Anything Goes

arrived on the same train and Robert picked them up and escorted them to Grace and Favor in the Duesenberg. Eggers tried to get him aside to talk about reinvesting in the market, but Robert merely lit a cigarette, said he was a perfect ass about money and Eggers should save it for tomorrow and talk to his sister and Mr. Prinney.
    At seven, the silver, china, glasses and linens were laid out on the enormous dining room table. Smaller tables and chairs had been set up in the reception room next to it in attractive groupings. Dinner was to be at eight and Mrs. Prinney went to bathe and dress and left the hired girl to do the last-minute details: Lily followed Mrs. Prinney up the stairs and went to her room to do the same.
    Lily was nervous and having second thoughts. What if this was a catastrophe and Mr. Prinney had been right in his fears that they were simply going to make idiots of themselves? She put on her best gown, a slinky apricot concoction with sequins on the sleeve bands that were unfortunately starting to come loose in spots. She did her hair in an elaborate upswept style she hoped would hold. Agatha, who had finally been run out of the kitchen, watched the process.
    When Lily finally left her room, Robert was coming down the hall in his tux. “Let the games begin!“ he exclaimed cheerfully, taking her arm.
    “Oh, Robert...“
    “No fretting, dear. If we fall on our faces, we’ll just pick ourselves up yet again.“
    “If we fall on our faces, we’ll be sued for slander,“ Lily remarked. “Good thing we don’t have any money,“ she added with a smile.
    Mr. Prinney, in a dark suit, was in the reception room with Mr. Winningham and Mr. Eggers. They were sipping at crystal glasses of some drink that was clearly illegal to possess and discussing politics in a fairly amiable way. Mrs. Prinney was in the front hall, welcoming the other guests. She was clad in a stunning gown of peacock-blue with a big matching feather in her hair. Lily nudged Robert into polite silence.
    Dr. Polhemus arrived in something of a flurry, warning them that he’d told the switchboard girl to call him at Grace and Favor if he were needed.
    Jack Summer and Mr. Kessler arrived together. Each appeared to have bought a new jacket for the occasion. They were on the best of terms. Chief Henderson, stuffed as usual into a suit far too small for him, arrived next. He shooed Ralph around the back to the kitchen door.
    Major and Mrs. Winslow were the next to arrive, in full party regalia, and said that Claude and Sissy were coming along behind in Claude’s car, which pulled into the drive only moments later. Sissy, too, had dressed to the nines in a long gown of a muted silver-gray with a fine white vertical stripe that was extremely flattering. The gown was a couple years out of fashion, but so were Mrs. Prinney’s and Lily’s. Sissy was clearly thrilled to be coming to a party, but Claude wasn’t. He looked sour and cranky and became even more so as Sissy abandoned him to gush over Robert.
    The whole party having assembled, most of them joined the others in the reception room while Mrs. Prinney went back to the kitchen to supervise putting the copious amount of food on the dining room table.
    The guests drifted about, partaking of illegal alcohol. Chief Henderson, who was supposed to report such violations, was drinking the most. Conversation was general and pleasant—the delightful change in the weather, congratulations to both Jack Summer and Mr. Kessler on their new jobs, expressions of admiration for the way Grace and Favor was being improved. Dr. Polhemus lamented the fact that Mrs. Parker kept having children, being as the last two were simpleminded. The out-of-towners talked about the train journey. Mrs. Winslow, Sissy and Lily chatted about fashion. Claude tried to strike up a conversation with Mr. Prinney about automobiles and Jack joined in with questions about what motorbikes with sidecars ought to cost.
    For a few minutes Lily was able to pretend this was merely a nice party with no ulterior motive and enjoy herself. All these people had known Uncle Horatio. A few had liked him and some had not. And all had known Billy Smith and disliked him. But no one mentioned either man. There was an unspoken conspiracy not to bring up any unpleasantness.
    When Mrs. Prinney finally opened the double doors between the dining room and the reception room, there was a general chorus of approval. Everybody was probably hungry, but