“We meant to temporarily disable her," Ian said. "Just a drop. But Natalie slipped during air turbulence. Before we could warn your nose-ringed nanny, she drenched us. Luckily, she allowed us to retrieve the antidote from our carry-on.""That's kindness," Amy said."I made them agree to give me all their cash," Nellie explained."That's bribery," Natalie grumbled.”
“Dorms?" Amy heard Natalie call from behind her. "You're joking, right?""Don't worry," Hamilton said as he raced ahead, carrying both his and Natalie's suitcases. "Madison doesn't sleepwalk anymore.""Bring that back!" Natalie shouted as she ran after him. "I'm going to stay at the Ritz-Carlton!""Is that where they make the crackers?" Madison asked. "I'm coming, too!”
“Dan was doing his best Ian Kabra impersonation, looking around the store as though inspecting it for cockroaches. Amy tried to turn her snort of laughter into a cough."Espresso?" The saleswoman materialized seemingly out of nowhere. Amy realized that the full-length mirror on the wall was actually a door.If she were Amy Cahill, she would blush and shake her head no, just because she didn't want to cause any bother. She imagined what Natalie Kabra would do."Tea. Darjeeling," she said in a curt tone."Oh, not Darjeeling, sis," Dan said. "That's just so middle class.""Lapsang souchong?" the saleswoman asked."I just adored his last collection," Dan said.The woman's tight smile dimmed. "That's a tea.”
“You know how to steer a yacht?" Mr. McIntyre asked Ian worriedly."I was born knowing how to steer a yacht," Ian said. Then a stricken look came over his face. "But–do you suppose Jonah prepaid the full amount for renting this? Once my dad hears what Natalie and I did, he'll cancel our credit cards.""You mean we're...we're poor now?" Natalie gasped."Penniless," Ian said grimly."Actually," Mr. McIntyre said, "I should have mentioned this before the others left. Grace had an addendum to her will regarding everyone who made it through the gauntlet. There were eight of you–you will all receive double the amount you turned down to get the first clue.""It was a million dollars originally," Ian said. "So Natalie and I each get two million dollars? I suppose we could live on that."Natalie beamed."That is such a relief!" she said. "Being poor wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be, but still–""You were only poor for about two seconds!" Dan protested, rolling his eyes.”
“I'm going to hang up now," she said quietly."Fine.""Good-bye, Ian," she said.He paused again. She thought she heard something like a sniff or a choke, but it was probably the sound of him tearing up his plane ticket. "Good-bye, Amy."She hung up the phone: Dan and Nellie were quiet."Well, think about it," said Dan. "Did you really want Natalie Kabra as a sister-in-law?”
“When we carry a safety net made of cash, we allow the one made of community to slip through our fingers.”