The LeBaron Secret by Stephen; Birmingham Page B

her ‘A Group.’”
    â€œHmm.”
    â€œI sold mine at thirty-three and five-eighths, but now—”
    â€œHer doctor told her that whenever she had a craving for a cigarette she should have a drink, and now look at her!”
    â€œIt’s a wig. Her hair was short when I saw her last week at the club.”
    â€œJust how rich are the LeBarons, anyway?”
    â€œYou’ve heard the story of how Peter Powell LeBaron got his middle name—”
    â€œThey call the Washington Street house the Dago’s Palace.”
    â€œâ€¦ a barrel of wine in the portrait gallery …”
    â€œWasn’t that a riot about Assaria LeBaron in her jet?”
    â€œJust took the controls, and— whoosh , under the bridge!”
    â€œShe must be quite bonkers.”
    â€œThey say that if you cross her she’ll chew you up and spit out the pieces.”
    â€œWhere did she come from —does anyone know?”
    â€œWell, her maiden name was Latham, which means nothing to anyone. Anywhere.”
    â€œI’ve heard that she was some sort of dancer, or show girl, and that Peter Powell LeBaron had to marry her.”
    â€œOh, I’ve heard that too, for years. They went off to Europe on their honeymoon, and came home with—”
    â€œMelissa. Five months later.”
    â€œOh, I think it was longer than that—a year, maybe, but still. At the time, everybody thought it was awfully peculiar. I mean, getting pregnant on your honeymoon is one thing, but then doesn’t one usually come home to have the baby? I mean, to make it an American citizen and all that.”
    â€œPoor Melissa.”
    â€œActually, I like Melissa, but …”
    â€œYes, I know what you mean.”
    â€œThey say that for years Assaria LeBaron has been having an affair with Gabe Pollack. Who owns the Gazette .”
    â€œBut isn’t he a little— minty , as they say?”
    â€œMinty?”
    â€œHush, darling—Alix is coming toward us. Alix, darling, how lovely you look!”
    And so on. And so on.
    The young man with the windblown-looking hair has approached Eric with his hand outstretched. “My host,” he says. “Hi, I’m Archie McPherson.”
    â€œEric LeBaron,” Eric says. “Good to meet you, Archie.”
    â€œNice of you and your wife to let me tag along,” he says. “You have a beautiful home, and this is a swell party.” A pause, and then, “Actually, I knew you and your brother at Yale.”
    Eric studies the young man’s face, trying to connect it with some face from the past. “We knew each other at New Haven? I’m sorry, but …”
    â€œOh, you didn’t know me,” Archie says. “But I knew you. Everybody knew the LeBaron twins. You both ran with the Choate and Hotchkiss set. You were both Zeta Psi and Skull and Bones. I was just a scholarship kid from a public high school in Willimantic, Connecticut, so I didn’t run with the right crowd. You and your friends used to look right through guys like me when we passed each other on the Quad.”
    â€œI see,” Eric says, put off and annoyed. “You came with the Tobins tonight, right?”
    â€œThat’s right.”
    â€œWell, you’re running with the right crowd now.” He tries to keep his tone pleasant, and yet somehow the remark comes out sounding nasty, snotty. But it is too late to retract it now, and so, smiling slightly, he moves away from Archie McPherson.
    â€œPeeper, darling,” Alix is saying. “You look a little sad tonight. Withdrawn.”
    â€œSad? Withdrawn? On the contrary, Allie, I feel just great. Good party.”
    â€œDid you come alone, or bring a date?”
    â€œAlone tonight,” he says. “Right now, I’m between dancing partners.”
    â€œAh, that’s sad. You know, I sometimes worry about you, Peeper. With girls, you seem to go from pillar to