Read Online Gilded Age by Claire McMillan - Free Book Online Page A

haven’t been stoned since college. You’ve got to be out of your mind.”
    Ellie shook her head no.
    “Come on, El,” Diana Dorset said loudly to all. “Selden’s bound to have better stuff than that ditch weed we smoked at Cinco’s the other night.”
    Gryce’s head snapped toward Ellie. She didn’t respond.
    “After a good roll in the hay,” Dan said, “old Cinco likes a little puff as dried out and nasty as hay.”
    We laughed, and Ellie was off the hook. But I noticed that Gryce was appraising her from the other side of the room. Diana’s comment had hit its mark, and I couldn’t help but feel a little angry with her for so uncharitably blowing Ellie’s cover.
    Selden expertly packed a tight little pipe. Though I had smoked a bit here and there, it had been a good decade ago, and now in my pregnant state there was no way I was getting a contact high. I wanted to get out of the room as unobtrusively as possible. As quietly as I could, I got up and headed for the stairs. Jim caught my eye and nodded slightly.
    Julia was on her feet at once. “Don’t go. We’ll make Selden go outside.”
    “Oh no, I’m exhausted,” I said, embarrassed and not wanting to end the party. “Good night.” Before she could further protest, I was upstairs and in my room.
    I closed the door, glad of the silence, happy to be away from Diana’s meanness and from witnessing Selden’s corrupting influence on Ellie. Seconds later there was a knock on my door.
    “It’s me,” Ellie said, peeking around the door looking as wary as a child. “I’ve been sent to tell you it’s okay. Jules sent them all downstairs into Gus’s man cave.”
    “I really am tired.” The pregnancy had me in bed most nights before Jim. I didn’t want to talk. I knew she’d want bolstering, and I wasn’t sure I was the person to do it. Ellie could convince herself of most anything, and I didn’t want to help convince her she was in love with P. G. Gryce and his prim starchiness after witnessing him and Viola at dinner.
    “Come back down,” she said. “Julia will fret all night if you don’t.”
    “Tell her I already had my nightgown on,” I said, though I was still dressed. I went in the bathroom and started brushing my teeth.
    Ellie sat on the edge of the bed, champagne glass in her hand. “What did I tell you about Gryce?”
    “A regular Ranger Rick,” I said after I’d rinsed out my mouth. “You weren’t kidding.” Here it comes, I thought. I was used to hashing over men with Ellie. We’d done it regularly when we’d both been living in New York. Truth be told I got a little thrill out of it. My dating life had never been as exciting as hers. And it was touching to me that she seemed to value my opinion, though I’d never understood why. I was less experienced with men than she, and certainly less glamorous.
    “But nice,” she said. “I’d never have to worry about cheating or other women or anything.” It was certainly true that a man like P. G. would never stray sexually.
    “Not with him, no,” I said. “Definitely a one-woman type if you ask me.”
    “And smart. Interesting I guess.”
    I nodded. Though P. G. seemed to have the farthest thing from an original and exploratory mind, I suppose he’d been to the proper schools.
    “And rich of course.”
    And there it was. “Of course,” I said, smiling.
    She smirked. “Don’t think that about me.”
    “Ellie …” I was going to protest, but then again Ellie and I had known each other too long to be coy. But P. G. Gryce, I thought. He was such a prig, such a bore. After seeing him tonight I’d come around to Julia’s way of thinking. Could she really do it?
    “I know what you think,” she said as she finished her glass. Perhaps she was tipsy. “You’ve never had to worry about these things.”
    “You don’t know what I think.”
    She paused, waiting for me to tell her.
    “You’re a realist,” I said. “You know what you want.” I tried to phrase it