Olivia (Logan 5)

rhythm, a way of testing them. The silence, as short as

it was, made the three boys uncomfortable. They

gazed quickly at each other, squirmed in their clothes

and looked from me to my mother to the floor and

then back to Daddy.

"I brought her some notes from classes she's

missed, too," Peter added reaching into his pants

pocket to produce some papers.

"That's very thoughtful," Mother finally said. "Aren't you boys afraid of getting sick

yourselves so close to the end of the school year?"

Daddy questioned, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "No sir," Arnold replied quickly.

"We won't get that close to her," Quin added,

digging the corner of his mouth deeper into his cheek.

Peter widened his smile.

"I hope not," Daddy muttered. "Olivia," he said

turning to me. I knew what that meant. He wanted me

to show them to Belinda's room and remain as a chaperone.

I rose with obvious reluctance.

"Maybe she's asleep," I said.

"She knows we're coming," Quin quickly

inserted. "We called earlier and told her we'd be here

about now."

"She should have told us, too," I muttered,

gazing at Daddy. He nodded his agreement but said

nothing more. Instead, he went to his newspaper and

then plucked one of his cigars out of the case on the

table beside him.

"Are those Havana cigars, Mr. Gordon?" Peter

asked as Daddy began to light it.

Daddy raised his eyebrows.