That Summer by Joan Wolf Read Free Book Online Page A

her hair was loose around her shoulders. She looked absolutely gorgeous.
    “You look beautiful, Leslie,” I said.
    “Thank you.” She was so accustomed to compliments that she merely accepted them as her due.
    As I took another swallow of champagne, Kevin signaled the waiter, who came over with his tray of drinks. Both Kevin and Leslie took another glass.
    “Alyssa is sober tonight,” Leslie commented.
    Kevin said, “Yes. Uncle Lawrence read her the riot act. I heard him.”
    “I wonder that they stay together; they certainly don't seem happy.”
    “Aunt Alyssa is Catholic and doesn't believe in divorce.”
    Leslie laughed. “How uncomfortable for her.”
    I took another sip of my champagne. “This is good.”
    Leslie smiled at me. “It's delicious. I always like to start a party with champagne.”
    She was always nice to me, which only made me hate her more. I didn't want her to be nice. I wanted her to be a bitch. If she were mean to me, Liam would get mad at her.
    Leslie and Kevin had each finished their second glass of champagne.
    “If you've had enough of the bubbly, the bar is set up in the family room,” Kevin said.
    “Sounds good to me,” Leslie replied.
    “Come on, Anne, and I'll get you another glass of champagne,” Kevin said.
    I looked with a little surprise at my empty glass. “Okay.”
    The three of us crossed the hall and went into the salon where people were dancing. We passed through and went into the room just beyond it. This was a less formal room, with comfortable furniture, a television set and a sound system. It was where the family usually hung out. A bar had been set up here and Leslie and Kevin went up to it and got glasses of Scotch on the rocks.
    I wondered that nobody monitored their underage drinking.
    “Leslie. How nice to see you here.” It was Randal Johnson, a member of the hunt. He was twenty-six and had that look on his face that men seemed to get when they beheld Leslie.
    “My dad is a member, so I got to come,” she said.
    Kevin said, “I got to come because I live here.”
    “Oh sorry, don't you know each other?” Leslie said. She made introductions.
    “Would you care to dance with me?” Randal said.
    “Sure,” Leslie replied. She put her half-drunk scotch down on a table and went with Randal into the next room where the music was playing.
    Kevin looked at me. “What will it be, Anne? Do you want to dance or do you want to go and get some food?”
    “You don't have to take care of me, Kevin. You can wait here for Leslie if you want.”
    “I don't want,” he said shortly. “So which will it be?”
    “Food, then.”
    “Good choice. Come along.” I followed him back through the salon, into the hallway, then behind the stairs where an addition had been put on the house for the dining room and kitchen.
    Liam was in the dining room, talking to Maisie Fuller-ton, one of the hunt members. I approved. Maisie was thirty, at least.
    “There you are,” Kevin said to him. “Anne was looking for you.”
    He gave me a mechanical smile. “You look very nice in that dress.”
    Nice,
I thought. I
bet you've never told Leslie she looked nice.
    “Thank you,” I said.
    “What are you drinking?” Liam said to Kevin.
    “Scotch.”
    “I think I'll get some.”
    “Leslie is there. She's dancing with Randal Johnson.”
    Liam's face darkened. “I don't care where Leslie is.”
    My heart leaped. It sounded as if Liam was mad at her.
    Kevin said lightly, “Come on, Liam. Don't be sore. What does it matter that Leslie gave a little of her time to me?”
    Liam looked grim. “Time? She gave you something more than time.”
    Kevin's golden eyebrows shot up. “You can't know that.”
    “I saw how the two of you looked when you came back to the party last night. I don't think you were just talking.”
    “What does it matter what we were doing? No one would have noticed if you hadn't made a big deal of it.”
    Liam said through his teeth, “I don't share. Leslie can