Willow (DeBeers 1)

"We thought you had gone off to do some interview," Asher said.

"Where have you been. dear?" Bunny asked.

I told them what I had been doing and my bargain with Linden. Asher seemed amused. but Bunny looked concerned.

"I don't know if she should be spending so much time with them. Asher, and especially with Linden, alone on the beach like that."

"Oh, he's harmless," Asher said.

"I was hoping you would go with me to the meeting of the committee planning the Cancer Ball," Bunny complained. "You would see and meet many wealthy Palm Beach residents. It will be so much more enjoyable, and you can learn so much more than you possibly could from Grace Montgomery and Linden."

"I appreciate that." I said. "but I've already made these arrangements."

"Oh, they won't even remember or care." Bunny insisted, waving her hand in the direction of the beach house as if there were some smoke in the air she could clear away.

"However. I would remember. and I do care." I said.

"Let her carry out her own business in the manner she sees fit, Bunny,," Asher gently

reprimanded.

"I'm just trying to help her." she protested. "She's a stranger here. She doesn't know these people. She doesn't know whom to see and whom not to bother with, does she?"

"I appreciate that. Bunny. Thank you," I said. "Then you're coming along?"

"No, I can't," I said.

"I have to get ready to go." she said with a pout. How could a grown woman be so spoiled and childish, and how could she have a son like Thatcher? I wondered. "I'll be leaving in an hour should you change your mind," she told me, and marched out of the room.

Asher shook his head and smiled after her. "Bunny is very used to getting people to do whatever she thinks they should. She's actually like a fragile piece of expensive china that we have to set down gently all the time. It takes so little to shatter her happiness, especially these days." he added.

"Why these days?"

"She's feeling... older. We are no longer permitted to acknowledge her birthday, no presents, no special dinners, and especially no parties. Women here lie about their ages more than women in Hollywood. She still refuses to permit Whitney's children to refer to her as Grandmother or even Nana. They have to call her Bunny, just like everyone else," he said with a smile. "Actually. I think they enjoy calling her that. I think to this day, our granddaughter Laurel thinks Bunny is a cartoon character come to life."

"How old is Laurel?"

"Twelve. Our grandson Quentin is fourteen. He's a very serious young man. Bunny has a harder time with him, but they're both beautiful, talented kids. You'll meet them on the weekend at the party." he said.

Jennings appeared. "Lunch. Mr. Eaton," he announced dryly.

"Oh, wonderful." Asher said. "Will you join me for a bite. Isabel?" He stood up and held out his arm. Even at midday, he was wearing a light blue sports jacket, a dark blue cravat, a white shirt, and white pants with a pair of boat shoes.

"Yes, thank you." I said. smiling. I could see from whom Thatcher had inherited his charm.

"So what do you think of all this?" he asked, sweeping his arm over the patio, across the grounds and the private beach, the pool, the buildings and gardens,

"It's very impressive," I said "It is truly more like a hotel than a home. You have everything here, anything anyone could possibly want."

&nb

sp; "Yes," he said. laughing, "I believe it was Ogden Nash who wrote about the rich. I don't mind their having a lot of money, and I don't care how they employ it. But I do think that they damn well ought to admit. they enjoy it."

We both laughed. To a certain extent. I liked him for his lack of modesty concerning his wealth. So many people I knew through Daddy and especially through my adoptive mother were secretive about their money. They made excuses for spending and tried to justify every extravagance as if they were worried some envious person would try to take it all away from them or they would be cursed for having so much. That was certainly not the case here. Even in the short time I had been here. I saw that people wore their wealth like badges, outbuilding, outdriving, outdressing each other, and, as Thelma Carriage had said yesterday, even out-partying each other.

"Did you always live like this. Asher?" "Yes. I suppose so," he said.

As usual, a literal banquet had been prepared for just the two of us: platters of prawns, salads, roast beef. turkey, and poached salmon plus a dessert table. The two maids stood behind the tables looking as if they would soon compete for the opportunity to spoon some creamed onions onto Asher's plate or mine. We just nodded or pointed to something, and they filled our plates and brought them to us after we sat.