evidence bag with the filmstrip he had shown to Aaron Farb. He handed it to Mary.
“I was wondering if you could tell me what movie this piece of film was taken from?” Will said.
Mary held the plastic bag up to the window, and studied it for a minute or two. “ Des Enfants Gates,” she said. “Directed by Bertrand Tavernier. Sometime in the seventies. 1976 or 7 would be my guess. Why?”
“Can you translate the title for me? ” Will asked.
“ Spoiled Children . The Film Society ran it a few years ago. And that’s another thing––about Bunny, I mean. She knew practically zilch about movies. I seriously doubt she even knew the difference between the work of Cukor and Capra. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she thought the French New Wave was a hairstyle ,” Mary said.
Chapter 25
Susan Winner was running late to meet her sister for lunch at Olivia’s Tearoom. She hurriedly stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower. As she began scrubbing her body with almond-scented soap, a spasm of wracking sobs overcame her, and she felt gripped by guilt and sadness and frustration and loneliness.
She held her face upward into the rushing water with her eyes tightly shut, waiting for these troubling feelings to wash away, and along with them, the tender smell of Wallace Duncan.
The young mother of two stepped out of the shower, feeling exhausted. Relieved to find the mirror over the sink fogged up with steam, she was glad to be spared the sight of her own reflection, afraid she would not like what she saw at that moment.
Chapter 26
Milo Marcus knew very well where Mary Buttery lived, although he had never been to her apartment. Every time he passed by Crackenthorpe’s, he looked up at the second floor windows, hoping for a glimpse of Mary. Once he thought he saw her looking down at the street. He froze, wondering whether to wave or pretend he hadn’t seen her, and simply scurried away instead. He hoped Mary hadn’t seen him, and if she had, Milo prayed she didn’t think he was some kind of pathetic pervert or stalker.
Milo viewed Bunny’s death as the perfect entree to approach Mary. It gave him a reason to speak to her ––he would offer his condolences and emotional support.
Oho! What if I were to persuade Mary that I was somehow responsible for Bunny’s death? Wouldn’t that make her like me? Wouldn’t that make me some kind of hero?
Milo formulated his strategy. He resolved once and for all to speak to Mary after Professor Cadbury’s next class.
When the moment came, he was every bit as nervous as he feared he would be, and then some, but he managed to cobble together a coherent sentence, invited her to tea, and magically, Mary agreed to meet him that afternoon at Sanborn House.
Milo arrived fifteen minutes early, and staked out a private corner in the elegant little library where he and Mary could talk privately. As he waited nervously for her to arrive he fussed over which chair he should sit in and which one he should offer Mary. He changed seats three times.
What if Mary walks in and sees me playing musical chairs! She’ll think I’m a nutcase!
Milo did not notice Edwina sitting on the other side of the library, but Edwina saw him, and just as she got up to approach him, Mary Buttery appeared. Milo leapt out of his carefully chosen seat to greet her. Edwina stopped in her tracks, intrigued by the idea of Milo having an assignation. She sat tight and watched the scene unfold.
Mary had had little dating experience at Cushing, and her assured, sometimes haughty, manner belied a dreadful lack of self-confidence. She was pleased when Milo asked her to tea, and she was trying out a new lipstick for the occasion, ‘Pinky Pinkerton’. Now she stood in the open doorway looking nervously around.
That girl looks familiar, Edwina thought. Where have I seen her before?
Edwina watched Milo and the girl intently.
Olivia’s Tea Room! That is the girl Honeysuckle was
“I was wondering if you could tell me what movie this piece of film was taken from?” Will said.
Mary held the plastic bag up to the window, and studied it for a minute or two. “ Des Enfants Gates,” she said. “Directed by Bertrand Tavernier. Sometime in the seventies. 1976 or 7 would be my guess. Why?”
“Can you translate the title for me? ” Will asked.
“ Spoiled Children . The Film Society ran it a few years ago. And that’s another thing––about Bunny, I mean. She knew practically zilch about movies. I seriously doubt she even knew the difference between the work of Cukor and Capra. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she thought the French New Wave was a hairstyle ,” Mary said.
Chapter 25
Susan Winner was running late to meet her sister for lunch at Olivia’s Tearoom. She hurriedly stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower. As she began scrubbing her body with almond-scented soap, a spasm of wracking sobs overcame her, and she felt gripped by guilt and sadness and frustration and loneliness.
She held her face upward into the rushing water with her eyes tightly shut, waiting for these troubling feelings to wash away, and along with them, the tender smell of Wallace Duncan.
The young mother of two stepped out of the shower, feeling exhausted. Relieved to find the mirror over the sink fogged up with steam, she was glad to be spared the sight of her own reflection, afraid she would not like what she saw at that moment.
Chapter 26
Milo Marcus knew very well where Mary Buttery lived, although he had never been to her apartment. Every time he passed by Crackenthorpe’s, he looked up at the second floor windows, hoping for a glimpse of Mary. Once he thought he saw her looking down at the street. He froze, wondering whether to wave or pretend he hadn’t seen her, and simply scurried away instead. He hoped Mary hadn’t seen him, and if she had, Milo prayed she didn’t think he was some kind of pathetic pervert or stalker.
Milo viewed Bunny’s death as the perfect entree to approach Mary. It gave him a reason to speak to her ––he would offer his condolences and emotional support.
Oho! What if I were to persuade Mary that I was somehow responsible for Bunny’s death? Wouldn’t that make her like me? Wouldn’t that make me some kind of hero?
Milo formulated his strategy. He resolved once and for all to speak to Mary after Professor Cadbury’s next class.
When the moment came, he was every bit as nervous as he feared he would be, and then some, but he managed to cobble together a coherent sentence, invited her to tea, and magically, Mary agreed to meet him that afternoon at Sanborn House.
Milo arrived fifteen minutes early, and staked out a private corner in the elegant little library where he and Mary could talk privately. As he waited nervously for her to arrive he fussed over which chair he should sit in and which one he should offer Mary. He changed seats three times.
What if Mary walks in and sees me playing musical chairs! She’ll think I’m a nutcase!
Milo did not notice Edwina sitting on the other side of the library, but Edwina saw him, and just as she got up to approach him, Mary Buttery appeared. Milo leapt out of his carefully chosen seat to greet her. Edwina stopped in her tracks, intrigued by the idea of Milo having an assignation. She sat tight and watched the scene unfold.
Mary had had little dating experience at Cushing, and her assured, sometimes haughty, manner belied a dreadful lack of self-confidence. She was pleased when Milo asked her to tea, and she was trying out a new lipstick for the occasion, ‘Pinky Pinkerton’. Now she stood in the open doorway looking nervously around.
That girl looks familiar, Edwina thought. Where have I seen her before?
Edwina watched Milo and the girl intently.
Olivia’s Tea Room! That is the girl Honeysuckle was
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