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She looked at hihed

83

Several days later

Remi read the text froarden at Payton Manor “Selma and Lazlo have declared the journal a dead end If there’s soure it out” She looked around the peaceful garden and sighed “It’d be nice to knohat happened to it before we leave If only to keep anyone else fro the Paytons”

“Since Oliver intends to move the car to a museum, I don’t think it’ll be an issue” He looked at his watch “Nearly six We better get ready for dinner”

Oliver had decided that a celebratory dinner was in order, now that Uncle Albert was finally released fro released, and life at Payton Manor was returning to nore where Albert usually dined in the evening was far too sathered in the south dining hall of the manor house

Uncle Albert, Re where he’d been ever since his arrest He was talking aniarden Rerasped Sam’s hand under the table “Oliver seems much happier”

“With the weight lifted from his shoulders? It has to be a relief to have his uncle back”

“And to know that he won’t have to sell the Ghost after all” She s everyone interact with ease, the stress of the last couple of weeks having faded Trevor was the one that impressed her the most For the first few days, after his return to Payton Manor, he’d been quiet, ju at hiether, he seemed like any other sixteen-year-old Chad was definitely having a positive influence on the boy, she thought Trevor was telling Chad how hison the coirls

Chad laughed, then leaned toward him conspiratorially “You think that’s bad, Trev? My o at me ‘Do you have to work on cars all day?’” he said in falsetto “‘Co like that?’” Suddenly aware he was being watched, he looked around the table, saw Allegra, and turned a shade of red when their eyeshis throat, he looked back at Trevor “But you should always listen to your ht?”

Trevor looked down at his near-eht”

“A toast,” Oliver said, lifting his wineglass, looking at Sam and Remi “I meant to do this at the start of dinner A toast to the both of you, since ouldn’t all be gathered here without your help I don’t kno to thank you except to say, welcome to the family”

“That,” Saht be the best thank-you ever”

Oliver looked around the table “And, of course, the reason we’re all gathered—to celebrate Uncle Albert’s return”

Albert lifted his water glass “Not sure what all the fuss is about Nice chaps at that place, but they wouldn’t let ain”