Elaine had accepted his summaries because he was efficient and because asking questions often produced an argument.

“I thought passing along less would cause less trouble,” she said.

“It caused more,” Sophie answered.

Elaine nodded.

She did not ask us to treat that agreement as the end of the conversation.

On Monday evening, we had dinner at the family house.

Graham had not been invited to the discussion Sophie and I planned, but he arrived with flowers and a bakery box while Elaine was serving chicken.

“Look, I know I wasn’t invited.