Margaret stood beside him in a silk dress, adjusting her double-strand pearl necklace every time someone walked past.

I stepped onto the flagstones, my heels making a crisp sound against the stone.

Gerald turned before I reached the first cocktail table.

He set his tumbler down on the white tablecloth with a heavy click.

“What are you doing out here, Evelyn?” Gerald asked.

His raspy voice stayed low, but his chin lifted as he stepped between me and the couple from Greenfield Savings.

“Clare asked me to meet her,” I said.