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An hour later, after they were shown the two pools (one Olyuesthouse, the private zoo and aviary, the greenhouse where Sandy oversaw the cultivation of rare species of tulips, the oat barn, the three tennis courts complete with bleachers, the baseball diamond and basketball court, the children’s Victorian summerhouse, the indoor squash court, the winery with state-of-the-art concrete casks, the five-acre vineyard, the orchard and vegetable garden and koi pond, Sandy ushered therand staircases flanked the foyer Paul went off with Sandy to talk business A Guatemalan woman motioned for Annalisa to follow her up the stairs They passed an upstairs sitting room and several closed doors Annalisa was led into a room with an enormous four-poster bed and two bathroo the lawn and the ocean Her suitcase had been unpacked; her paltry supply of clothing for the weekend looked incongruous in the enor the odor of the wood I’ve got to tell Paul about this, she thought, and went downstairs to find him

Instead, she discovered Connie, Sandy’s wife, and Billy Litchfield in a sunroom done up with pink silk chaises “I’ to Billy

“Excuseshe’d interrupted a tête-à-tête

Connie sprang up She was once a faing nearly to her tailbone She had enormous blue eyes and a tiny nose and was as slim as a fairy “I was about to check on you,” she said “Do you have everything you need?”

“Our roo for Paul”

“He’s gone off with Sandy Theyhow to take over the world Come sit with us,” Connie said “We’ve heard you were a lawyer Sandy said you had a very ieneral”

“I clerked for him when I finished law school”

“You’ll probably find us very boring then,” Connie responded “All the men ever talk about is business And all omen talk about is children”

“Don’t listen to her,” Billy said to Annalisa “Connie’s an expert on contemporary art”

“Only because you taughtI know, Billy,” Connie said “My real love is jewelry I love glittery things I can’t help myself Do you have any passions you’re ashamed of, Annalisa?”

Annalisa smiled “My problem is that I’m probably too serious”

Connie rearranged herself on the chaise and said dramatically, “And ood time”

Billy stood up “Shall we dress for dinner?” he asked Annalisa walked with him to the stairs “Connie is frivolous,” Billy went on, “but they’ve only had their money for seven years On the other hand, she doesn’t have a mean bone in her body If you become friends with her, you’ll find her a useful ally”

“A to need allies?”

“One always does,” Billy said, and smiled