Page 62 of The Summer We Started Over

“Thank you for pointing out the painfully obvious,” Barrett snapped. “I’ll put them in a vase on the bureau. I’m taking Drew’s GandT in to him, and I’ve got the same for Dad. You can handle the rest.”

“I’ll try not to make a mistake.” Eddie curtsied and replied in one of her downstairsDownton Abbeyaccents.

Barrett served the drinks and settled in the living room.

“Our pharmaceutical company is relatively small,” Drew said, speaking to William.

“I’m surprised anything about you is small,” Dinah said, blinking her lashes like a starstruck teenager.

“Dinah, stop it,” Barrett hissed.

Eddie saved the conversation by asking if Drew followed the Red Sox. After that, their father and Drew engaged in a hearty conversation about sports. Eddie and Barrett slipped away to put dinner on the table. They made Dinah come with them.

“What do you want me to do?” Dinah asked when they entered the kitchen.

“I want you to stop with the flirty talk for the rest of the evening,” Barrett ordered.

“Barrett!” Eddie put her hand on her sister’s arm, trying to calm her.

“Barrett, I apologize,” Dinah said. “It just slipped out. I mean, look at the man. But I promise I’ll be good now.”

And she was. The rest of the evening went smoothly. Eddie grilled the swordfish steaks to perfection. Everyone had a glass of cool Chardonnay, and no one drank too much. Eddie and Drew bonded over the mixed joys of having younger sisters. William and Drew talked about the Patriots.

Only one other difficult moment marred the dinner.

Drew said to Dinah, “Barrett tells me you’re a novelist. What kind of books do you write?”

“I write romance novels,” Dinah said. “That’s how I met Eddie. She took a job with me as an assistant.”

“Romance novels? Like with the naked man on the cover? Where do you sell your, um, romance novels? I mean, could I find one at the grocery store? Or maybe Walmart? Or would I have to go to a, um, specialty shop? Or could I buy one directly from you?”

Before Eddie could intervene, Dinah said, in a tone that could create glaciers, “You’d find them in bookstores. But they’re not the sort of bookyouwould ever read. They’re about beautiful women and elegant,classymen.”

To everyone’s surprise, William spoke up. “Allbooks andallwriters deserve respect,” he said in his most serious professorial tone.

Barrett, Eddie, and Dinah stared at him, shocked.

William continued, “I’malsoworking on a book. I was a professor of English literature at Williams College. Now I’m writing a critical study of the British Romantic poets.”

“Really?” Drew looked confused as he turned his attention to William. “That sounds impressive.”

“Maybe, Drew, but it won’t ever make the kind of money Miss Lavender makes, and I’m sure it’s thefinancialaspect that is of interest to you.”

Their father was defending Dinah? Eddie and Barrett made googly eyes at each other.

Drew nodded politely. “That’s not quite true. I read a lot. I don’t believe I’ve read any Romantic British poetry, but please tell me about it.”

“I’d be glad to.” William leaned forward. “I’m sure you’ve heard of Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Keats, but did you know they regularly indulged in opium?”

“No, I didn’t know that,” Drew admitted, glancing around the table to see if anyone else wanted to enter the conversation.

No one else spoke. William launched into a long and colorful speech about poets and drug usage. He continued while Eddie and Barrett cleared the table and dished the strawberry shortcake into bowls.

“Was Dad actually coming to Dinah’s defense?” Barrett whispered.

Eddie replied, “Well, Drew was being kind of a dick.”

“I know,” Barrett agreed. “And I’m sorry. But I don’t think that Drew meant to be rude. He’s just so interested in the financial aspect of everything.”

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