“Do you use it much?”

“Not as much as I’d like,” she said. “I carry whatever book I’m reading around with me. I read in the living room, the bedroom, wherever I happen to be. Now and then I’ll come in here and just remind myself what books I’ve hoarded and kept.” She pulled one off the shelf. A copy of Treasure Island, tattered and yellowed. “I read this to the kids. I could replace it but is there anything quite as lovely as a book that’s been well read?”

“I read it to my kids, too,” she said.

“Sit down, Lauren. Did you drive into the city?”

“No, I took the ferry and a cab. The roads were destined to be clogged with traffic on a rainy day and I like the ferry, even in weather like this.”

“Well then, let’s have a glass of wine, shall we?”

“Perfect,” she said.

“And you can tell me the latest in your life,” Sylvie said.

“By now you should be afraid to ask,” she said.

“Oh no,” Sylvie said, pouring them a glass of wine. “Has something happened?”

Lauren first toasted Sylvie and said, “It’s so good to see you again.” Then she explained that Beau’s truck had exploded and that the police said it was a bomb of some kind.

“Oh dear God,” Sylvie said. “Do you suspect Brad?”

“I have no idea what to think, but to be safe, I’m staying at Beau’s house. I don’t know if it was meant for one of us—the truck was parked in my drive—or if it was just malicious mischief. It’s just that there’s so little crime on the island and we both have hostile exes.”

“And what of this man, Lauren?”

“Oh, you met him. It was almost a year ago at the fund-raiser. I had barely met him myself at that time—the landscape architect who creates rooftop gardens.”

“I remember him!” Sylvie said.

“After knowing him about six months and with my divorce dragging on and on, we started dating. He has two grown sons, I have two grown daughters and we have nothing and everything in common. He’s a lovely man. I certainly hadn’t intended to be living in his house, but circumstances being what they are...”

“Listen, if you ever feel vulnerable and without options, or even if this is merely the best option, you’re welcome to stay here. This house is a fortress.”

“That’s so generous, Sylvie. I also have my sister and she’s married to a police officer. She also has two messy, loud sons so her house is safe but crazy. But once I decided to take a chance on Beau, whose youngest son is still living at home, I realized this is an opportunity to really get to know him. The real Beau. Rest assured, one red flag and I’m gone. I am certainly not afraid to get out of a bad situation now. I so regret staying in a terrible marriage for so long.”

“Is there any hope of this being resolved anytime soon?”

“My lawyer has a court order for him to produce his financial records by the end of the month so in one respect, yes the end is in sight. In another—he might be a problem for as long as I live. But it wouldn’t be better living with him.”

Mary brought a couple of salads and ice waters, then quietly left.

“I have something to tell you,” Sylvie said. “I spent a little time at Merriweather with corporate officers I knew from my time on the board. I have no proof of this but I believe Brad convinced the VP of marketing to eliminate your position, a position he is now advertising to fill. There is no memo, no email chain, no witnesses that I know of. Just one very guilty and remorseful VP who has offered to get in touch with you and reinstate you to your former position.”

Lauren’s fork was on its way to her open mouth when it stopped. Her first bite of salad was hovering inches from her mouth. “Stu Lonigan? I can’t believe it!”

“Believe it.”

“I always considered Stu Lonigan to be a smart and fair boss. My boss also respected him. My daughter spent Christmas with her father and grandmother and she has no details, just that she believes Brad somehow convinced someone to fire me. She said something about a deal made on the golf course.”

“It may be as simple as that or even more complicated, I don’t know. But Stu Lonigan may find his job in some jeopardy. You were given an exit package, were you not?”

Lauren returned her fork to her salad plate. “No.”

“I wouldn’t blame you if you decided to go back to Merriweather. It’s familiar, no doubt you have friends there, and despite all this I’ve always considered Merriweather a good company. Believe me, I checked them very thoroughly before agreeing to sit on their board. As a local philanthropist, I can’t associate with a corporation that discriminates or abuses employees. This situation is unusual. And, I think, personal. If it’s a corporate habit, they’ve hidden it well. I don’t believe it is. Still, it’s so disturbing.”

“Is Stu in trouble now?”

