with us, Mrs. Hunt?''
''Adele only worries about the stock market,'' Leopold said. ''People never intimidate her.''
''And Leopold only worries about the level of Glenlivet in the bottle he keeps in his office,'' Adele countered, again with her nasty smile.
I nodded at Adele. ''Can't wait to talk to you after dinner.'' Then I took Kate's elbow. ''Guess we'd better introduce ourselves to the rest of these folks.''
My eye caught a woman who I assumed was Piper, Richter's new daughter-in-law. She was fashionably, or rather sickly, thin, her arm around the waist of a broadshouldered man with a very fine butt. I assumed this was Matthew, Richter's son. They were talking with a tall man standing beside a wildly overdressed woman in her twenties. I mean, I'm all for free expression, but she was wearing a spangled blue gown better suited to a Las Vegas show.
I took a deep breath and pulled Kate along with me.
Their little circle parted a tad when we approached them. We introduced ourselves and learned the tall man was Ian McFarland, Adele's second husband—his emphasis definitely on second in his charming British accent. His companion was not the daughter he shared with Adele, the one Scott told me about, but rather a young woman named Cinnamon. Mental note. Do not name any future offspring after spices.
Matthew and Piper offered the same cool reaction we'd received from Adele, but Ian and his ''date'' actually seemed happy to see us.
Ian looked at us and said, ''You've no drinks, do you? How atrocious.'' Then the fair-haired Ian yelled, ''Eva, you slacker. Where are you when we need you most?''
But Estelle appeared, also dressed in a white uniform. At least she'd toned down the makeup. Eva didn't make an appearance. Maybe the word slacker had sent her running to the kitchen to spit in Ian's salad. Estelle quickly brought Kate and me glasses of white wine.
Meanwhile, I glanced over at Adele and saw her appraising Cinnamon with disgust, but when she spotted me looking at her, she put a hand on her husband's arm and drew close to him. Oh yeah, this was gonna be some show tonight.
Piper looked healthier up close, her highlighted shoulder-length hair tucked behind her ears and secured with turquoise-studded barrettes. They matched the lowslung silver and turquoise belt she wore over a pale yellow sleeveless dress. Matthew was muscular, with the same blue eyes as his father.
''This Poirot-like visit with you sounds like such fun, Abby,'' Ian said. ''You and your sister work as a team, I assume?''
''At times,'' Kate answered.
Ian focused on her, his gaze admiring. ''And what might you do at other times, Kate?''
Cinnamon nudged Ian's side with her elbow. ''Sugar, would you get me some of that shrimp no one else seems to want?''
His eyes still on Kate, Ian said, ''Certainly, sweetheart.'' He walked toward the ice-filled bowl.
Piper and Matthew had stepped a few feet away and were practically feeling each other up. His hand rested on her nearly invisible butt and she had drawn close enough to breathe in his exhaled CO2. She might pass out if they stayed that way too long.
''You two live around here?'' Cinnamon adjusted the built-in bra on her gown, which practically thrust her breasts right out of her sequined bodice. She didn't seem to care.
But before we could engage in small talk, Scott reappeared with Richter at his side. All previous surliness in the room evaporated and white-tooth smiles shone on the family's golden-egg man. Richter took charge at once, insisting we all enjoy the shrimp and the wine and the beautiful summer evening for the next few minutes. Dinner would be ready in fifteen.
I headed for that bowl of shrimp like I had to get there before this roomful of sharks consumed everything including me.
12
After a fabulous dinner, Kate and I were escorted by Richter to the library at the end of that long corridor with all the closed
''Adele only worries about the stock market,'' Leopold said. ''People never intimidate her.''
''And Leopold only worries about the level of Glenlivet in the bottle he keeps in his office,'' Adele countered, again with her nasty smile.
I nodded at Adele. ''Can't wait to talk to you after dinner.'' Then I took Kate's elbow. ''Guess we'd better introduce ourselves to the rest of these folks.''
My eye caught a woman who I assumed was Piper, Richter's new daughter-in-law. She was fashionably, or rather sickly, thin, her arm around the waist of a broadshouldered man with a very fine butt. I assumed this was Matthew, Richter's son. They were talking with a tall man standing beside a wildly overdressed woman in her twenties. I mean, I'm all for free expression, but she was wearing a spangled blue gown better suited to a Las Vegas show.
I took a deep breath and pulled Kate along with me.
Their little circle parted a tad when we approached them. We introduced ourselves and learned the tall man was Ian McFarland, Adele's second husband—his emphasis definitely on second in his charming British accent. His companion was not the daughter he shared with Adele, the one Scott told me about, but rather a young woman named Cinnamon. Mental note. Do not name any future offspring after spices.
Matthew and Piper offered the same cool reaction we'd received from Adele, but Ian and his ''date'' actually seemed happy to see us.
Ian looked at us and said, ''You've no drinks, do you? How atrocious.'' Then the fair-haired Ian yelled, ''Eva, you slacker. Where are you when we need you most?''
But Estelle appeared, also dressed in a white uniform. At least she'd toned down the makeup. Eva didn't make an appearance. Maybe the word slacker had sent her running to the kitchen to spit in Ian's salad. Estelle quickly brought Kate and me glasses of white wine.
Meanwhile, I glanced over at Adele and saw her appraising Cinnamon with disgust, but when she spotted me looking at her, she put a hand on her husband's arm and drew close to him. Oh yeah, this was gonna be some show tonight.
Piper looked healthier up close, her highlighted shoulder-length hair tucked behind her ears and secured with turquoise-studded barrettes. They matched the lowslung silver and turquoise belt she wore over a pale yellow sleeveless dress. Matthew was muscular, with the same blue eyes as his father.
''This Poirot-like visit with you sounds like such fun, Abby,'' Ian said. ''You and your sister work as a team, I assume?''
''At times,'' Kate answered.
Ian focused on her, his gaze admiring. ''And what might you do at other times, Kate?''
Cinnamon nudged Ian's side with her elbow. ''Sugar, would you get me some of that shrimp no one else seems to want?''
His eyes still on Kate, Ian said, ''Certainly, sweetheart.'' He walked toward the ice-filled bowl.
Piper and Matthew had stepped a few feet away and were practically feeling each other up. His hand rested on her nearly invisible butt and she had drawn close enough to breathe in his exhaled CO2. She might pass out if they stayed that way too long.
''You two live around here?'' Cinnamon adjusted the built-in bra on her gown, which practically thrust her breasts right out of her sequined bodice. She didn't seem to care.
But before we could engage in small talk, Scott reappeared with Richter at his side. All previous surliness in the room evaporated and white-tooth smiles shone on the family's golden-egg man. Richter took charge at once, insisting we all enjoy the shrimp and the wine and the beautiful summer evening for the next few minutes. Dinner would be ready in fifteen.
I headed for that bowl of shrimp like I had to get there before this roomful of sharks consumed everything including me.
12
After a fabulous dinner, Kate and I were escorted by Richter to the library at the end of that long corridor with all the closed
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