‘I do. It’s the best card I hold.’
‘Well, heck, I waited long enough for your father.’
‘Did you?’
‘I loved him from the first time I met him. I pined for years. I had to watch him fall for that shallow cow Olga Vyalov, who wasn’t worthy of him but had two working eyes. Thank God she got knocked up by her chauffeur.’ Mama’s language could be a little coarse, especially when Grandmama was not around. She had picked up bad habits during the years she spent working on newspapers. ‘Then he went off to war. I had to follow him to France before I could nail his foot to the goddamn floor.’
Nostalgia was mixed with pain in her reminiscence, Woody could tell. ‘But he realized you were the right girl for him.’
‘In the end, yes.’
‘Maybe that’ll happen to me.’
Mama kissed him. ‘Good luck, my son,’ she said.
The Rouzrokh house was less than a mile away and Woody walked there. None of the Rouzrokhs would be at the Yacht Club tonight. Dave had been all over the papers after a mysterious incident at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington. A typical headline had read: CINEMA MOGUL ACCUSED BY STARLET. Woody had recently learned to mistrust newspapers. However, gullible people said there must be something in it, otherwise why would the police have arrested Dave?
None of the family had been seen at any social event since.
Outside the house an armed guard stopped Woody. ‘The family aren’t seeing callers,’ he said brusquely.
Woody guessed the man had spent a lot of time repelling reporters, and he forgave the discourteous tone. He recalled the name of the Rouzrokhs’ maid. ‘Please ask Miss Estella to tell Joanne that Woody Dewar has a book for her.’
‘You can leave it with me,’ said the guard, holding out his hand.
Woody held on firmly to the book. ‘Thanks, but no.’
The guard looked annoyed, but he walked Woody up the drive and rang the doorbell. Estella opened it and said at once: ‘Hello, Mr Woody, come in – Joanne will be so glad to see you!’ Woody permitted himself a triumphant glance at the guard as he stepped inside.
Estella showed him into an empty drawing room. She offered him milk and cookies, as if he were still a kid, and he declined politely. Joanne came in a minute later. Her face was drawn and her olive skin looked washed-out, but she smiled pleasantly at him and sat down to chat.
She was pleased with the book. ‘Now I’ll have to read Dr Freud instead of just gabbing about him,’ she said. ‘You’re a good influence on me, Woody.’
‘I wish I could be a bad influence.’
She let that pass. ‘Aren’t you going to the ball?’
‘I have a ticket but if you’re not there I’m not interested. Would you like to go to a movie instead?’
‘No, thanks, really.’
‘Or we could just get dinner. Somewhere really quiet. If you don’t mind taking the bus.’
‘Oh, Woody, of course I don’t mind the bus, but you’re too young for me. Anyway, the summer’s almost over. You’ll be back at school soon, and I’m going to Vassar.’
‘Where you’ll go on dates, I guess.’
‘I sure hope so!’
Woody stood up. ‘Okay, well, I’m going to take a vow of celibacy and enter a monastery. Please don’t come and visit me, you’ll distract the other brethren.’
She laughed. ‘Thank you for taking my mind off my family’s troubles.’
It was the first time she had mentioned what had happened to her father. He had not been planning to raise the subject but, now that she had, he said: ‘You know we’re all on your side. Nobody believes that actress’s story. Everyone in town realizes it was a set-up by that swine Lev Peshkov, and we’re furious about it.’
‘I know,’ she said. ‘But the accusation alone is too shameful for my father to bear. I think my parents are going to move to Florida.’
‘I’m so sorry.’
‘Thank you. Now go to the ball.’
‘Maybe I will.’
She walked him to the door.
‘May I kiss you goodbye?’ he said.
She leaned forward and kissed his lips. This was not like the last kiss, and he knew instinctively not to grab her and press his mouth to hers. It was a gentle kiss, her lips on his for a sweet moment that was over in a breath. Then she pulled away and opened the front door.
‘Goodnight,’ Woody said as he stepped out.
