facade. The entrance was under a loggia or an arcade
made of cast stone. Just as Mommy had claimed, we
could see the ocean behind the house and another
building down to the left toward the beach,
"Where's the yacht?" I asked. and Winston
laughed. "Down at the dock," he said.
"It's not the sort of boat you can hook to the
back of your car." Mommy said, and they both
laughed like conspirators. I blushed at my own
stupidity,
"Don't sulk," Mommy urged when I turned
away. "It's hard to imagine everything. I know. I told
Winston his home is so big he might have some
guests left over from a holiday party and not know it." Winston grunted in agreement, "That actually
once happened." he said. "I thought a guest of ours
had left along with three others, and she hadn't. It was
quite embarrassing when I stepped out in my birthday
suit."
We walked through the house to the rear loggia.
I couldn't help ogling everything. How could someone
own so much art and not be considered a museum?
The sitting rooms were large, but the dining room
looked like a dining room I once saw at the naval
officers school. The table went on and on as it would
if it had a king at the head of it. How rich was
Winston Montgomery? Did he own most of the
country?
We paused at a huge portrait of him and his
wife. She was almost as tall as he was, elegant
looking with soft eyes and a gentle. Mona Lisa smile.