Maria busied herself with unfolding a cloth napkin, refolding it, then unfolding it again. "I was in the kitchen... when I heard the two men in the dining room. Noah did not sound happy to run into Mr. Barrington. I heard him laugh and say he would skip breakfast this morning, but Mr. Barrington told him to stay because he needed to talk to him before he left for Chicago."

"Go on," Amanda urged, her ears alert to every word Maria said.

"Well, Noah laughed and said hallelujah!"

"He actually said that?" Amanda pushed her china plate aside, her appetite long gone.

"Yes, he did. And then Mr. Barrington said he was going out on a limb to say what he wanted to say, so Noah should just sit and listen because it is very important. Well, then I heard silence, then Mr. Barrington said he wasn't usually a nice man and he had no good feelings toward Noah, but Noah needed to know something about a meeting taking place in the afternoon."

Amanda leaned back in her chair, her eyes glued to Maria's face. "So, Brandon told Noah about the meeting! I've been trying to figure that out all day."

"Then Mr. Barrington told Noah about your meeting with Mr. Ellinger and how you were going to sell...something...but I couldn't understand what it was--"