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“I have no enemies, until they start shooting at me again.”
“That event is not out of the question. I hope you realize that.”
“Of course I realize it. Why do you think I’m here, instead of there?”
“You’re a bit testy these days, aren’t you?”
“You’re lucky you’re not here, where I could take a swing at you.”
“Funny you should mention that: I’ll be there for dinner tomorrow evening and a few days’ stay. You might ask our mutual friend across the river to join us. Dinner is so much more fun when there are women about.”
“Then I will supply them. I must return to my previous activity now.”
“Of course, you must. Good day.” Lance hung up.
Vanessa looked up from her book, something on décor, by Susan Blackburn. “Who was that? You didn’t sound very happy to hear from him/her.”
“That was Lance Cabot. He’ll be here for dinner tomorrow night and for a few days’ stay. I’ll invite my neighbor to join us.”
“Is he in the same business as Lance?”
“It’s ‘she,’ and yes. Her name is Dame Felicity Devonshire, and she’s the director of MI6, the British foreign intelligence service, which is analogous to the CIA.”
“Oh, won’t that be fun!”
“It may be. I think Felicity will find you attractive company.”
Vanessa raised an eyebrow. “What are you suggesting?”
“Nothing, but Felicity might well suggest something. How do you feel about the attentions of other women?”
“That depends.”
“I won’t ask on what, but if you enjoy that sort of thing, the opportunity may present itself.”
“Are you going to watch?”
“I would hope to do a great deal more than that, but I will follow your lead and Felicity’s.”
“Well, I’m glad you warned me. We’ll see how it goes.”
“Suffice it to say, I have no expectations, so I cannot bedisappointed. And I’ve no objections to having you all to myself.”
“As you have demonstrated so nicely, as recently as last night.”
“And will continue to do so.”
“Where does Lance come in, in all this?”
“He does not.”
“What are his sexual preferences?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t think anyone else does, either, so you should not concern yourself. He can be good company at dinner, though, if he feels like it.”
“I’m a good reader of people,” Vanessa said. “By the end of dinner, maybe even after the soup, I will very probably be able to tell you what his preferences are.”
“All this from across a dinner table?”
