Judy thought that she and Clarice had gotten close during their work on the museum gala. And frankly, she resented her polite chilliness because she really needed a friend right now. Albert had gone into some sort of depression after the Starbucks incident. He was horrified that a man as cultivated as Jil could be erased in such an ignominious way. Albert hadn’t even wanted to leave Southampton for Aspen. He just sat in the library looking out at the ocean listening to Mahler.

“Hi, honey.” Judy walked into the living room of their new western home. “What’s doing?”

“Nothing much,” he answered quietly.

“I was thinking we could go out to dinner tonight.” She put her hand on his shoulder.

“I’m perfectly happy to stay here,” he said flatly. “The cook is here. There’s no reason for us to go out.”

Judy couldn’t contain her irritation. “Albert, you’ve got to stop this! Yes, something terrible happened. But we can’t stop our lives because of it.”

“When are we going back to New York?” He suddenly got up.

“Are you insane? I’m not returning until this whole thing is cleared up.”

“I called the plane and said we’d go back tomorrow,” he said firmly.

“Albert, I don’t know what the hell is wrong with you.” She had raised her voice.

Albert walked toward the window without looking at her. “I miss my books.”

Judy felt her neck tightening. If she had known they would be having this conversation she would have prepared by booking a massage for afterward.

“Looky here,” she said. “We’re having a dinner party tomorrow night and the kids are skiing during the day. We’re not flying back so you can sit in your room and read Old Norwegian.”

“Cancel the dinner party.”

“Albert, do you know how long I’ve wanted to get the Landons to our house? That Hollywood circle is very tight, and believe me, when I realized Laila Landon was in my yoga class here I was like a dog with a rat in its mouth. You know she was Mark’s acupuncturist when he was still married to Shelly and was the chairman of Warner Brothers. The Landons are going to make our lives here so much more fun. They know everybody.”

Albert began to walk out of the room.

“Albert, where the hell are you going?” she called after him.

“To watch television.” He kept walking.

“But we’re having a conversation.”

“Judy, we never have a conversation!”

“Don’t say that, Albert.” Judy stopped him. “We talk about everything.”

“I’m watching television, and then I’ll read to the girls.”

“What about dinner at Caribou tonight?”

“You can arrange for us to do whatever the heck you want.” He left the room.