Page 16 of Share with Me

“Yes, Yun. I’m sure. I need some fresh air myself.”

“We have to tell Ivan.”

“Text him.”

Yun dug around her old beaded purse. “Oh, I left my cell phone at home. Could you?”

“Sure. What’s the number?” Brinley tapped it in and sent Ivan a text message. “This is Brinley. Your grandma is tired. I’m driving her home.”

Brinley was on her feet, ready to get out of there. “Yun, I’m going to get our coats and the car. I’ll drive it out to the front door over there, and then come back in here to get you. Okay?”

“Yes.” Yun seemed to like knowing what was happening.

There was an elevator to the basement near the butler’s pantry. The coatroom was nearby. Brinley was putting on her fur coat when a server passed by. It was the same server whom Aunt Ella had bashed. He was walking with one shoulder up and the other down.

Brinley felt sorry for him. She pressed a twenty into his palm. He was very surprised. Brinley didn’t explain.

She entered the elevator as SISO began a Schumann sonata. She looked that way but only saw Ivan’s side as the elevator door closed.

In the basement, Brinley found Dad’s Bugatti in the private garage not open to guests. Since Dad hadn’t driven it in a year since his stroke, the mechanic had taken it for a few spins to keep the engine going.

She drove it up the ramp, went around the building, and parked it at the porte cochère where the valet eyed the car, all two-point-something million of it.

This Bugatti was one of the main reasons Dad had agreed with Mom to purchase this guest cottage a few years ago to complement the Brooks’s winter home next door, another original Addison Mizner design from the twenties. Word was Mizner himself had seen the finished cottages before he passed away. Brinley wondered if he ever thought of the misnomer.

While the main house had eleven thousand square feet, this guest cottage only had nine. It boasted an imposing twenty-car underground garage that sold the house, setting Brinley’s parents back thirty-two million dollars.

Dad only laughed, saying that Mom’s true economic purpose in life was to leave nothing for posterity, though no matter how many houses she bought here and abroad, no matter how much she spent, Dad’s accountants almost always managed to level off the Brooks family fortune at twenty-seven billion dollars, give or take a few billions due to stock market fluctuations, the income stream coming from the international Brooks Investments as well as the smaller, more regional Brooks Renovations.

When Brinley got out of the car, she could see Yun through the glass doors, walking toward her, holding on to Ivan’s arm. SISO must be taking a short break.

The valet opened the door for Brinley. Brinley entered the foyer and walked toward Yun. Between her and Ivan they managed to get Yun’s old coat on her. Then they continued the walk of ages toward the great cold outdoors. Brinley wondered if Yun had a walker she wasn’t using.

“I’m ninety-seven,” Yun declared. “I can take my sweet old time.”

“Yes,” Brinley said. “You’ve earned it.”

Ivan smiled an affable smile. “Thanks for taking Grandma home.”

“No problem at all. After that announcement I needed to get out of here myself.”

Silence. Then: “My brother is full of surprises.”

“My sister too.”

Ivan seemed to cheer up that it wasn’t all his family’s fault. “Are you coming back? SISO will be done shortly, and then Quincy’s jazz band is playing.”

“You’re in it?”

“Just for tonight. Subbing for their pianist sick with stomach flu.”

“Looks like they’re working you hard.” Brinley laughed.

“Getting paid helps.”

“That does, doesn’t it?”Airwas on Brinley’s mind. That alone was worth the price of admission.

The front door opened into the cold night.

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