“Find anything serious, Doc?” Bixby asked as de Grandin and I seated ourselves in the paneled dining hall of the château.
“No,” I reassured him. “She seems a little run down, but there’s certainly nothing wrong which can’t be corrected by a light tonic, some judicious exercise and plenty of rest.”
“Uh-huh?” he nodded, brightening. “I’ve been right smart worried over her, lately.
“You know, we wasn’t always rich. Up to a couple o’ years ago we was poor as church mice—land poor, in the bargain. Then, when they begun findin’ oil all round our place, Mother kept at me till I started some drillin’, too, and darned if we didn’t bring in a gusher first c***k outa the box.
“Adrienne used to teach school when we was ranchin’ it—tryin’ to, rather—an’ she an’ a young lawyer, name o’ Ray Keefer, h
