“The Charmed Needle,” Hilly replied. “The woman did stunning work, and all by hand. Though I can tell you, we paid for every last stitch.”
Rory leaned forward in her chair, cake forgotten. “Did it work? The magic, I mean.”
Hilly smiled serenely. “Three grandbabies later, I suppose it must have. The doctors said she couldn’t after she fell off that beast of a horse, but I am thrice a grandmother.”
Vicky rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me you actually believe those silly rumors.”
“I’m saying it never hurts to hedge your bet, darling. If I had to do it over again, at twice the price, I’d pay.”
Vicky sniffed at her. “Whatever floats your boat, as they say. But it was a lovely shop. I remember the owner, I think. French and absolutely gorgeous. I seem to remember her being tapped to do a dress for one of the Kennedy girls. A cousin or niece or something. I can’t remember which one, but I remember it being a very big deal. Heaven knows the Kennedys need all the luck they can get. And she certainly had the reputation for it. Whatever happened to her?”
“Died when the shop caught fire, I think,” Hilly replied, fingering the strand of pearls at her throat. “My daughter was terribly upset when she saw it in the papers. They said she was asleep when it started. I’m trying to remember her name.”
“Soline,” Rory supplied. “Her name is Soline Roussel. And she didn’t die. In fact, she’s my landlady.”
“Your landlady! Well, what do you know about that?”
“The building wasn’t really for lease—it had been vacant for years—but when she heard I wanted to open a gallery for new artists, she agreed to let me rent it.”
Vicky turned to Camilla, who had remained silent throughout the conversation. “You’ve been holding out on us, Camilla, dear. You never said a word about Ms. Roussel. And it sounds as if she has an interest in the arts. Perhaps we should invite her to join the council.”
Camilla continued to stir her coffee, her expression carefully blank. “I’m afraid it’s Aurora who’s been holding out. I’ve never met Ms. Roussel, though I understand she’s something of a recluse. Perhaps we could invite her to make a contribution instead.”
Hilly turned to Rory. “Could you talk to her about joining our little group? Just, you know, feel her out?”
Camilla set her spoon down with a clatter. “Aren’t we getting a little ahead of ourselves? Five minutes ago, you couldn’t remember the woman’s name. Now you’re ready to invite her to join the council. Don’t you think we should find out if she’s our sort of person first?”
Hilly rolled her eyes. “For heaven’s sake, Camilla. It’s the 1980s, not the 1880s. No one thinks like that anymore.”
Vicky sighed and laid down her napkin. “Personally, I’m bored to death with our sort of person. And in case you haven’t noticed, Camilla, our membership numbers are in the loo, which means we can’t afford to be snooty. Perhaps it’s time to shake things up. She must know scads of people. Think of the buzz it would create.”
Camilla looked genuinely astonished. She wasn’t used to being countermanded, and certainly not at her own table. “I just meant it might be better to stick with people we know.”
Vicky was undaunted. “Why don’t you drop a few hints the next time you speak with her, Aurora, and see if she’d be interested in joining forces.”
Rory reached for her coffee, uncomfortable with being put on the spot. “I really don’t know when I’ll speak to her again. I usually deal with her attorney on anything to do with the building. Which reminds me,” she said, emptying her cup and pushing back from the table. “I’m due to meet my contractor at four. It was nice seeing you both again.”
Camilla’s face fell. “You’re going already?”
“I told you I couldn’t stay.”
“But I hoped you’d help us brainstorm for the fundraiser. We seem to repeat the same old themes, and you always have such creative ideas.”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Rory said, turning to go. “You always do.”
She was nearly to the door when Camilla caught her. “Aurora. You’re not really going to talk to that woman about joining the council, are you?”
“Her name is Soline. But you know that, because we’ve talked about her. And why would it be so terrible for her to join your precious council?”