As soon as they were under way, Walter Vail settled her with his friends, withdrew against the gunwales and left her to them. His friends were lively, speaking more of world events than dinner parties. One couple had just been to Europe. One of the men had met a movie star and told an amusing anecdote. As she sat across from Walter Vail in the cockpit, brushing back the hair swirling around her face, she noticed how unaffected she was by him. Her skin was thicker and the person within was protected now. Of course, she thought, I’m a married woman with three children, of course I’m not going to think of him in the same way. He was as charming as before, his brow alive when asking a question. He leaned back to put his face full in the wind, and leaned forward suddenly to save Lilian from a rope being winched. His friends asked about the Island, treating her as a local historian, and she came up with the somewhat fuzzy facts her father had pronounced so often. At one point she mentioned her maiden name and the fellow in the striped shirt, the one who’d met the movie star, asked her if she were any relation to one Arthur Eliot.

Actually, said Lilian, lifting the Eliot chin, Arthur is my brother.

Really, said the man blandly. He’s also a crook.

Gerald! said one of the women.

I’m sure it’s no surprise to Mrs. Finch, said Gerald.

I don’t know what you mean, Lilian muttered.

Oh, your brother befriends people, borrows money from them and then, well, leaves town. He spoke with a jaded air. Didn’t you know?

Lilian said not a word.

Gerry, that’s enough, said the catlike woman folded in a wrap. She had a deep, menacing voice. It’s too tiresome.

You don’t know how tiresome, actually, said Gerald. Of course, I don’t blame you, Mrs. Finch. I hope you don’t think I was.

The woman stood up and went to the bow.

God, she’s going into a sulk. I better make rapid amends. He looked over his shoulder at Lilian. Do please pardon me, he said coolly.

Lilian did not at first look in Walter Vail’s direction, and when she did he appeared not to have heard anything. What a stranger he was to her really, despite the private things between them. It was as if he were assuming the role of an old friend as some kind of duty. Lilian wondered why he bothered.