In the Still of the Night

said. Then turning to Lily with a blinding smile, said, “You wouldn’t mind if your maid brings my little snack to me, would you? I need to freshen up and take a little rest.“
    “Not at all,“ Lily said with a gracious nod. “I’ll see to the food if you’ll take Mrs. Ethridge upstairs, Mimi.“
    “Caviar,“ Lily said a moment later to Mrs. Prinney. “The early guest wants a tiny dab of caviar with cheese and crackers.“ She unwittingly imitated Mrs. Ethridge’s modest sweetness and thought, That wasn’t nice of me.
    “ Caviar? We don’t have caviar until tomorrow night and I don’t want to open it up yet. How about a bit of my crab salad?”
    Mimi appeared in the kitchen a moment later, looking confused.
    “What’s wrong, Mimi?“
    “Oh, nothing, Miss Lily. I just don’t know if that lady is being really nice to me or making fun of me.”
    Lily thought that was an interesting insight, especially from Mimi, who normally didn’t question anybody’s manner.
    Mrs. Lorna Pratt Ethridge hadn’t done a single thing wrong, had been extraordinarily gracious and friendly.
    But Lily had decided, almost against her will, that she was going to have to work at liking this guest who had invited herself.

Chapter 6

    The next guest to arrive, to Lily’s delight, was Ad-die Jonson. “I’m a bit early,“ Addie said, “but I was so eager to see you and your mansion. Dear God, it really is a mansion, isn’t it.”
    As they embraced, Lily said, “It’s a huge place. I suspect there are rooms I’ve never yet found. And I hear there’s a basement. Only Mr. Prinney is brave enough to go down there and always comes back up with dusty, crusty bottles of wine. Come in and have a lemonade with me. Our Mrs. Prinney seems to be involved in black market for lemons.“
    “Oh, your lawyer’s wife. She does the cooking, right?“
    “She lives for cooking. She raised four daughters as hefty as she is and when they married and moved out of the Prinneys’ house in town, she missed cooking for them most of all. Now she cooks divinely for us. She can do astonishing things with the cheapest cuts of meat. Come in the library. It’s the best room in the place.”
    They sat for a moment, Lily staring affectionately at her mentor and friend. Addie had on tan trousers; her hair looked like she’d cut it herself without a mirror, all fluffy and frowsy and going a bit gray at the temples.
    “Don’t worry. I brought dresses along,“ Addie said. “And even a hairbrush.“
    “I don’t care.“
    “These are my driving clothes... and hair,“ Ad-die said with a laugh.
    When Lily returned from alerting Mrs. Prinney that another guest had arrived, Addie was studying the bookshelves that lined the walls of the library. “And I’ve been sending you books when you have so many!“
    “Yes, but have you looked at the titles?“ Lily said with a laugh. “Really dull stuff. I think someone must have purchased them by the yard as decorations. I’m not really sure they’re all really books at all. They might be fake spines. Nobody has yet found the key that unlocks the glass doors.“
    “You’re happy here, aren’t you, Lily.“
    “Very happy. You saw how we lived before in a fifth floor walk-up that was filthy and falling down around us.“
    “And Robert? Is he happy?“
    “He’s thrilled to be out of the apartment, but he misses the city and the nightlife and his polo-playing friends. Voorburg doesn’t go in for polo. But we do have a movie house where he goes every time the film changes. It’s the only business in town that’s really thriving.”
    They drank their lemonade and made conversation for a quarter of an hour, then Addie said, “Come see my little automobile. She’s so trim and I love her.”
    Lily tried to pretend an interest in Addie’s roadster, but drew a line at Addie hefting the side panels over the engine and showing her all the lovely parts inside. “Let me help you take your things inside,“ Lily said.
    As they reached the foot of the steps leading to the second floor, Mrs. Ethridge was descending. “Oh, Addie! How nice to see you again, my dear.”
    She rushed down and enveloped Addie in a hug. Addie stared over the woman’s shoulder at Lily with a stunned look.
    Mrs. Ethridge gushed over Addie for a few minutes, saying how very well she looked, how long it had been since they’d had a nice long talk and how they must find time to catch up.
    Addie said nothing and Lily rescued her.