Gwen had heard enough and met Mildred’s gaze squarely. “Yes, Liam is a welder. He is probably the only person on this island with the know-how to forge that horseshoe you’re holding. He and Patrick are both fine, hardworking people who get out of bed every day to earn the clothes on their back. Get used to them.”

Her voice had started to shake. A scolding tone wasn’t the way to persuade these people, and she drew a breath to steady herself before speaking again.

“In three days, we will have our annual lobster bake. You can ignore those not born into wealth and leisure, or you can open your heart to people who work with their hands and minds to make this world a better place. People who make horseshoes so you can play a game on the beach. People who get up in the middle of the night to bail strangers out of jail. You get to pick who is good enough to socialize with and who you’d rather snub, but I suggest you think carefully and choose wisely.”

She whirled away to head back up the cliffside, wondering if she’d helped matters or only dug a deeper hole for Liam and Patrick.

30

The entire family was invited onto Oscar’s yacht for a sunset sail. The outing would feature light hors d’oeuvres, fine wines, and a fireworks display from the shore after the sun went down. The yacht was too large to dock in the boathouse, so a small tender boat carried people in groups of twelve to the yacht.

Patrick dreaded it. Gwen might be dismissive of who had commissioned the hit on Liam, but Patrick still believed one of these people might be out to destroy the prodigal Blackstone. What if Liam “fell over” the side of the yacht? Once the sun went down, he could be knocked unconscious and dumped overboard without anyone noticing. A convenient drowning would be the answer to an assassin’s prayers.

Two dozen people congregated at the boathouse, awaiting their ride to the Black Rose. Patrick stuck close to Liam’s side. “Can you swim?” he asked, and Liam nodded.

“Anyone who works in a shipyard knows how to swim.”

They boarded the tender and ten minutes later were aboard the Black Rose. Patrick gazed about in wonder. The Black Rose was two hundred and thirty feet long, with a shiny black hull and a slim gold line painted just above the waterline. It was powered by both sail and steam, and belowdecks had all the amusements to keep a rich man entertained: a player piano, a bowling alley, and a card room.

Liam seemed equally entranced as he admired the rigging, masts, and booms. The teak deck was coated with a sheen of marine spar, and every few yards a brass deck lamp provided a warm glow of illumination in the gathering twilight.