Willow (DeBeers 1)

"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't know you were on your way someplace. Perhaps I could come back at another time and..."

They both laughed.

"On our way? Hardly." he said. "We've just come home."

"Oh."

"We were at the charity ball at Mar-a-Lago. You must have just arrived in Palm Beach if you didn't know that was being held last night."

"And this morning." his wife added. They both laughed again,

"Yes, it did go well into the morning. As you see, we'

re having a little breakfast," he added, nodding at the tray of caviar and the champagne.

"Asher, perhaps you should introduce us," his wife suggested, "and offer the young lady a glass of shampoo."

"Champagne," Asher said. "I'm Asher Eaton, and this foolish woman beside me is my wife, I-lope."

"Oh, please call me Bunny," she said, finally sitting up.

I smiled. "I'm Isabel Amou."

"Yes, we know. We received Dr. Anderson's call just as you walked in."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to burst in on you like this."

"It's all right. For ten minutes or so," Asher Eaton said. "After that, we must, like vampires, go to bed, I'm afraid. A bit too much of everything last night."

"And this morning," Bunny reminded him.

"And this morning. So, how about some champagne?" he asked, tipping the bottle toward a glass.

"No, thank you. It's still early for me," I said. "Have a seat, please," he offered, holding his hand toward the settee across from them. "Are you a reporter or a writer?" he asked as soon as I sat.

"Oh, no. no. I'm still a college student," I said.

They stared a moment and then glanced at each other.

"Oh, we thought Dr. Anderson had said you were writing about Palm Beach society."

"I am, but it's a college project, a sociological study," I explained.

Mrs. Eaton's excitement deflated from her face like air out of a balloon. She sank back into her slouch, "I was wondering why you didn't bring a camera," she said. "Last Friday, we were featured in the Shiny Sheet," she added with pride.

I shook my head. "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with it."

"Of course you are It's the Palm Beach Daily News. We just call it that because of the paper it's printed on." she said, almost snapping at me.

"Oh. Yes. Why were you featured?"

"We had an affair here," she said, shaking her head. "The event to raise funds for battered women. We raised two hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars, Really, I'm not quite sure why you've chosen us for your... what did you call it, study of Palm Beach society?"

"Why don't you give her a chance to explain it all, Bunny?"

"Fine." she said with a bit of a pout. Then her eyebrows rose, and her eyes widened. "It wasn't Dr. Anderson who recommended us, was it? I've never been in therapy, and neither has Asher, nor has either of our children. I mean, just because we've rented the property from Grace Montgomery... it would be like guilt by association, wouldn't it. Asher?"

"You're not giving the girl a chance," he repeated, and ate some caviar on a cracker.