“Disappeared like all the others. Can you ever remember him inviting anyone to join us for dinner a second time?”
Su Ling thought about the question for a moment, and then admitted, “Now you mention it, I can’t. I suppose it could just be my cooking.”
“No, it’s not your cooking, but I’m afraid that you are to blame.”
“Me?” said Su Ling.
“Yes, you. The poor man has been besotted with you for years, so everyone he goes out with is dragged along to dinner so that Tom can compare…”
“Oh no, not that old chestnut again,” said Su Ling.
“It’s not an old chestnut, little flower, it’s the problem.”
“But he’s never done more than kiss me on the cheek.”
“And he never will. I wonder how many people are in love with someone they have never even kissed on the cheek.”
Nat disappeared upstairs to read to Luke as Su Ling set a fourth place at the table. She was polishing an extra glass, when the doorbell rang.
“Can you get it, Nat? I’m a bit tied up. There was no response, so she took off her apron and went to the front door.
“Hi,” said Tom as he bent down and kissed Su Ling on the cheek, which only brought Nat’s words to mind.
“This is Julia,” he said. Su Ling looked up at an elegant woman, who was nearly as tall as Tom, and almost as slim as she was, although her fair hair and blue eyes suggested a heritage nearer Scandinavia than the Far East.
“How nice to meet you,” said Julia. “I know it’s hackneyed, but I really have heard so much about you.”
Su Ling smiled as she took Julia’s fur coat. “My husband,” she said, “is caught up with…”
“Black cats,” said Nat as he appeared by Su Ling’s side. “I’ve been reading The Cat in the Hat to Luke. Hi, I’m Nat, and you must be Julia.”
“Yes, I am,” she said, giving Nat a smile that reminded Su Ling that other women found her husband attractive. “Let’s go into the living room and have a drink,” said Nat, “I’ve put some champagne on ice.”
“Do we have something to celebrate?” asked Tom.
“Other than you being able to find someone who is willing to accompany you to dinner, no, I can’t think of anything in particular, unless…” Julia laughed. “Unless we include a call from my lawyers to say that the Bennett’s takeover has been clinched.”
“When did you hear about that?” asked Tom.
“Late this afternoon; Jimmy called to say that they’ve signed all the documents. All that we have to do now is hand over the check.”
“You didn’t mention this when you came in,” said Su Ling.
“The thought of Julia coming to dinner drove it out of my mind,” said Nat, “but I did discuss the deal with Luke.”
“And what was his considered opinion?” asked Tom.
“He thought that a dollar was far too much to pay for a bank.”
“A dollar?” echoed Julia.
“Yes, Bennett’s have been declaring a loss for the past five years and, if you exclude the banking premises, their long-term debt is no longer covered by their assets, so Luke may prove to be right if I can’t turn it around in time.”
“How old is Luke?” asked Julia.
“Two, but he already has a proper grasp of financial matters.”
Julia laughed. “So tell me more about the bank, Nat.”