"And so I saw what Horta Cornwallis was up to and understood that all her invitations were bribes so I wouldn't tell on her. When I wouldn't have anything to do with her—even dance with Ranna at her ball—she thought of this scheme to make me seem a call girl so I couldn't tell without including myself." A tear rolled down her ashen cheek. "Pour me another cup, I can't get warm."
In the kitchen Vida imagined herself in Lucy's place making an heroic passionate speech of denial, spellbinding the hearers before sweeping grandly out.
"There must be someone who can help. Figente?" was the best she could think of to help Lucy from the slough of despondency.
"Oh, you know Figente, he likes her. He'd think it a big joke on me. It is. She knows now no one would believe me if I said she was a Madam in Denver or anything I might say, because I am now known as a 'call girl'—every girl there was. She's sure a smart one."
"Why didn't you leave right away?"
"Well, I thought of that when I saw Nino's puzzled look, but I realized the damage had been done. What could I say—'Look, Nino, I'm not a prostitute!' Besides, I felt sorry for those girls, not all, but the ones I'd met in the apartment of Lyle's friends. Those girls at first thought those boys would marry them. They were trying to be 'good sports' at the beginning. I didn't want to be the one to hurt them more, I thought when Horta showed up I'd think of something to do about her. I did say to Beman that I didn't know this was the kind of party Horta invited me to and you should have heard his laugh. He said, 'Oh, Lucy, stop putting on an act, it's ridiculous for you to play innocent with me.' Of course, Beman doesn't believe in anything but his stomach. To get him really sore is to remind him he's from Kansas. I looked at him and said, 'Mr. Kansas Kid, I never put on an act unless it's on the stage and you are paying a big fat salary,' and walked away.
She drained her cup.
"I thought people lived in those windy penthouses for the view but all the curtains were drawn—though it was so high only someone with a telescope could have looked in. Lyle came up and said 'Fancy meeting you here' and I didn't say anything because I knew the symptoms, he was halfway to a big drunk.
"The dining room had red brocade above the paneling. It looked as if there was a big diamond, emerald, and ruby necklace around the table because every girl had on a beaded or sequin dress, and I wished I'd worn my plain grey chiffon. Isn't that crazy, to think of
