Lilian felt the sort of throbbing of one suddenly awakened from a nap. Where had they run into each other? Around a corner outside Harrods, coming through a park gate, each with a smiling face and the woman with him standing silently by. What sort of woman would she be?

Thinking of Walter Vail on the same continent disturbed her in a dim way. She went to see that the children were tucked in, and read them a story, causing minor uproars when she altered favorite passages. After dinner she wrote Dolly, saying do come on Thursday. She wanted to hear all the news.

Dolly Vernon could only stay for the day, she had to get back to Freddie.

Let me think what’s going on, she said, lifting the pearls at her neck and dropping them with a clink.

They sat on the low sofas in the living room after lunch. Dolly’s brother Hugh was interested in one of the Snow girls, though Dolly Vernon couldn’t understand why as the girl was mute. Tommy Lattimore sent Lilian his best; he was looking well, and appeared wherever one went. Lilian had received bold letters from him saying Boston was drab, and that he never went anywhere because he knew she wouldn’t be there.

Emmett Smith and Reed Wheeler had come back from an Egyptian trip, Emmett knowing more about pyramids now than the experts and Reed with a foreign parasite. Sis and Cap had given a huge Christmas party and Dickie Wiggin came out of his shell to sing. Marian was expecting again, determined to have ten more. Madelaine Fenwick had broken off again with Bill Stockwell, this time for good, and according to her sister was in love with one of her professors. Oh, and Walter Vail! They had run into him near Shepard’s Market. He had a woman with him, Dolly thought her pretty in an exotic way, but Freddie considered her too unusual-looking. Walter Vail was dapper as ever. Freddie asked him back to the hotel for a drink later and Dolly said do bring your wife, smiling at the woman, but they both looked uncomfortable and Walter Vail explained that this was not his wife, his wife had died, so they all stood there like idiots. Naturally he didn’t show up later. Dolly supposed they weren’t smart enough for him. But that was just like him, not to show up, wasn’t it?

Lilian had to agree that it was.

Never really understood what you saw in him, Dolly Vernon said. I mean, he’s handsome, but …

I thought you found him charming, said Lilian, laughing.

Did I? Dolly Vernon shrugged. Can’t picture that. Her attention began to wander. Listen, why don’t you come back to town with me? Dolly’s eyes were bright. Her health was never in the least affected by her diet of cigarettes and cocktails.