Isabel tapped her foot impatiently on the hardwood floors, "Uncle Lawson is taking his time."
Melanie frowned, pinching her lips into a sour expression. "He's a busy man," she snapped. "He can't just drop everything and come running home because his niece gets some strange idea in her head."
"I would think potential legal action would be more important to him, but if he doesn't care, we can begin without him," she said.
"There's no need for that," Melanie said with a nervous glance at Clark. "I'm sure he'll be here soon enough."
"I suppose we can wait," she said. "But I don't want to ruin Mr. Foster's plans—I'm sure he has to be in court soon."
Melanie looked between Isabel and Clark—as her eyes darted back and forth, the disdainful mask slipped from her face, rev
