Chapter 17: The Setup

Winifred arrived at the sunroom with her cane in one hand and a tin of shortbread in the other.

"I'm not here to be forgiven," she said, and sat in the white wicker chair nearest the mess.

"Good," said Griffin.

"I would do it again."

"Grandmother," Imogen said.

"I would. But I have thought about the pen."

Griffin looked at her.

"It was nearly dry. You signed twenty-two pages with it and your hand cramped on page nineteen."

She patted the tin.

"I should have brought a better one. That is the only part I regret."

"That is the worst apology I have ever heard."

"It is the only one I'm giving. Shortbread?"

He took a piece. It was very good, and he resented it.

Delphine had come in behind her with a legal pad.

She looked like a woman who had waited her whole marriage for a plan.

"Here is the situation," she said. "Tobias proposed the vow renewal. Sixty guests, at our house, on the Saturday that is day fifty-nine."

"The day before the clause runs out," Imogen said.

"He picked it himself. He's the one who ordered the cameras."

"Cameras?" Imogen asked.

"The caterer's cousin does the screen in the ballroom. Tobias asked for a camera on every corner, for the memories."

"For the blog," said Griffin.

"I called the blog," Winifred said.

Three heads turned.

"At eight this morning. I told the editor I was a lady with a story about a chief executive."

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