Anna harrumphed. “Let the fun times roll.”

“Linnea! Annabelle!” Pandora waved as she approached, smiling.

Linnea rose to her feet.

“No hugs, no kisses!” Pandora said, stopping ten feet away. “And please don’t ask me to do that elbow thing. It’s so banal. Here’s an air kiss.” She pursed her lips and made a smacking noise.

“When did you get back?”

“Two weeks ago. I went straight into quarantine. I’ve been dreadfully lonely.”

“Why didn’t you call?”

“Oh, what would’ve been the point? I was exhausted and I knew I’d see you when all this virus stuff sorted itself out. It did, and here I am.”

“Are you here for long?”

“Plans unknown. I’m waiting to see what Granny James will do. I’m officially here to inspect the house—she sent me first class and expects a thorough report. Your mother did a marvelous job, by the way. I hardly recognized the house! I’m not embarrassed to walk inside anymore. Rave reviews. I know Granny is going to be blissfully happy. She’s dying to come, of course, but her doctors won’t allow her to travel.”

“Mama worked extremely hard on the house. She’ll be so pleased.”

“Heaven knows the place needed a complete makeover! It could’ve been on one of the telly shows where people come in and transform a horrid little box into a beautiful home. I was on Team Tear-It-Down, I don’t mind telling you. But I confess I was wrong. Your mother is a miracle worker. She always said the house had good bones, whatever that means.” She laughed. “Anyway, I’m there now, happy to be back, and I’m so happy to see you. I’ve got a golf cart. We can whiz back and forth between our houses. Won’t we have fun?”

“Fun’s always a good thing,” Linnea said, smiling. Pandora had an energy and confidence that lifted the spirits. “You remember Annabelle, of course. She goes by Anna now.” She turned to indicate Anna sitting on the sand.

“Oh. Yes. Hi, Anna.” Pandora’s tone was flat.

Anna looked away from the ocean. “Hi, Pandora.”

Linnea inwardly groaned. There had never been any affection between the two women. Pandora turned again to Linnea. “I, uh, I heard Gordon was here too?”

“Oh, yes,” she answered lightly. Pandora’s tone made Linnea wonder if she still had a thing for Gordon. “He’s here. He pulled every string to get here as early as he could. He’s just finishing his quarantine.”

“Oh, goody,” Pandora replied, smiling. “It will be such fun to see him again. A fellow Brit and all that. Did he rent the same house as last year?”

“No, sadly. Everything was rented.”

“Ah, too bad. Where is he staying? I have plenty of room at Granny James’s house. He could stay with me.”

Linnea realized that Pandora was fishing for information. “He’s renting the loft next door at Emmi’s house. You remember that sweet carriage house?”

“Oh.” She pursed her lips in thought.

“You know, Pandora, you should join our pod.”