Chapter 20: The Founders' Dinner

The Founders' Dinner was held in the long hall of the brownstone, with seventy guests and a table for every branch of the family.

Rosalind had set it herself, before Pearl cut her keys.

I was at table one, at the right hand of an empty chair.

I wore the pewter dress and the face I had practiced in the bathroom mirror for an hour.

Across the room, Noelle sat with the board's wives and stared into her soup.

Dennis stood by the service door with his hands behind his back.

Pearl sat at the head, in black, saying nothing at all.

Tobias came in last and took the chair beside mine.

He did not look at me. He was brilliant at it.

"Good evening, Mrs. Renner," he said to his napkin.

"Mr. Renner," I said to the salt.

The boxes arrived before the soup.

"bookbabe_91: THE FOUNDERS' DINNER. THIS IS IT. THIS IS THE SCENE. (83,000 likes)"

"tea_and_spoilers: Wife is wearing the villain dress. This is canon!! (22,800 likes)"

"hallie_stan_4ever: I'm scared. (9,100 likes)"

"pagefive: Hold your face, Hallie. HOLD YOUR FACE. (40,300 likes)"

I held my face.

At the toast, Rosalind rose in dove grey with a glass of champagne.

She looked, as she always does, lovely and a little tired.

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