William woke in a good mood and I took him to the beach after breakfast, carrying the little box from the candy shop, wrapped up, inside my towel. But, though we waited all morning, Sienna never appeared. I worried her family had gone back to the city. It made me feel unreasonably sad, thinking about her gone. I unwrapped the box from its tissue paper and popped the lid open and shut while William dug in the sand.

When eleven o’clock rolled around I knew the others would be waking, so I picked up William with our towels and carried everything back to the house.

Lonnie was perched in her usual spot at the telephone in the hall. I could hear her laughter as I brought William in through the French doors that led to the back patio.

“Come over.” She laughed. “No, I’m serious, it’s tonight.”

Carlow was sipping coffee in the kitchen. “Is she inviting more people?” I asked. “Isn’t it kind of late? Kind of rude?”

He smiled at me, shrugged.

I brought her a cup of coffee and a kiwi, halved, with a spoon. “Thank you,” she mouthed, flashing me a big smile. She didn’t appear hungover at all. She was wearing her robe, and I wondered when she had woken and returned to her room. I wondered how close I’d cut it with her husband.

By the time James came downstairs I’d put William down for his nap and was lounging on the pink sofa with a book, though I wasn’t actually reading. James looked at me, then came over and grabbed my foot, wanting to sit next to me. I moved my leg up over the back of the sofa and pulled the other in toward myself. He put a hand on my knee, watching me, running the other hand through his hair.

Lonnie was still on the phone in the hall. We could hear her laughing and saying “No! Stop it!” to someone on the other end. The doorbell was ringing; the help had started to show up.

In the hallway I could hear Robert, interrupting Lonnie’s call. “Put some clothes on,” he said, answering the door. “For God’s sake. And tell your nanny to do the same.”

I was still wearing my lacy beach cover-up, but I didn’t realize he had even seen me all morning. The couch faced away from the front door, my foot was the only thing visible to him.

James ran his hand up my leg, glaring at me with mock-seriousness, and whispered, “Put some clothes on, Elle. For God’s sake. This is obscene.”

I smiled, though it wasn’t funny. I was unnerved by Robert, on edge. Everything felt like it was coming together and falling apart at the same time.