“Really?” said Penny. “I was in the kitchen all morning.”
“I was in the other one,” Nico said after a beat, not sure which kitchen she had been in. “Before I went for a walk.”
“Oh, which path?” asked Alice. “I went to the tennis courts and got soaked.”
Not the tennis courts, then. “Around by the lake path.”
“The mud didn’t bother you?” asked Penny, her gaze sharper as she looked between Nico and Valerie. “They had to hold back on remulching.”
“No.” That was true since there had been no walk and thus no mud.
Nico was let off the hook when Roger turned the conversation to whether they should use gravel instead of mulch—a discussion that became oddly impassioned and caused literal gasps of shock when Alice asked why they didn’t just pave it. After lunch, Penny looked out the wet window.
“We’re going to have a nice family game of Monopoly,” she announced.
“I have to work,” said David. Nico tried not to let his expression reflect his skepticism. David spent most of the summer on the golf course or at the cottage while his deputy dealt with both their jobs. The time he’d taken a video call about layoffs from his boat—not bothering to remove his sunglasses or put on a shirt—was legend around the office.
“Nonsense,” said Penny. “We’re supposed to be connecting as a family after Dad’s passing, away from the demands of the city. Your staff are overpaid anyway, thanks to Roger’s bleeding heart. Let them deal with it.”
“David is used to that,” said Jenn, but so softly Nico wondered if he heard correctly.
“Nobody wants to work anymore,” said David, looking at his wife.
“I doubt that’s true,” said Alice.
“David, you’re playing,” said Penny. “Your boss is right here, and he’s in, aren’t you Roger?”
“Doesn’t seem like there’s an option.” Roger tilted his head. “Get ready to lose, Davey. Again.”
This threat to his Monopoly skill was all it took to get David involved. “As if. Come on, Alice. You’re the best at this game. We’ll be partners.”
“I’ll decide that,” said Penny. “Dave, you and Jenn. I’ll be with Roger, of course.” She looked around. Fernie and Brayden hadn’t been fast enough to escape the loving embrace of family and she put them together. They immediately began fighting over top hat versus race car. Alice begged off to read a book on the sidelines.
“Good, that’s everyone,” said Penny. “Let’s start.”
Roger looked up from unpacking the Monopoly money Nico had replaced the other day. “You forgot Nico and Valerie.”
“It’s a family game, Roger.”
Valerie started to make excuses that made Nico feel for her. “I don’t need to play,” she said. “I prefer watching games. Let me get snacks for everyone.”
She left and Roger turned to his sister. “What the hell, Penny.”
“I’m so sorry.” She sounded calm. “Poor Valerie. I feel terrible. I went into auto mode when I thought of family. It was habit.”
“Sure it was,” said Alice.
“Penny is trying,” said Jenn.
Penny glared at Alice. “I’ll apologize when she gets back.”
“Just leave it,” said Roger. “You’ll make it worse. Nico, will you and Valerie be partners?”
He nodded and went to the kitchen to help Valerie, who rolled her eyes when he came in. She’d added a wide polka-dot belt to her blue dress, one from the Penny collection. He doubted the belt had been part of the original look, but Valerie made it wholly hers. It accentuated the width of her hips as she leaned over and he had to shove his hands in his pockets.
“Imagine if I was the real Rogette,” she said in a low voice as she pulled a fully stacked charcuterie board from the fridge. “Also, why do I never see people cook here?”
“Penny has the staff come in early to prep the food for the day so no one sees them, and if they’re here, they stay in the working kitchen. Are you okay?”
