Stone, Arrington, and Peter lunched in the kitchen, and he told Arrington of Eduardo’s invitation.
“How very nice of him,” Arrington said. “I hope you accepted.”
“I did, and I’m glad you’re happy about it.”
“Please tell me more about Eduardo,” she said.
Stone took a deep breath. “He’s a remarkable man. There are rumors that, in his youth, he became an important figure in the old Mafia, and that he may even still be involved in some way, but no one has ever been able to substantiate that, and I’ve never had the courage to ask him for fear of offending. If the rumors are true, then he’s always
been able to keep that association buried deep in his background.
“In any case, Eduardo has succeeded brilliantly in a number of fields. He founded an investment bank and became a major shareholder in a couple of big brokerage houses and serves on a number of big corporate boards. He’s also on the boards of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Opera, among other nonprofits, and he wields more personal influence in more areas than any man I know or have ever heard of.”
“That’s impressive,” Arrington said.
“Peter, Eduardo is also Ben’s grandfather. His daughter Mary Ann was married to Dino.”
“Didn’t Mary Ann have a sister?” Arrington asked.
“Yes, Dolce, but she’s mentally ill and is in some sort of facility in Sicily.” Stone didn’t mention that he and Dolce had once been married in a civil ceremony in Venice, and that, when Dolce went mad, Eduardo had seen that the marriage document was removed from the city’s records and sent to Stone. He had burned it.
“Where does Eduardo live?” Peter asked.
“Way out in Brooklyn, on the water, in a very impressive house, and you should remember to call him Mr. Bianchi, unless he asks you to do otherwise.”
“Of course,” Peter said. He produced his leather envelope and took out a document. “I want to send in this application to Yale,” he said, “and I’ll need your signature.”
“Good idea to apply now,” Stone said, and Arrington agreed. “Do you think two semesters at Knickerbocker will be enough for you?”
“I think so. There’s always summer school, too.”
“Oh, I’d like you to spend at least some of the summer in Virginia,” Arrington said.
“If that’s what you want, Mother.”
“So nice to have a dutiful son,” she said. “What are your plans for the afternoon, Peter? Will you be working on your film?”
“No, there’s an Orson Welles series at the Film Forum, and Ben and I are going to go. He’s never seen a Welles film.”
“He has a treat in store,” Stone said.
“Yes, he does,” Peter agreed. “He’s gotten very excited about film. I don’t think he’d given it much thought until we met, but now he wants to see everything. ”
“You’re a good influence,” Stone said. “If Ben weren’t seeing so many movies with you, he’d be getting into some sort of mischief. That’s what his father says, anyway. Dino is very happy about your friendship.”
“So am I,” Peter said.
21
T he lights came up at Film Forum after Citizen Kane, and Peter and Ben rose and shuffled out of the theater with the crowd.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Peter said.
“That’s because I’m stunned,” Ben replied. “I want to see it again.”
“I have it on DVD,” Peter said. “Come on back to the house, and I’ll rack it up for you.”
They took a bus back to Turtle Bay, and Peter let them into the house with his key. Stone was standing just inside the door taking off his overcoat and hanging it in the hall closet.