and Bonacelli. He shook his head slowly. “I should have been British. They sound so—civilized.”
“You mean wimpy. Sure, you’d fit in.”
Ginny flounced by, swirling the hem of her dress and falling into a chair beside the couch. She smiled at Luke through sleepy lids. Then her gaze found Monica and she scowled.
“I think Mary Poppins just gave me the evil eye,” Monica whispered.
“Don’t start,” Luke replied.
Ginny turned up a penciled brow. “In my day, a girl was more appealing when she showed less, not more.”
Monica’s lips curled slightly. “You know, I bet I could learn a lot from you. My friend here was just saying, you’re a total fox in that dress.”
Luke closed his eyes, trying to disappear.
Ginny nodded and a grin stretched across her face. “I used to attract the local boys like horseflies. All it takes is the tiniest gesture; a slight lift of the skirt, a glimpse of the knee.”
“Think I’m gonna hurl,” Monica muttered.
Luke shushed her.
“You’re George’s grandson?” Ginny asked him with an alluring smile.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I see the resemblance. You have his lovely blue eyes and a quiet intelligence about you.”
“Thank you.”
Monica muttered softly, “She’s totally into you.”
“Have you started college?”
“No, ma’am. Not for three more years.”
“You have some aptitude for science?”
“Yes, ma’am. I enjoy science a lot.”
She looked pleased. “Good. There’s nothing that attracts a woman more than an intelligent brain.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Monica sputtered.
“Quality women,” Ginny clarified. She narrowed her eyes at the girl. “Does your mother know you dress like that?”
Monica reddened. “My mom spent, like, twenty years as a designer in Paris. This happens to be the latest in French fashion.”
Ginny’s eyes grew wide and she smiled. “So you’re of French lineage?” She nodded knowingly. “Now I understand. It’s that French-American mix that’s so … tawdry.”
Monica looked puzzled.
Ginny spoke to Luke. “You really should think about continuing your education at a proper university in England, like your grandfather.”
“Yeah, that would be super expensive.”
“You can’t put a price on knowledge. George spent every penny he had on scientific discovery. Most women would be appalled, but I find that kind of dedication and curiosity to be very attractive in a man.” She looked at him sideways and pursed her lips.
“Yeah, she wants you,” Monica whispered. “I say you hit that thing.”
Luke lowered his forehead to his fist.
Bonacelli asked everyone to be seated for the reading of the will.
CHAPTER 6
THE LAWYER PEERED DOWN at the desk through small reading glasses on the bridge of his nose, and then looked up at the faces before him. “George’s will is dated the third of March, six years ago. I can assure you he was of sound mind at the time. Since he had renounced his British citizenship, the document has been prepared according to Canadian law.”
“Oh, get to it,” Ginny said, scowling.
Bonacelli gave her a sharp look. He cleared his throat and began reading in a formal manner. “‘This is the last will and testament of me, George Elliot Brookes, a resident of Halifax, in the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. I hereby revoke all former wills, codicils, and other testamentary dispositions made by me. I nominate, constitute, and appoint my daughter, Isabelle Lydia Maguire, to be the Estate Trustee of this, my will.’”
The lawyer’s tone softened. “‘Before bequeathing my property, I wish to thank everyone for coming to Sparrow Island when I’m sure you would have rather not. However, I know that in retrospect you’ll all agree that the island holds a special place in your hearts and sharing the experience together one last time can only be a good thing. I want you each to remember me, especially Isabelle, during fonder days when all we had was this island,
“You mean wimpy. Sure, you’d fit in.”
Ginny flounced by, swirling the hem of her dress and falling into a chair beside the couch. She smiled at Luke through sleepy lids. Then her gaze found Monica and she scowled.
“I think Mary Poppins just gave me the evil eye,” Monica whispered.
“Don’t start,” Luke replied.
Ginny turned up a penciled brow. “In my day, a girl was more appealing when she showed less, not more.”
Monica’s lips curled slightly. “You know, I bet I could learn a lot from you. My friend here was just saying, you’re a total fox in that dress.”
Luke closed his eyes, trying to disappear.
Ginny nodded and a grin stretched across her face. “I used to attract the local boys like horseflies. All it takes is the tiniest gesture; a slight lift of the skirt, a glimpse of the knee.”
“Think I’m gonna hurl,” Monica muttered.
Luke shushed her.
“You’re George’s grandson?” Ginny asked him with an alluring smile.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I see the resemblance. You have his lovely blue eyes and a quiet intelligence about you.”
“Thank you.”
Monica muttered softly, “She’s totally into you.”
“Have you started college?”
“No, ma’am. Not for three more years.”
“You have some aptitude for science?”
“Yes, ma’am. I enjoy science a lot.”
She looked pleased. “Good. There’s nothing that attracts a woman more than an intelligent brain.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Monica sputtered.
“Quality women,” Ginny clarified. She narrowed her eyes at the girl. “Does your mother know you dress like that?”
Monica reddened. “My mom spent, like, twenty years as a designer in Paris. This happens to be the latest in French fashion.”
Ginny’s eyes grew wide and she smiled. “So you’re of French lineage?” She nodded knowingly. “Now I understand. It’s that French-American mix that’s so … tawdry.”
Monica looked puzzled.
Ginny spoke to Luke. “You really should think about continuing your education at a proper university in England, like your grandfather.”
“Yeah, that would be super expensive.”
“You can’t put a price on knowledge. George spent every penny he had on scientific discovery. Most women would be appalled, but I find that kind of dedication and curiosity to be very attractive in a man.” She looked at him sideways and pursed her lips.
“Yeah, she wants you,” Monica whispered. “I say you hit that thing.”
Luke lowered his forehead to his fist.
Bonacelli asked everyone to be seated for the reading of the will.
CHAPTER 6
THE LAWYER PEERED DOWN at the desk through small reading glasses on the bridge of his nose, and then looked up at the faces before him. “George’s will is dated the third of March, six years ago. I can assure you he was of sound mind at the time. Since he had renounced his British citizenship, the document has been prepared according to Canadian law.”
“Oh, get to it,” Ginny said, scowling.
Bonacelli gave her a sharp look. He cleared his throat and began reading in a formal manner. “‘This is the last will and testament of me, George Elliot Brookes, a resident of Halifax, in the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. I hereby revoke all former wills, codicils, and other testamentary dispositions made by me. I nominate, constitute, and appoint my daughter, Isabelle Lydia Maguire, to be the Estate Trustee of this, my will.’”
The lawyer’s tone softened. “‘Before bequeathing my property, I wish to thank everyone for coming to Sparrow Island when I’m sure you would have rather not. However, I know that in retrospect you’ll all agree that the island holds a special place in your hearts and sharing the experience together one last time can only be a good thing. I want you each to remember me, especially Isabelle, during fonder days when all we had was this island,
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