Kate glanced over at her. Selby had been a good friend to Kate over the years, the first one to offer help and advice when Kate suffered with morning sickness, the first one to be there, visiting and pitching in, after Annabelle’s birth by C-section. Ever since Blaire’s departure, the friendship between Selby and Kate had flourished, much the way it had before Blaire entered Kate’s life.

Harrison turned to Georgina. “Remember Roger DeMarco? He used to belong to the club before he moved away. He heard about Lily and reached out. Nice of him.”

“How thoughtful of him. Where’s he living now?”

“He’s in Florida. Sarasota.”

“Oh! I just love Sarasota,” Georgina said. “There’s a marvelous bridge tournament there every winter. In fact,” she continued, “wouldn’t it be great fun if we went together? You could visit your old chum, and we could both play in the tournament. If I remember right, you used to be a pretty wicked player.”

Kate wanted to jump in, but it wasn’t her place. She was bristling for her mother’s sake, but perhaps Georgina was just trying to do for Harrison what he and Lily had done for Georgina when Bishop passed—keep him busy and social in spite of his grieving. This felt different, though.

“Uh, I don’t know,” Harrison said quietly.

“Oh, Harrison,” she said, nudging his shoulder in a ribbing way. “Remember how we always used to joke that you and I should be married, that we were so much more compatible . . .” She laughed, her hand against her chest, as if embarrassed by her own words. “Just a little funny observation . . .”

“Have you lost your mind, Mother?” Palmer’s voice interrupted her. “What a thing to say.”

Harrison was staring at Georgina in bewilderment, just like the rest of them, but she stuck her chin out defiantly. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just reminiscing. Goodness, if Lily were here, she would tell everyone to lighten up.”

She was crazy, Kate thought. Her father and Georgina were nothing alike. She was seething at the suggestion.

“I hope you’re not upset with Mother,” Selby whispered to Kate, leaning in. “She doesn’t always think before she speaks. As you well know.”

The conversation after that was pretty desultory—the parts that Kate could focus on, anyway—and they were almost through dessert without any more tasteless comments from Georgina when they heard the doorbell ring.

Margaret, Selby’s house manager, slid into the room and discreetly whispered into Selby’s ear. She looked puzzled. “Kate, something has been delivered for you.”

Kate felt a shiver go through her. “What?”

Selby shrugged. “I don’t know. Should I have Margaret bring it in?”