“When someone terminates an employee without cause, without negotiating a healthy exit package, leaving the company open to lawsuit, you can bet the board has an issue with that. Your lawyer contested the termination so everyone knows. Mr. Lonigan is on very fragile ground. And, it’s my opinion that your soon-to-be ex-husband has been risking his medical license. I know he settled two lawsuits. They were not for malpractice. They were for abuse and harassment.”

“You know about that?” Lauren asked. “They never went to court. I only know what Brad told me.”

Sylvie took a forkful of her salad. She tilted her head and chewed slowly. “Well, when you’re in the habit of giving away a great deal of money, you soon learn not everyone is your friend. We have to research individuals, charities and foundations very carefully. It’s routine, I’m afraid.”

“And you researched Brad?” Lauren asked.

“In a way,” she said. “I hope you won’t be horribly offended. I had good reason. We researched you. I uncovered the extent of your injuries at his hand, the order of protection, the lawsuits. I knew Brad rubbed me the wrong way, but I admit I had no idea things were that bad. I’m horrified. Don’t worry—it’s all confidential. It’s meant to protect our foundation. That money is meant for people in need.”

In spite of herself, Lauren blushed. “Why would you research me?” Lauren asked. “Were you afraid I was lying about the divorce? About anything?”

Sylvie laughed. “Not at all. I asked my assistant to do the research. She’s so good, so sensitive. I asked her to do that because I liked you. I thought you were smart and I guessed you had a personality I could mesh with. Then things tumbled a little bit, you had a lot of stuff happening at once. Your divorce, your job loss. I was thinking along these lines anyway. My assistant, Ruth Ann, is planning to move out of the Bay Area when her husband retires. We’ve been scouting around for her replacement. It’s not easy. Ruth Ann has been with me for ten years. Several people have been suggested and they just aren’t meeting my expectations. Perfectly nice, very professional, but... I’m looking for someone I admire, someone I like, someone with the kind of perseverance and heart I can respect, a devoted mother and loyal employee. And someone who can keep a confidence. It’s a hard job sometimes. It can get very busy, it can involve travel. There are also easier weeks. It pays well. And there are excellent benefits and a retirement fund.”

Lauren could not close her mouth. “You admire me?” she asked in a whisper.

Sylvie put down her fork and sat back in her chair. “Lauren, you were raised by a single mother. So was I. It’s hard on a girl. You lost your mother just a couple of years ago. You protected your children and raised them well, though it had to have been difficult. You held a responsible position in a large company for many years. You were dependable, you didn’t give up easily, you have a close relationship with your sister’s family and your daughters. And you’re smart. We get along so well. You’re the kind of assistant I want.” She touched her napkin to her lips. “I won’t take it personally if you’re not interested.”

Lauren laughed. “Well, there’s a lot more you have to tell me about the job. I really loved Merriweather but I don’t want to go back. In any case, I haven’t heard a word from Stu or HR. And I can’t think of anything I’d like better than having you for a boss. But good God, I’ll have to be trained! I’ve never investigated anyone in my life!”

“Don’t worry, that’s the easy part. It doesn’t come up that often. The hard part is getting to the bottom of the charities and foundations that want our money.”

“Are they often crooks?”

“Hardly ever,” Sylvie said. “But sometimes they’re exclusive. We insist on inclusive giving. Oh, I think you’re going to find this fun. This is the greatest fun in the world. Giving to people who not only need it, they will pay it forward. You’ll be helping to make a better world, Lauren. That’s all we care about now. We have more than we need, our kids have more than they need, so what should we do? Buy another boat or plane or feed and educate people who weren’t as lucky as we’ve been?”

Lauren felt tears cloud her eyes. “Oh Sylvie, that you would trust me to help with this. I’m humbled. And wait till I tell you about Beau’s best friend, formerly Father Tim Bradbury. We attended his wedding a couple of days ago. He’s a study in charitable works.”

“Tell me,” Sylvie said. “Tell me all about him.”

Lunch lasted three hours. Lauren enjoyed telling Sylvie about Tim and his new wife, both of them soon to be traveling to Puerto Rico to work on the restoration. She passed on what she’d heard about Angela and her food bank. Sylvie told Lauren about all the foundations they were involved in, all the special projects that took up most of Andy’s time. They both talked about their families at great length. And then Sylvie explained what her assistant would be expected to do and Lauren was so excited, she wondered if Sylvie could see her wiggle. It presented an entirely new life for her, one that was both challenging and fulfilling.