Alexander shook his head. "I said my piece. How you handle it's up to you." He got up then and was gone.

Meanwhile, Brian and Delia had just stepped into the garden when Delia pulled her brother aside. "Brian, do you think Mom really plans to let that woman inherit the Nixons?"

Brian's expression darkened slightly, and he lowered his voice. "No way. Just from the way Mom treated her at dinner, it's obvious she doesn't like her. There's no way she'd hand the Nixons over." He was certain of it. Besides, his private tutors had recently started teaching him how to manage both the company and the family's affairs....