frowned in annoyance as she walked down the aisle between two long fern-laden benches. Oliver wasn't concerned about her expression. Sybil frequently looked annoyed when she was in his presence. He understood her feelings perfectly. He experienced exactly the same reaction toward her.
The old animosity between them had existed so long it had become a habit for both. Each was capable of concealing it when others were around, but when they were alone, neither bothered.
“My God, it's like an oven in here. How can you stand it?” Sybil pushed the trailing fronds of a shoe-string fern out of the way. The gold and diamond wedding ring Oliver's father had given her gleamed on her left hand.
“I like it this way.” Oliver examined a row of covered glass dishes in which he was germinating some maidenhair spores. “More to the point, the ferns prefer it this way.”
“The least you could have done was come downstairs for a few minutes so we could talk in comfort.”
“I'm comfortable.”
“And your comfort is all that matters, isn't it?” Sybil came to a halt on the walk. Her eyes were filled with an old bitterness.
“Was there something you wanted, Sybil? There usually is.”
Sybil's mouth tightened. “Nathan and Richard tell me you're getting married.”
“Yes.”
“Yes? Justyes ? Is that all you have to say about it?”
Oliver folded his arms and leaned against one of the plant benches. “Yes, I'm getting married. Tomorrow afternoon, in fact. A civil ceremony at the courthouse. You're welcome to attend if you like. Heather, Valerie, and the twins will be there.”
“Damn it, Oliver, must you be so disgustingly arrogant? You can't just drop a bombshell like this on the rest of the family and not expect a few questions. Who are you marrying?”
“Her name is Annie Lyncroft.”
Sybil furrowed her elegant brow. “Lyncroft. Never heard of her.”
“No, I don't suppose you have. She doesn't move in your world.”
“Don't try to tell me she moves in your social milieu, Oliver. You haven't got one. Your idea of a significant social engagement is a trip up the Amazon. Where did you meet this woman, anyway?”
“At her brother's engagement party.”
Sybil tapped one well-shod toe. “You never go to parties.”
“I went to this one.”
“Why would you do that? You hate crowds. Wait a minute. Lyncroft.” Her eyes narrowed. “Any connection to Lyncroft Unlimited, that electronics firm that you backed a couple of years ago?”
“Yes.”
“The owner of the firm has been missing, hasn't he? A plane crash. I read about it in the papers.”
“That's right. Annie is his sister.”
“And now, one month after the crash, you're suddenly marrying her.” Sybil stared at him with a look of dawning understanding. “Let me take a wild guess here. I'll bet this Annie Lyncroft has just inherited what could soon be the hottest electronics firm on the West Coast, hasn't she? A firm in which you've got a sizable stake.”
“She owns the firm now, yes.”
“Oliver, if you want the company, why don't you just buy her out?”
“Maybe it's not the company I want.”
“You're saying this is a hot romance? Don't give me that,” Sybil snapped. “I don't believe it for a minute.”
“Even if I wanted to buy the company, Annie wouldn't sell. She thinks her brother is still alive. She wants to hold on to Lyncroft Unlimited for him. She's the steadfast, loyal type, you see.”
“Lyncroft is dead. All the papers said he was.” Sybil eyed him closely. “A small, growing company like Lyncroft would be in real financial trouble if it lost its owner. And you've got a considerable investment to protect.”
“You always were very sharp when it came to business matters, weren't you?”
“What's going on here, Oliver? Don't tell me marrying Annie Lyncroft is the only way you can come
The old animosity between them had existed so long it had become a habit for both. Each was capable of concealing it when others were around, but when they were alone, neither bothered.
“My God, it's like an oven in here. How can you stand it?” Sybil pushed the trailing fronds of a shoe-string fern out of the way. The gold and diamond wedding ring Oliver's father had given her gleamed on her left hand.
“I like it this way.” Oliver examined a row of covered glass dishes in which he was germinating some maidenhair spores. “More to the point, the ferns prefer it this way.”
“The least you could have done was come downstairs for a few minutes so we could talk in comfort.”
“I'm comfortable.”
“And your comfort is all that matters, isn't it?” Sybil came to a halt on the walk. Her eyes were filled with an old bitterness.
“Was there something you wanted, Sybil? There usually is.”
Sybil's mouth tightened. “Nathan and Richard tell me you're getting married.”
“Yes.”
“Yes? Justyes ? Is that all you have to say about it?”
Oliver folded his arms and leaned against one of the plant benches. “Yes, I'm getting married. Tomorrow afternoon, in fact. A civil ceremony at the courthouse. You're welcome to attend if you like. Heather, Valerie, and the twins will be there.”
“Damn it, Oliver, must you be so disgustingly arrogant? You can't just drop a bombshell like this on the rest of the family and not expect a few questions. Who are you marrying?”
“Her name is Annie Lyncroft.”
Sybil furrowed her elegant brow. “Lyncroft. Never heard of her.”
“No, I don't suppose you have. She doesn't move in your world.”
“Don't try to tell me she moves in your social milieu, Oliver. You haven't got one. Your idea of a significant social engagement is a trip up the Amazon. Where did you meet this woman, anyway?”
“At her brother's engagement party.”
Sybil tapped one well-shod toe. “You never go to parties.”
“I went to this one.”
“Why would you do that? You hate crowds. Wait a minute. Lyncroft.” Her eyes narrowed. “Any connection to Lyncroft Unlimited, that electronics firm that you backed a couple of years ago?”
“Yes.”
“The owner of the firm has been missing, hasn't he? A plane crash. I read about it in the papers.”
“That's right. Annie is his sister.”
“And now, one month after the crash, you're suddenly marrying her.” Sybil stared at him with a look of dawning understanding. “Let me take a wild guess here. I'll bet this Annie Lyncroft has just inherited what could soon be the hottest electronics firm on the West Coast, hasn't she? A firm in which you've got a sizable stake.”
“She owns the firm now, yes.”
“Oliver, if you want the company, why don't you just buy her out?”
“Maybe it's not the company I want.”
“You're saying this is a hot romance? Don't give me that,” Sybil snapped. “I don't believe it for a minute.”
“Even if I wanted to buy the company, Annie wouldn't sell. She thinks her brother is still alive. She wants to hold on to Lyncroft Unlimited for him. She's the steadfast, loyal type, you see.”
“Lyncroft is dead. All the papers said he was.” Sybil eyed him closely. “A small, growing company like Lyncroft would be in real financial trouble if it lost its owner. And you've got a considerable investment to protect.”
“You always were very sharp when it came to business matters, weren't you?”
“What's going on here, Oliver? Don't tell me marrying Annie Lyncroft is the only way you can come
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