Shades of Fortune by Stephen; Birmingham Page A

“Edwee,” she mouths. “You promised!”
    His answer is an almost indiscernible wink.
    â€œOne thing I’m interested in knowing about,” Jim Greenway is saying to Granny Flo, the sad saga of Mrs. Perlman’s pet having come to an end, “is what caused the rift between your late husband and his brother, Leopold, years ago. Can you tell me anything about that?”
    â€œWhy, it was perfectly simple,” Granny says. “My husband was jealous of Leo. Leo was tall and dark and handsome and always got the girls. My husband was short and fat and ugly. Do you still have your grandpa’s portrait in your library, Mimi? You could see in the portrait how ugly he was. No girl would look at Adolph, except me.”
    â€œThere must have been more to it than that, Granny,” Mimi says.
    â€œThat was the gist of it. I’d have much rather married Leo than Adolph, but Leo was already married to someone else, so I had to settle for Adolph. ‘Settle for Adolph,’ my father said. My father was Morris Guggenheim, in case you didn’t know. When he was born, he was called the world’s richest baby.”
    â€œInteresting,” Jim Greenway says.
    â€œBut he wasn’t the world’s richest baby. That’s the point. So don’t put that in your story.”
    Nonie’s friend Roger Williams is still trying to draw Granny’s attention away from her other dinner partner. “Nonie and I are about to launch an exciting new business venture of our own, Mrs. Myerson,” he says.
    â€œOh? What’s that?”
    â€œSpot foreign exchange. You see—”
    â€œForeigners,” she says. “That reminds me of President Hoover, when my husband and I were invited to the White House. President Hoover was fat, and so was his wife. She was named Lou—Lou—Hoover. And they were both fat. Not too tall, either, but fat. Isn’t that funny that both would be fat? My husband used to call them Tweedledum and Tweedledee; isn’t that funny? He could be funny, my husband. But I remember we talked about all the foreigners. President Hoover said there were too many foreigners coming into the country. He wanted them stopped, and I think he was working on some sort of way to stop them. How much does Nonie want from me this time?”
    â€œWell, if you were interested in coming in as an investor, Mrs. Myerson, we’d certainly be most happy to—”
    â€œNothing to do with foreigners! There are too many of them. President Hoover said so, and he ought to know.”
    â€œMother,” Nonie begins, “what Roger is trying to explain is—’
    But at that moment, Felix steps into the dining room and whispers something in the senior Bradford Moore’s ear. Brad Moore frowns slightly, places his napkin beside his plate, rises, and says, “Excuse me—a business call.”
    In his absence, Edwee turns to Alice, who is on his left. “Well, isn’t that interesting?” he whispers to her.
    â€œIsn’t what interesting?”
    â€œBrad has a woman on the West Side. But wouldn’t you think she’d know better than to call him at home—while he’s at dinner?”
    â€œWhat makes you think that, Edwee?”
    â€œI know what I know, Alice.”
    â€œI don’t believe any of this!”
    â€œI’ve seen the woman. I’ve seen them together, holding hands. So, who is going to tell Mimi that her husband has another woman? Shall you, or shall I? Obviously, she’s got to be told.”
    â€œI told you I don’t believe you.”
    â€œWhat are you two whispering about?” Mimi says from the far end of the table. “Whisper-whisper-whisper. Won’t you let the rest of us in on whatever gossip it is?”
    â€œWe were just talking about the West Side,” Edwee says easily. “How it’s changed. All the shops on Columbus Avenue, and all the cheap