Paisley Mischief by Lincoln MacVeagh

Author:Lincoln MacVeagh [MacVeagh, Lincoln]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780988797956
Publisher: February Books

10

The chirp of the cell phone next to Cecil’s ear woke him up from a deep sleep. The night before, after a quick hour with Dante to talk over the admissions committee meeting, Cecil had gone out with Cat Penfield to a party hosted by one of her boarding school classmates. The party had given him nightmares and Cecil dreamt that he and Cat were married to each other. They were walking around Central Park together and every few paces they ran into a young man in a blazer who wanted to discuss the stock market. Still dreaming, Cecil now found himself on a ski slope. He was stuck in the snow and unable to move. Cat was there too, but somehow she had turned into Penelope, and she was laughing as Cecil struggled desperately to get up.

The cell phone rang again.

Cecil was hung-over. His head ached and his mouth felt as though he’d swallowed a cup of cake flour. He took a quick look around the hotel room and saw that he was alone. Enormously reassuring. He’d promised himself not to go to bed with Cat at least until after the club elections and so far he’d kept his promise. It was not yet seven o’clock in the morning. Cecil picked up the phone and heard a woman’s voice.

“Good morning, darling. Can you hear me?”

“Of course I can. Hi.”

“I do hope you’re alright. Is Max keeping you busy?” It was Penelope calling from London.

“I’ve been running around like a dervish,” said Cecil. He never spoke to Penelope without claiming to be inundated with work and he began telling her about Max, and the Avenue Club, and the need to make nice with Cat Penfield.

“Is she pretty darling?”

“Pretty enough.”

“Then I’m sure you’ll do fine.” Penelope wanted to move on. “I don’t have all day, dearest. I’m just calling before I go to yoga class. There’s something we have to discuss.”

“What is it?”

“It’s Bruce.”

Cecil could not remember a Bruce. Penelope continued:

“I’m sorry darling, but I’m very cross with you. I’m going to have to be quite firm.”

“Who’s Bruce?”

“The antique shop, darling.” Of course, Bruce from the antique shop. Penelope was rabid for him. “I wrote a check last week, darling, and this morning I got a note from Bruce in the mail. Do you know what it said?”

“I don’t.”

“Well take a bloody guess, dear! It said insufficient funds! My check was returned to the shop because you never paid my overdraft!”

Cecil clasped his hand to his forehead, “I’m sorry.”

“Of course you’re sorry, but it’s not very nice for me, is it? You promised you’d take care of the overdraft three weeks ago. Now Bruce wants to get paid and he is being quite difficult. He suggested I might have to return the gorgeous side table in my study. How do you think that makes me feel? It’s awfully irresponsible of you, darling.”

“I promise I’ll take care of it as soon as possible.”

“You know I’m alone here,” said Penelope. There was a catch in her throat.

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