me to discuss this matter at your earliest convenience. You have my deepest regrets. I am as disappointed as you both must be.
Respectfully yours,
Charles Applebee
David threw the letter aside and glowered at Elizabeth across the table. “I take it you saw this?”
“Yes.” Elizabeth wrung her hands nervously, cringing at the explosion she knew was inevitable.
“What the bloody hell do we do with that boy?”
David brooded silently for a moment before launching back into his tirade. “If he was here, I’d give him a damned good thrashing. That boy has turned his back on every opportunity we’ve given him. That bloody school has cost me a damned fortune and all for absolutely nothing! What in the name of God could he be thinking, the little idiot?”
Although they never failed to jar her, Elizabeth Armstrong had learned to deal with her husband’s outbursts and, as protective as she was of her son, she admitted David’s anger was justified on this occasion. Although she tried not to make it obvious, Logan was the apple of her eye. In many ways he was much like his father, although David had never been able to see that. “What about Wellington?” she ventured cautiously, afraid her suggestion might inflame David’s already foul mood.
“What about Wellington? More money down the drain? Why don’t we just put him in a local school and let the little bleeder sink or swim?”
“Well, we could do that,” Elizabeth answered, appearing to demur to him. “I went to a local school and my education was good enough.”
David stared at Elizabeth. He seemed to be considering her suggestion seriously. “He’s my son,” he finally said in exasperation.
“He’s my son too. And I think we both want the best for him. Maybe being expelled will turn him around.”
“I don’t know about that, Liz. What do you know about Wellington?”
“From all I gather it’s an excellent school. The problem is it might be hard to get him in after this.”
“He needs a school that will administer discipline instead of carrying on all that elitist nonsense like that damned place that’s been charging a king’s ransom. They should be throwing in a university degree for that kind of money.”
Elizabeth decided silence was the best course now the seed had been planted.
“Find out more about Wellington and let me know if they’ll take him, Liz. Let’s see where we go from there.”
Lauren repressed a smile as she glanced fleetingly at Logan.
“I should have known you would ferret
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