“Who?”

In reply, a tall figure appeared in the doorway dressed in what looked like a blue silk karate outfit and little Japanese slippers.

“I’m not late, am I?” Mrs. Amberson said with a smile. “I lose track of time when I’m meditating.”

Her face was tautly stretched into a smile that didn’t seem entirely sane to Scarlett. It wobbled just a bit in the corners. Also, she was carrying what appeared to be a dead ferret in her right fist.

“No,” Scarlett’s dad said, obviously trying not to look at the dead animal. “Right on time. Please, sit down.”

The addition of Mrs. Amberson and her dead ferret to this mix was not something Scarlett had anticipated. She sat down quickly to steady herself, and Mrs. Amberson planted herself right next to her, slinging the ferret around the back of her neck in a swoop that grazed Scarlett’s ear.

“I hope you don’t mind this,” she said, flicking the thing with her finger. “It’s a vintage fur collar I converted into a bead cushion imbued with essential revitalizing oils. I call him Charlie.”

So the ferret had a name. Even better.

“Marlene and I have met,” Mrs. Amberson said, preempting any introduction. “I’m very excited to meet the rest of the clan.”

Spencer came through the doorway that very second, followed by Eric. Eric had changed into one of Spencer’s T-shirts. Spencer was taller and more slender than he was, so the fabric gripped his body snugly, showing off the massive muscles in his arms. Scarlett felt herself rock forward in the chair.

Spencer sighed when he saw the cowboy shirt, but Eric didn’t so much as raise an eyebrow. He shook her dad’s hand as if nothing was amiss. The two of them sat down on the opposite side of the table. Mrs. Amberson shrugged her shoulders lightly, allowing Charlie the Dead Ferret to shift a little.

“Amy Amberson,” she said, all smiles. “I’m the new guest. I’ll be here all summer.”

“All summer?” Spencer repeated.

“I think it’s adorable how you all do that,” she said. “Spencer…another wonderful name. All associated with classic films. There’s Marlene Dietrich, who played Lola in The Blue Angel. Scarlett, of course, is Scarlett O’Hara from Gone With the Wind. And Spencer is Spencer Tracy, one of the great leading men of all time.”

As she spoke, she was taking in Spencer and Eric with much too long and appreciative a look. It started on Eric and his tight shirt, but it landed and lingered on Spencer.

“I’d say you’re more of a Cary Grant type,” she added.

“Believe it or not,” Scarlett’s dad said, roughly shaking a can of grated cheese to dislodge the lump from the bottom, “we just liked the names. It wasn’t intentional.”

“We all know what we’re doing,” Mrs. Amberson said. “Whether we realize it or not.”

“This is really nice of you,” Eric said politely, filling the silence that came after that baffling remark. “Thanks for having me.”