Stone rose to greet him. “I am Stone Barrington,” he said.

Grosvenor took the other chair, and Stone waved at a waitress who was loitering by the bar, waiting for business to pick up. “What may I order for you?” Stone asked as the waitress arrived.

“A Laphroaig,” Grosvenor said, “no ice, please, just a little cool water.”

“And a Knob Creek on the rocks,” Stone said to her, and she disappeared.

“Welcome to Los Angeles,” Stone said.

“Thank you. We’ve been here many times, of course, but we’ve come this time to purchase a residence and settle.”

The waitress returned with their drinks, then left.

“Bill Eggers said that someone had referred you to me.”

“Ah, yes, a New York friend, Emerson Wilson.”

Stone had met the man at a dinner and talked with him for half the evening, but that was it. “Of course.”

“I regard Emerson as a keen judge of character,” Grosvenor said, “and he regards you as a good man to deal with.”

“I’m flattered,” Stone said. “What sort of services will you require from Woodman and Weld?”

“Perhaps you might tell me how your firm could best serve?”

“We can provide you with essential legal services, including finance and tax assessment. We can introduce you to a reputable investment adviser and a realtor to help in your search for a residence. We can also help you deal with any immigration issues you may have.”

“Oh, that’s not a problem for us—my wife is an American citizen.”

“That makes things much simpler. Where do you currently reside, Mr. Grosvenor?”

“In Eaton Square, London, and we have a country house near Chester.”

Stone recalled that Eaton Square was owned by the Duke of Westminster and that his family seat was near Chester. “And how soon do you plan to relocate?”

“You might say that, having arrived, we have already relocated. All we need is a house to complete the move.”

“Have you chosen a neighborhood?”

“We quite like Bel-Air,” Grosvenor said.

“You understand that I work in the New York office of Woodman and Weld and that I live in that city.”

“Quite.”

“There are a dozen partners in our Los Angeles offices. I think it’s best that I introduce you to one of them tomorrow and that he begin to assess your needs and make recommendations.”

“I was rather hoping that you could be involved.”

“Of course, but I think it’s best that you have an attorney on the ground in Los Angeles. I can be available in New York whenever I’m needed.”

“Do you not have a residence in Los Angeles?”

“I do, at The Arrington, just up Stone Canyon, but I’m normally here only two or three times a year. I may be here more often now since my son is living here, working as a film director at Centurion Studios.”

“Ah, Hollywood. That interests me.”