Our Little Racket by Angelica Baker

Author:Angelica Baker [Baker, Angelica]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2017-04-21T00:00:00+00:00

NINETEEN

It was the day before Thanksgiving, and it was the art collection. That was why Mina had been summoned, if you could classify the razor-polite conversation she’d had with Isabel earlier that afternoon as being summoned.

Her morning had begun with promise, when she’d gathered her household staff in the kitchen to explain that two other couples, no children, had been invited for Thanksgiving dinner, and that it was very important everything be finished, or at the very least doing something fragrant in the oven, by the time the guests arrived for cocktails. Everyone had understood right away what needed to be done, and all morning long the ground floor of the house hummed, like choreographed traffic zipping through midtown. But Mina herself sat in the breakfast nook, without much to do. She watched the traffic from a high floor, behind glass.

She’d taken the latest issue of Vanity Fair in there, hoping to hide from Cecia, her head housekeeper. Despite her genuine intentions, to read about the Colombian hostages, she’d been paging through a photo spread on England’s future princess when Isabel’s name showed up on her phone.

“Happy early Thanksgiving.”

“You too,” Mina had said. She’d moved into the den for the call; she didn’t like the way Cecia had looked at her when the phone fizzed on the marble counter. They clearly didn’t want Mina yammering in the kitchen while they all tried to get the house ready, which was laughable and offensive except that Mina took their unspoken point. She darted now back into the kitchen, cradling the phone between her ear and her neck, and avoided Cecia’s eye as she withdrew a bottle of Pinot Grigio and a bowl of grapes from the refrigerator. She returned to the den.

“You’re having people at yours, right?” Isabel said. Mina had the distinct impression they were treading water, but she wasn’t sure why.

“Yes,” Mina said, “and I’ve delegated so well that I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to be doing right now.” She decided to embellish, for Isabel’s benefit. “Everywhere I turn, it seems like I’m underfoot. I think Cecia wants me to go to a movie or something, and just stay out of the way until tomorrow afternoon.”

“Well, that’s how you know you’ve done your prep right,” Isabel said, and though Mina had been trying to portray herself as a buffoon so that Isabel might feel more comfortable confiding in her, of course—as always—they had ended up with Isabel soothing Mina, rather than the alternative.

Eventually, the conversation came to a point: it was the paintings. A woman would be coming by, from Sotheby’s. Beatrice North.

“I’ll come over, Isabel. I’m happy to drop by. She sounds horrendous.”

Of course, Isabel had chided her for that, but then Mina had known she would. Beatrice was just the top in her field, Mina, don’t be catty. But she needed Mina to say it, to dislike Beatrice North, didn’t she? Isabel couldn’t. She didn’t have that capital to squander, not right now.

This was how she kept you near her, Mina thought.

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