afflictionâ she could have been talking about.
The woman on Maxâs other side, some European countess of no account I didnât know, monopolized him from the moment we sat downâwhich was just as well. I didnât want to appear anxious. Max was very laid-back and polite, but he did assume an almost cartoonishly defensive posture, tilted way back away from her with his arms crossed in front of him. The more she leaned in toward him, the more he tilted backward. Still, it didnât stop her from trying to make an impression.
Sir Arthur and I talked during the appetizer. We had a nice conversation about Barbados and his career (he had started out as a lawyer, then became a magistrate). There was no mention of Russell Cole. As drenched waiters served lukewarm entrees, Max managed to extract himself from the overattentive woman on his right. He turned to me and said, âWell, dear lady, finally we get to sit together. How was the dinner last night?â
âIt was really extraordinary. Iâm so sorry you werenât there.â
âNot as sorry as I am,â he said with a flirtatious air.
Since he seemed to be somewhat interested in me, I then asked him a question to which I thought I knew the answer, just to see what he would say.
âWhy werenât you there, if I may ask?â
Max sighed. âWell, apparently Russell thinks Iâm a rather good friend of his ex-wife, whom Iâm sure you know.â
âLulu. Yes, I know her,â I said coldly.
âYou donât sound as if you like her.â
âI canât say Iâm her greatest fan, no.â
âOh?â He cocked his handsome head to one side. âWhy not?â
âWell, letâs just say that when I was down on my luck, Lulu wasnât exactly supportive. I have a little motto in life, which is, I may not remember, but I never forget.â
Max chuckled. âThatâs rather good. Iâm going to remember that one.â
âSo are you and Lulu an âitem,â as they say?â
âAn item? What does that mean?â
I couldnât figure out whether Max was genuinely perplexed or whether he just wanted me to elaborate because he was mischievous.
âUh . . . are you dating Lulu?â
He leaned in, put his hand under his chin, and gazed at me intently. There was a twinkle in his cool eyes. âWhat are you really asking me, Jo?â he said, with a sly nuance to his voice.
I got a little flustered. My little ruse had backfired.
âI donât know. I was just wondering if you two were involved.â
âInvolved?â
âYou know . . . romantically.â
âI see. And why were you wondering that?â he pressed me.
âI guess because New York is a very small town. I know Lulu. I sort of know you. Itâs a point of interest, thatâs all.â
âA point of interest,â he said, and nodded. âLike a stop on a sightseeing tour . . . no other reason?â
âWhat other reason would there be?â I asked him.
He considered a moment. âOh, I donât know. I could probably think of a more congenial one if I put my mind to it.â He gave me a warm smile. I couldnât figure out whether he was flirting with me or just being coy. âLulu and I are merely good friends,â he went on. âBut it seems that in New York, if one is seen with a person more than once, people think youâre engaged. The fact is, I happen to be footloose and fancy-free at the moment. A fairly rare occurrence in my life, I must say.â
In other words, he was availableâor so he seemed to be indicating.
I decided to change the subject and we talked a little about Taunton Hall, his ancestral home. He obviously adored the place and took great pride in it.
âItâs a Herculean task to keep the thing up and running,â he said. âSomethingâs always falling down. This year,
Legs McNeil, Jennifer Osborne, Peter Pavia