page48 (1/2)

“I have a list of video gaested hopefully “And a chart with minerals I’d like to have”

“Minerals?” Brooke made the word sound like it tasted bad in her mouth “What kind of minerals?”

“Rare rocks is what they are, Mum I’d like specimens of quartz crystals and iron pyrites And eodes”

“Rocks You want rocks”

“Yes, and the video ga Please”

She waved her hands Both of theames And the rocks, too, as many as you want But there will be a party and it will be spectacular We’ll have a ician, a waterslide, paintball out on the old archery field We’ll have all your friends froe And Dennis and Dexter”

Now Geoffrey was looking as though he ht cry “Not the Terrible Twins Please, Mum”

“Don’t call the Fiona says they can’t wait to see you”

“Mu, they trip me and poke me and push me down”

“Stop, stop” Brooke put her hands over her ears like the spoiled child she was “I don’t want to hear it La, la, la You know it’s not true”

It was like watching a train wreck Genny, Rafe and Eloise never kne to stop it before the collision became inevitable

That night, Eloise was the one who tried “Brooke, dear, I thought the plan was to keep it small and—”

Brooke didn’t even let her finish “Stay out of it, Granny”

And Geoffrey cried out, “Yes! What Great-Granny said I don’t want a lot of people I go to school with a lot of people When I come home to Hartmore and have my birthday, I want it to be just us”

“Well, it’s not going to be just us and you’d better get used to it I’ettable birthday party and that’s the end of it”