She had arranged the lunch here today specifically because she knew she needed to do something special to make up for the whole Stratosphere Church debacle.
“This is the most beautiful house I’ve ever been to in all of Hong Kong! Does your mother live here?” Kitty asked, taking her appointed seat beneath the arch at the outdoor dining table.
“No. No one lives here full-time. This was originally my grandfather’s weekend retreat, and when he died he very cleverly left it to the Ko-Tung Corporation so that his children couldn’t fight over it. It’s shared among the whole family—we use it like our own private club, and the company also uses it for very special functions.”
“So this is where your mother hosted the ball for the Duchess of Oxbridge a few months ago?”
“Not just the duchess. My mother threw a dinner party here for Princess Margaret when she came with Lord Snowdon in 1966, and Princess Alexandra has visited too.”
“Where are those princesses from?”
Corinna had to refrain from rolling her eyes. “Princess Margaret is the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, and Princess Alexandra of Kent is a cousin of the queen.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize there were so many princesses in England. I just thought there was Princess Diana and Princess Kate.”
“Actually, her name is Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, and she is not officially a princess of the blood royal. As consort to Prince Will…oh never mind,” Corinna said dismissively. “Now, Ada and Fiona will be here in a few minutes. Remember to be extra gracious to Fiona, because she was the one who convinced Ada to come today.”
“Why is Fiona Tung-Cheng being so nice to me?” Kitty asked.
“Well, for one thing, unlike some of the members of Stratosphere, Fiona is a true Christian who believes in the power of redemption, and she’s also my cousin, so I could twist her arm into helping me. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Ada’s been dying to see this house for years.”
“I don’t blame her. I thought only Repulse Bay and Deep Water Bay had a few big mansions—I didn’t know big houses on the water still existed in Hong Kong.”
“That’s how we prefer it. Shek O is where all the old families have their houses tucked away on the secluded headlands.”
“I should get a place here, shouldn’t I? You’ve been telling me to move out of Optus Towers. This would be like having a place in Hawaii!”
Corinna gave her a patronizing smile. “You can’t just buy a house here, Kitty. First of all, there are only a handful of houses, and most have been in families for generations and will always remain that way. In the rare instance that a property does come on the market, new residents need to be approved by Shek O Development, which controls most of the land around here. Living here is like being accepted into a very exclusive club—in fact, I would say that Shek O homeowners are part of the most exclusive club in Hong Kong.”
“Well, can’t you help me get in? Isn’t that the whole point of our working together?” And my paying you so goddamn much money every month, Kitty thought.
“We’ll see how things go. This is why it is so important to rehabilitate your image—in time, perhaps your grandchildren might be allowed to buy here.”
Kitty absorbed all this in a sulky silence. My grandchildren? I want to live here now, when I can still sunbathe in the nude on a private terrace like this one.
“Now, do you have the apology to Ada memorized by heart?” Corinna asked.
“I do. I was practicing it all morning with my maids. They thought it was very convincing.”
“Good. I really want this to come from the heart, Kitty. You need to deliver it like this is your one and only chance to win an Oscar. I don’t expect Ada and you to become instant best friends, but I do hope that this gesture will soften her and mark a turning point. Her forgiveness will go a long way toward your being accepted into society again.”
“I will try my best. I even wore exactly what you told me to.” Kitty sighed. She felt like a lamb being led to the slaughter in the muted floral Jenny Packham dress and peach Pringle cardigan that Corinna had chosen for her.
“I’m glad you listened. Just do me a favor and button one more button on that cardigan. Now it’s perfect!”
A few minutes later, the butler announced, “Madame—Lady Poon and Mrs.