Christina persisted. “You should come have lunch with the Shedders, get to know us a bit. Mimi is the most adorable, generous woman on the island. She would probably give you a sweatshirt, and she would definitely make you laugh. And you could stop in at the Hy-Line office. Many of the clerks there grew up on the island and they know the history. You could learn all about Nantucket. If you—”

“Miss Antonioni!” Oscar rose from the desk, his fists pushing into the blotter, his head shoved forward.

He looked, Christina thought, much like a gorilla ready to charge. Oh, dear, she thought, this can’t be good.

“I don’t care about all your cute little friends. I didn’t get rich by playing games with cute little friends. I’m a businessman. I don’t want your friendship. I want your money.”

Christina’s mouthed gaped in shock. She’d never heard anyone say that before, not even the real estate dealers.

She desperately tried to think of something to say.

Then Wink rose from her chair with her small hands wrapped around each other and her blue eyes as wide as saucers and her face all scrunched up in worry. “But, Grandfather! Why do you care about money? You have money. You don’t have any friends. You need friends.”

Oscar’s face turned burgundy. He yelled at Wink, “Get out of my house!”

Wink burst into tears and ran from the room. A moment later, the front door slammed.

Christina stood up, alarmed and angry. “How can you tell your granddaughter to leave your house?”

“I didn’t say that!” Oscar bellowed. “I told her to get out of the room.”

“No, Mr. Bittlesman, you told her to leave your house. That’s why you heard the front door slam.” A vein was throbbing on Oscar’s forehead. Christina didn’t want the older man to have a stroke.

Oscar sank back into his cushy leather chair. He reached for his Scotch and drank it all in one gulp. His hands were shaking.

“I’m sorry if I caused such a disturbance,” Christina said. “I’ll leave now. And see if I can find Wink.”

Christina stepped into the large front hall and began the exhausting process of pulling on her parka, her gloves, her hat, her scarf.

Janice came into the hall. “Is everything all right?”

Christina was trembling and worried and angry and sick at heart. “Oh, sure, everything’s just fine. Mr. Bittlesman told his granddaughter to leave his house, and she ran out and I’m not certain she’s wearing a coat and Mr. Bittlesman is about to have a heart attack and I’ll have to close my shop on February first and so will my wharf friends.”