Page 74 of These Summer Storms

For a moment the siblings were unlocked, the wild statement bringing them together for a heartbeat before Elisabeth decided she’d had enough of whatever was going on between her children.

“I am having two hundred people on the islandtomorrow,many of whom areextremely privateand I simply cannot have youemotional.” She fairly spat the words at Greta before returning her attention to the 1107 in front of her. “I expect you to handle that.” Before Greta could respond, Elisabeth moved on. “We have the team from Storm and the Secret Service coming today for security sweeps, by the way, so I hope you don’t plan to disappear again today, Alice.”

“I’m not disappearing. I’m here.”

“Where even were you yesterday?” Greta asked. “You were supposed to help us.” The question was sharp with accusation in the most familiar way—Greta, searching for a way to shift the spotlight from her. A lifelong trait.

Alice lifted her chin. “I spent the afternoon in my room. It was pretty clear everyone was busy without me.”

“And in the morning? When you were supposed to be helping?” Greta prodded.

“She. Was. With. Jack.” Alice closed her eyes at the sound of Sam’s phone.

“What?” Elisabeth, Greta, and Emily spoke in unison.

Alice spun on her brother. “I wasn’t—” Sam cut her a look, daring her to deny it. “How do you even know that?”

“Saoirse was in the boathouse when you took the skiff out,” Sila said. “She thought you might be leaving, so she came to find us…And then we all saw you.”

“I wasn’t leaving.”

“Saoirse thought you might be. But then you were sailing, and we realized you were just…vacationing.”

“Alice was on a boat yesterday?” Elisabeth asked.

“Yes. The sailboat,” Sila said, happily. “We were all at the fog bell—taking it apart for cleaning and oiling, per Franklin’s orders. We’ve been very diligent, as you know, Elisabeth.” Sila paused for effect, then pressed on. “I don’t blame you for going sailing, of course, Alice. We would have done the same if we hadn’t received a letter from your father.But we did.”

Alice hadn’t been raised a Storm for no reason. She did not rise to her sister-in-law’s bait. Not even when Emily said, “Chill, Sila.”

“Why on earth were you with Jack?” Elisabeth Storm, always very good at staying on topic.

“Jack and Alice are spending lots of time together,” Sila said, sounding like a teenager who’d just learned how to deploy gossip, the expression on her face best described as gleeful. “Saoirse said he rescued her from the locked pantry on Friday morning.”

Okay. Alice had to get this situation in hand before it went fully off the rails, even if it meant defying family tradition and telling the truth. “Dad gave him a task, too. He’s supposed to sail.”

Everyone shared a look.

“Why?” Greta asked.

“Onmyboat?” Elisabeth asked sharply, as though she’d been onThe Lizziein a decade.

Sam shot forward. “Is he—”

Everyone turned to Sam, who immediately realized his mistake. He lifted his phone and typed furiously. “Is. He. Getting. A. Ducking.Cut.That. Mother. Clucker.”

“Samuel,” Elisabeth said firmly. “Language.”

Emily snorted a laugh at the other side of the room.

“Don’t worry about it, Sam,” Emily said. “You can console yourself with the ridiculous bonus that comes with that CEO job you’re getting.”

Sam went back to typing.

“Well. This waiting is irritating, isn’t it?” Elisabeth opined as they all hung on theclick-clackof his phone.

Alice and her sisters shared an amused look before Sam added, “We. Should. Know. If. He’s. In. The. Mix.” More typing. “And. If. Alice. Is. Working. With. Him.”

“I’m not working with him,” she defended herself. “Not that I am sure what that would mean, but I’m sure you’ve cooked up some conspiracy theory about it. Have I not made it clear I’m not interested in this stupid game that is a guaranteed trap?”