Since Master Nathan's birthday was this weekend, Mr. Sterling and Vera Xavier arranged for her to pick it up from his house at nine a.m. on Saturday.
Once they had settled the details, Mr. Sterling hurried away with the Chicken Blood Stone, eager to get home and start carving.
Vera Xavier watched him go and chuckled softly. 'Another workaholic.'
Vera Xavier felt a weight lift from her shoulders now that she had sorted out Master Nathan's birthday gift. The whole ordeal had taken so long that it was nearly dark, so she rushed home. On the way, she couldn't shake the feeling that a pair of eyes was watching her. Yet, whenever she turned to look, she saw nothing. A seed of suspicion began to sprout in her mind.
When she arrived home, Cara Preston was beaming as she chatted with Rona Langdon. A rare, cheerful atmosphere filled the house. It was worth noting that the Preston family home hadn't felt this pleasant in a very long time.
