Page 11 of The Nanny Contract
The encounter had left me shaken and a little upset. The idea of someone taking Henry away from Logan was horrifying to me, so I could only imagine that Logan was probably furious.
After the conversation, Logan had escaped outside to talk with Henry. I had no idea how much Logan planned to reveal to his son about his conversation with the Mercers earlier in the day.
Now, as I watched family members sit around Betsy’s lectern, I tried to focus on the task at hand: providing care for Henry.
Betsy had hinted at an upcoming birthday surprise for him and told me to be prepared to assist.
Finally, Logan entered the room, looking tense as he adjusted his collar with obvious discomfort.
Henry had gone off to do his own thing around the property.
I took a seat near the back of the room, eager to watch the proceedings.
Once everyone was seated, Betsy stepped up to the lectern.
She lifted a crystal glass and cleared her throat dramatically. “Thank you all for joining me today.”
Silence fell across the other family members.
Obviously, when Betsy spoke, everyone listened, their eyes filled with anticipation about what might come next. There were over twenty people in the room, and I had no idea who they were.
Except for the mid-forties woman sitting in the front row, whom I’d been told was named Veronica. She was Logan’s cousin and, evidently, the black sheep of the family. From what I’d heard so far, Veronica was a person who constantly attempted to manipulate the family for financial gain. She’d taken money from Betsy for failed business ventures, and possibly even leaked a bad story to the press for a quick payday.
“As you know,” Betsy continued, “I am nearing my final decisions about the Westbrook estate, but before I finalize anything, I feel that you each should demonstrate your commitment to our family’s legacy.”
Silence lingered in the air as light filtered through the windows and onto the hushed faces of the Westbrook family.
Betsy’s eyes sparkled as she said, “That’s why I’ve created the Westbrook Legacy Challenges. Each of you will be given a LegacyChallenge—a task that, when completed, will show that you’re truly committed to this family.”
I glanced over at Logan and noticed that he was the only one who didn’t look nervous. In fact, he had a big grin on his face.
Then again, maybe it was because he was already a successful man in his own right. A quick internet search a few days prior had clued me in to the fact that the average cardiac surgeon earns about three to five-hundred-thousand-dollars a year, so I figured Logan wasn’t too concerned with money.
Still… it was hard to be sure. After all, one-hundred-million was nothing to sneeze at, even for a successful doctor.
“These challenges,” Betsy continued, “are designed to test your creativity and patience. They’re also designed to see if you can uphold the spirit of our family.”
Henry suddenly walked into the room.
“Ah, Henry!” Betsy exclaimed. “Just in time.”
She always seemed absolutely thrilled to see her grandson. Whenever he walked into a room, she beamed from ear to ear. The way she spoke to him was completely different from the way she spoke to anyone else, except maybe Logan.
There was an endearing element of love, compassion, and strict guidance to which Henry seemed to respond well.
Henry and Logan each sat in a chair, looking toward Betsy.
“For Logan and Henry, I’ve created the Heart of the Family challenge.”
“The what?” Henry asked, a befuddled expression on his face.
“Let me explain,” she added, almost scolding him. “Here at Westbrook Meadows there’s a garden called the Heart of the Family. Over the years, it has become neglected, overgrown, and thoroughly unused. I’d like for you both to fix that.”
“Fix what?” Logan asked, raising one eyebrow.
“Restore it,” she answered. “Bring it back to pulsating vitality. Clear out the overgrown shrubs. Tear out the weeds. Clear the old pathways of brick and replace them with new. Replant each of the garden beds.”
“Pathways?” Logan asked. “How big is this garden?”