A Million for Eleanor: A Contemporary Story on Love and Money by Danil Rudoy Page A

years.”
    “Would you take me with you?”
    “Would you go?” he said, genuinely surprised.
    “If that was our last journey – yes.”
    “And when would you embark on it?” Mrs. Charlester asked with curiosity.
    “She used to want to die at twenty eight,” he said just as Eleanor was about to speak. “But back then her idea of human age must have been different.”
    “Twenty eight!” Elisa cried. “You must be joking!”
    “No, it’s true.” Eleanor sighed. “I knew you wouldn’t forget. But I don’t think so anymore, obviously.”
    “And by how much did you extend the limits?”
    “I don’t think we need them at all. We’re busy enough to worry about something Providence will inevitably take care of.”
    “Well, that’s certainly true,” he said. “That’s why we shouldn’t get distracted from what’s really important. Such as the dessert.”
    “Finally!” Mrs. Charlester smiled. “I thought I’d have to call it myself.”
    “I think I’ll pass here.” Eleanor shook her head regretfully. “I’m already full.”
    “Darling, you have no idea what chocolate cakes they serve here,” Mrs. Charlester said. “You will not find anything like that even for a million dollars.”
    “Some other time, maybe,” Eleanor replied firmly.
    “Maybe.” He waved to the waiter. “But tea, I hope, you won’t refuse?”
    “I will not,” Eleanor said, looking into his eyes with a remarkably neutral expression.
    “What can I get for you?” The waiter inquired, notebook in hand.
    “A cup of Earl Grey with whipped cream and two ‘Vienna’s Magic Forests,” Mrs. Charlester said.
    “Dandelion tea and the ‘Flying Castles of Spain’,” Elisa said.
    “Mint tea, nothing else,” Eleanor said.
    “What about you, sir?”
    “I’ll take Earl Grey, but please, bring it in the most wonderful cup you have in the house. No faience, no remnants from ruined sets: I need something you wouldn’t be ashamed to serve to the Queen of England. And most importantly: it has to be white, like a virgin’s wedding dress, or the snow at the top of Mount Fuji. Did you write it all down?”
    “Sure, sir,” the waiter replied with an imperturbable aspect. “But maybe you’ll still have a look at our today’s…”
    “No. I prefer having my desserts in bed.”
    The waiter nodded, dextrously collecting the used dishes, and left.
    “I thought you’d forget,” Eleanor said.
    “I promised.”
    “Does he always keep his word?” Eleanor asked Mrs. Charlester.
    “As far as I know – yes. Do you, Richard?”
    “Once I didn’t,” he said after a surprisingly long contemplation. “Ten years ago I promised to play you your favorite nocturne, but never finished learning it. Is there… is there a piano here?” he asked absentmindedly.
    “There must be. And I know who you should ask about it.”
    “I beg your pardon, I must leave you for a minute,” Eleanor said, wiping her lips. “I hope you’ll forgive me,” she added as if waiting for the other ladies to join her.”
    “Over there.” He indicated the right direction with his hand and watched her make her way among the tables, wondering if anyone would notice her passage. No one did, and when she disappeared behind the fountain he sighed and said in a sad voice:
    “Much as I hate to talk about people behind their backs, I have no choice. So, my dears, what do you think of Eleanor?”
    “I was afraid you’d ask!” Mrs. Charlester smiled.
    “I wasn’t,” Elisa said seriously.
    “I am all ears.”
    “On the one hand, she is exactly what I expected, but on the other she managed to surprise me,” said Mrs. Charlester.
    “What did you expect, and what was surprising?”
    “From what I remembered of her, I expected a self-assured coquette demanding appreciation from everyone. And I saw that. What took me by surprise is how clever she is, and how well she disguises her true colors.”
    “I think the problem with her is not that she demands