Chapter 66

“Sure,” Kevin said, “why not?”

“Let’s go see what the boys are up to,” George said.

He led us upstairs and down the hall to a door that opened on a stairway. It was a wide set of stairs and included a chairlift that rode on a small track running up one side of the steps. When we reached the top of the steps, we found ourselves in a room that appeared to run the length of the house.

“This used to be the attic,” Charles said, “and we converted it into a playroom for the tribe.”

“When you have six little boys,” Philip said, “you need a place for them to play.”

“And Grace, our nanny, keeps them under control,” Charles said.

I walked over to a table where Robbie, Anthony, and two younger boys were playing with an elaborate set of train tracks. Two still younger boys were playing with some toys a few feet away, and I saw two toddlers in a playpen near where Grace, the nanny, was sitting.

“Look, Uncle David,” Anthony said, spotting me. “It’s Thomas the Tank Engine.”