The Age of Dreaming

before. I’d invited only about fifty of my closest friends and colleagues, and we began at 7:00, with the idea that the guests would eat and converse until it was dark enough for the fireworks. The whole party took place outside, where white-coated cooks labored over open grills, and a bar was set up on either side of the yard. Because it was still light out, many of the guests—even those who had been there before—took a tour of my garden. It was sectioned off into different areas for roses, cacti and succulents, and colorful annuals; the Japanese garden, which I had installed upon moving in, had long since been taken over by perennials.

It was a little after 7, and I was talking with the actress Evelyn Marsh—my costar in The Patron—when Nora Minton Niles arrived. I had invited her, as I always did, but was pleasantly surprised that she’d actually come. Her date for the evening was the young British actor Russell Riner Jones, the black-haired and handsome but somewhat dim male lead of her most recent film, Liberty at Pine Hill. He was a sweet young man, and harmless, and he watched Nora with sad, soulful eyes—but perhaps precisely because of his devotion, Harriet Cole despised him. Nora must have come up with a tremendous story to escape from her house for the evening. She looked quite happy on Russell’s arm, and I was pleased—with a burst of almost fatherly affection—to see her at my party.

Not twenty minutes after Nora’s arrival, Ashley Bennett Tyler appeared. He went directly over to where the actor John Vail was standing, and although I hadn’t been aware that the two men were friends, it was clear by the way they bent their heads together and laughed that they knew one another quite well. The director had been quite busy of late, and was probably in need of a party. Rumor had it that he’d recently appeared in court on behalf of his servant, who’d been charged with a morals violation for soliciting young boys. It was precisely the kind of story that Dreyfus tried to keep out of the papers, and indeed there had been a few articles. But Tyler’s court visit had had its intended result—the District Attorney ultimately dropped the charges, and the whole affair had settled down quickly.

At the party, Tyler and Vail were not left alone for long, because the moment that Nora realized the director was there, she rushed over to him, her young man behind her. By this time, Evelyn Marsh had moved off toward the food, so I made my way over to Tyler as well.

“Ah, Mr. Nakayama!” said Tyler as I approached. “What a festive occasion.” Then, turning to Nora and bowing his head slightly. “Good evening, Nora. What a pleasure it is to see you.”

This innocuous greeting caused Nora to flush, and she pressed her hands together with glee. “Mr. Tyler, I didn’t know you were coming! Oh, what a wonderful surprise!” She beamed at him unself-consciously, and for a moment I thought she might start jumping up and down like a child.

“Well, it’s a special day, isn’t it, Nora? Although for us Brits, your Independence Day is no cause for celebration.” He smiled, and Nora laughed as if he’d uttered the most original thought in the world. Next to her, Mr. Riner Jones looked miserable.

“Oh, Mr. Tyler, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you,” Nora gushed. “When will you direct me again?”

“Soon, Nora. Soon. We have several pictures in the works. If things go as planned, one of them will start shooting in two or three months.”

“Two or three months! That’s far too long!” Her shoulders slumped in disappointment, and her lower lip pushed out like a little girl’s. Then, just as quickly, her expression reversed and she looked at him brightly again. “I know what we can do! Russell and I are going out to Jake’s Joint tonight. Why don’t you come with us?”

Tyler threw his head back and gave a hearty laugh. “You’re being rather rude to your host, don’t you think? And what will your mother say about you frequenting a speakeasy?”

“We’re going much later, after the fireworks. And Jun can come too! My mother won’t say anything at all, Mr. Tyler, because as far as she knows, I’m locked in my room for the night. That’s the only good thing about our dreadful new mansion—it’s so big that she can’t keep track of me.”

Tyler gave a smile both indulgent and avuncular. “You and your young man enjoy your evening together. Besides, Mr. Vail and I have other plans.”

But Nora would not be put off so easily. “You do? Well then, can we come with you?”

At this, John Vail smiled and cast his eyes down. He was a small man, compact and handsome, and his quick, dry wit was a welcome fixture at any party, as well as on any set. Vail was the kind of actor who an audience recognized, but whose last name often escaped them. Although he’d never appeared in a starring role, he always had steady work, usually as the main character’s best friend or younger brother. Tyler glanced at him now and appeared to suppress a smile of his own. “I’m afraid not, Nora. This is strictly men only. Your original plans sound more appropriate.”

Nora looked dejected again and was about to lodge another protest when an audible murmur rippled through the crowd. Following everyone else’s eyes and gestures, I turned toward the house. There, on the landing, stood Elizabeth Banks. She had just arrived, in a gown too elegant for the casual nature of this gathering. Her hair had been curled and tied back from her face, and she held her-self straight and momentarily still, as if waiting for a formal introduction. But while she knew several of the people who were standing close by, she did not appear to see anyone around her. She was looking directly at Tyler, and then