fur caught on Lucie’s ruffles.
“Oh, wow. How did you know that would work?”
“I was a photo editor at Life magazine for more than a decade, my dear. We had to deal with every conceivable issue on our shoots.”
“It’s so nice of you to come to Mom’s fund-raiser. I didn’t realize Mom even told anyone in the building about her event.”
“She didn’t. It was Mrs. Zao who did such a good job of convincing me to come out for the gala.”
“Rosemary’s here tonight?” Lucie said, quietly alarmed.
“I haven’t seen her yet, but I assume she’s coming.”
“How is her application to live in the building coming along?” Lucie knew she shouldn’t be asking, but she couldn’t help herself.
“Oh, I can’t talk about that. These applications are strictly confidential.”
“Sorry.”
Ms. Ferrer leaned in. “But I will tell you—entre nous—your mother really surprised us.”
“How so?” Lucie asked, getting a bit nervous.
“She submitted a grossly inappropriate recommendation letter.”
“Really?” Lucie felt a sudden pang of fear.
“Yes, it was the most hilarious letter, a brilliant practical joke. I almost lost my mind reading it! Everyone on the board was rolling on the floor! Who knew your mother could be so funny? Which reminds me, I still need to thank her for it.”
Suddenly overcome with the panic of not only her mother discovering her fake co-op letter, but her whole plan misfiring, Lucie found herself blurting out, “Ms. Ferrer, there are some things I think you ought to know about Rosemary Zao!”
“Oh, and what might that be?”
“She’s not the woman you think she is.”
“What do you mean? Aren’t your families very close?”
“I wouldn’t exactly call it that. Rosemary has been trying to cultivate my mother all summer, and as you know, Mom just tries to be polite to everyone.”
“She does, doesn’t she? Your mother is very polite.”
“If you must know, Mrs. Zao is very social—when I first met her in Italy, she told me about all the wild parties she used to go to in Lan Kwai Fong,” Lucie said, taking her own liberties with the truth.
“What’s Lan Kwai Fong?”
“It’s the red-light district of Hong Kong.”fn1
“My goodness! Was Rosemary one of those Suzie Wong party girls?”
“I don’t know what that is, but she did party. She partied very hard.”
“I can’t even imagine. She seems so fastidious and well put together. I love her understated elegance.”
“Let me show you something, Ms. Ferrer.” Lucie took out her phone and found a group photo she had taken at the Peking duck dinner. She zoomed in on Rosemary striking a flamboyant pose in one of her signature rainbow-colored sequined caftans.
“That’s Mrs. Zao?” Ms. Ferrer stared at the screen in disbelief.
“Uh-huh.”
“Why is she wearing kabuki makeup?”
“She’s not. That’s how she normally looks.”
“You don’t say! And those Christmas ornaments around her neck … this wasn’t some theme party?”
“It was just a family dinner, and those aren’t Christmas ornaments, Ms. Ferrer. Those are real rubies and diamonds, and that’s how Rosemary dresses when she’s not attending co-op board interviews.”
“How interesting …”
Just then, a flush could be heard in one of the toilets connected to the powder room, and Cornelia Guest emerged from behind the door. Acknowledging Lucie and Ms. Ferrer with the briefest of smiles, she quickly washed her hands and left the powder room.
Ms. Ferrer continued. “Well, Lucie, I am quite astonished. Thank you for letting me know all this.”
“You’re quite welcome. Ms. Ferrer, can we keep this conversation totally between us?”
“Absolutely. I take my duties very seriously. Any information provided to the board president shall remain private.”
“Even from my mother?”
“Of course.” Ms. Ferrer patted Lucie’s hand as she left the room.
Lucie leaned against the sink, letting out a groan. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. How much did Cornelia overhear? What would she think now?
Collecting herself, Lucie left the powder room in search of the guest of honor. She had to do as much damage control as she could. She couldn’t let Cornelia, of all people, get the wrong impression of her. Entering the drawing room of the manor house, she found herself face-to-face with Rosemary Zao, who stood chatting with Ms. Ferrer.
Fuck me again, Lucie moaned to herself.
“Lucie! We were just talking about you,” Rosemary said in her usual excitable tone.
“You—you were?” Lucie stammered, noticing that Rosemary was still sporting her new look in a sophisticated but subdued champagne-colored Akris pantsuit accessorized with a stunningly simple amber bead necklace.
“Yes, we were. Actually, Ms. Ferrer, could you excuse us for a minute? I have something important to discuss with Lucie.”
“Certainly,” Ms. Ferrer said, arching an eyebrow.
Rosemary and