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That set the tone for the next wretched hour

"Do you prefer New England oysters?" Phillipa was saying, toying with her tiny fork "I do, but it’s so hard to ship them across the ocean, and what’s the point, really, e have such lovely Italian shellfish close at hand?"

"Where is Leander?" I asked, in the tone someone takes with a snoring her, "I’ll choose theain She rattled off an order that ht as well have been in Italian, for all I understood it

"Where," I said, "is Leander"

Gri, Phillipa adjusted her scarf "They really could turn up the heat in this place, couldn’t they? Brrr"

"Where is Leander"

This had been our plan, insomuch as we had one: I would hammer away at Phillipa with the question she wouldn’t answer until she laid out her reasons fora lunch, Holives us tiive me time to learn her tells

"Where is Leander," I said Then I ordered a soda fro to study her menu, but I was sure she’d found a way to study Phillipa’s face The older wo It was subtle--she’d s at a sleeve--but her hands were in constant motion

Fivefor so was a diversion, but for what? It wasn’t like Greystone HQ would be made vulnerable by our absence

The oysters arrived on a shallow platter, on a bed of ice Holmes’s eyes narrowed, for a moment, in pleasure She’d had them for the first time at my father’s house in Connecticut when Abbie, ht home a sack from the fish market, and Holh to know she liked the ritual of it, the strange, beautiful meat, the tiny tools used to prize it out

Almost reverently, Holmes lifted an oyster and studied it "How are your orchids?" she asked Phillipa in a polite voice

And just like that, Phillipa’s ive you one chance to bargain with us," Phillipa said, placing her hands on the table "It’s ust is, and I’ll negotiate on your behalf with Lucien Hadrian isn’t interested in treating with you, but I am Surely that’s why you called ardener quit, and so suddenly," Hol the shell to her nose to study it "That was just this , wasn’t it? Milo did need someone to tend to hiscarnations"