Read Online One Dangerous Lady by Jane Stanton Hitchcock - Free Book Online

palaces, but his fees were as imperial as his vision and I was impressed that Betty was using him. Betty was quite the tightwad when it came to decoration. In her own art-laden house, she never had any fresh flowers around, saying, “What would you rather look at? A bunch of blooms on the table, or my Monet Water Lilies on the wall?” Still, this was the wedding of their only child, and Betty and Gil wanted nothing but the best for Missy. Also, as Betty pointed out, it was good business for Gil, who had invited all of his best clients down for the occasion.
    â€œOh, Jo, you’re gorgeous!” Betty said.
    â€œYou, too, sweetie. I hope Max likes this color,” I said, glancing down at my pale yellow dress.
    â€œMax likes skin color,” Betty said.
    We were still waiting for Missy when Dermott came in to announce that I had a telephone call. “It’s Mrs. Kahn from New York City,” he said in his basso voice.
    â€œJo, for God’s sakes, don’t breathe a word to June about Russell!” Betty said.
    I rolled my eyes at Betty in disbelief that she would even have to mention such a thing, considering that everyone knew June Kahn was a human Internet when it came to dispensing information. Picking up the phone in the living room, I heard June’s terminally chirpy voice at the other end say, “So, Jo, sweetie, have they found poor Russell yet?”
    There’s an old saying in New York that if you don’t want a secret to get out, you can’t repeat it—not even to yourself.
    I cupped my hand over the receiver and called out to Betty, “She knows!”
    Betty skittered across the terrace in her high-heeled sandals and grabbed the phone away from me.
    â€œ June, Betty. Who the fuck told you about it? ” Betty listened for a minute and then cried, “ You’re not serious! ” Betty put her hand over the mouthpiece and whispered to me, “ Lulu told her.”
    â€œHow does Lulu know?” I said.
    Catching Betty’s eye, Gil pointed to his watch, indicating that we were now seriously late.
    â€œListen, Junie, I gotta go,” Betty said. “I’ll call you later . . . I promise I will . . . no, look . . . I promise . . . listen, Junie, you know more than we do, for heaven sakes! I’ll call you the minute I hear anything! I will. I gotta go!” Betty said, hanging up. The promise of future gossip was the only way to get June off the phone.
    Betty looked at Gil and said, “How the hell did Lulu find out? Do you think Larry told her? Or did she tell Larry?”
    â€œWho knows? And what does it matter?” Gil said, unimpressed.
    â€œGil, it matters! They knew practically before we did! And we’re here! ” Betty said. “It’s just incredible.”
    â€œI’ll tell you what’s incredible—the time,” Gil said, pointing to his watch again. “Now let’s get a move on. Where is Missy?”
    â€œWell, that’s it, then. It’s out,” Betty said. “Lulu had a choice between calling a live press conference or telling June. And she knew June would get it out there faster.”
    Just then, Missy swept through the arch of the veranda, looking like an exotic flower in her sleek white satin wedding dress and the same diamond-and-sapphire necklace she had worn to the bridal dinner the previous night. She stood for a long moment as both Betty and Gil stared at her in sentimental awe.
    â€œSweetheart, you’re gorgeous,” Gil said with a crack of emotion in his voice.
    Betty was at an uncharacteristic loss for words. She and Gil walked over and hugged their daughter. It was a sweet moment that brought tears to everyone’s eyes, including my own. But it was short-lived. After Missy thanked her parents and told them she loved them—“You guys are just the best!”—we all hurried out the door to the awaiting limousine and