Son of Stone (Stone Barrington 21)

“There is that,” Arrington admitted. “He’s spent his whole life stunning me, on an almost daily basis, with his precocity.”

“I’m beginning to get used to that,” Stone said.

“Really? I never have.”

“I still have difficulty thinking of him as a child.”

“Well, he is. You’ll see that in him, eventually. It comes out at the damnedest times.”

“He’s going to be gone before I get to know him fully,” Stone said. “I want to spend some time with him in Maine this summer, teach him to sail. He already wants to learn to fly.”

“Fly? He doesn’t even drive yet!”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to let him even take lessons until he’s at least eighteen. Once he starts at Yale, he’ll be too wrapped up in work to even think about it.”

“I hope you’re right, though I think he has traits that will make him a good pilot. He’s organized and detail-oriented, and, of course, he learns with blinding speed.”

“We’ve had only one flight in my Mustang, coming down here, and he seems already to have grasped the avionics pretty well.”

“That’s the sort of thing he does.” She yawned. “I’m sleepy,” she said.

“Then go to sleep.”

“No making love?”

“We’ll save it until the morning.”

“All right.”

“I have a date to go riding with Peter and Hattie at eight. Do you want to come?” he asked.

“No, I’m going to sleep until lunchtime. That’ll give the staff time to make the house pristine again. I don’t want to see it until then.” She yawned again, then her breathing became regular.

Stone was not far behind. He dreamed about Peter and Hattie and, maybe, a grandchild. Then there was something unpleasant, something shocking, but when he jerked awake he couldn’t remember what it was. It took him an unusually long time to get back to sleep, and when he awoke the following morning he was tired, as if he hadn’t slept at all.

50

S tone showered, dressed, and went downstairs to the kitchen, where he sat, alone, at the long table and waited for his breakfast to be cooked. Then Peter and Hattie joined him and placed their orders.

“Beautiful day outside,” Stone said.

“Great day for riding,” Peter replied.

Hattie was quiet.

“Did you sleep well, Hattie?”

“All right, I guess.”

“Ready to greet the new day on horseback?”

“Sure.”

“Did you two have a good time at the party?” Stone asked.

“Oh, yes,” Peter said. “But I knew hardly any of those people.”

“Don’t worry, you won’t have to spend any time with them. I think your mother had the housewarming just so that they wouldn’t be angling for invitations to see the house.”