“Wrong? Nothing is wrong. Why would you ask that?”
“Because I’ve known you all your life so I know your false cheerfulness. What happened?”
“Nothing bad. It’s just Izzy and her wedding. Both her mother and mother-in-law are making her miserable, so I told her I’d put on the wedding here. But how can I do that? What do I know about weddings?”
“You love a challenge and you’ll figure it out. What’s really bothering you?”
“That’s it,” she said. “I think making a wedding for someone else is impossible and I’m thinking about leaving Nantucket and returning home. I’m Izzy’s maid of honor, so I need to help her choose cakes and flowers and everything else. Or maybe I’ll stay with you for a while. Would that be all right?”
Ken took a moment before answering. “It’s Montgomery, isn’t it? Did he show up?”
Alix felt quick tears come to her eyes, but she wasn’t going to let her father know. “He did,” she said, “and we had dinner together. He cleans bass just like you do.”
“What did he say when you told him you were a fan of his?”
“Nothing.”
“Alix, he must have said something, so what was it?”
“He didn’t say anything because I didn’t tell him. He pretended he wasn’t who he is.”
“I want to hear every word of this. Don’t leave out anything.”
Alix told him as succinctly as she could manage. “Maybe I would have been a pest to him or whatever he thought I’d be—if that’s the reason he didn’t tell me who he is—but to just sit there and tell one lie after another was … was …”
“Despicable,” Ken said, and she could hear the anger in his voice.
“It’s okay, Dad. He’s a big shot and I can see why he wouldn’t want to announce to a student that he’s the Jared Montgomery. He was probably worried that I’d kiss his ring or do some groupie thing. And to be fair, I would have. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. He’s leaving in the morning and he won’t be back while I’m here.”
“Are you saying that you’ll be alone in that big house for an entire year?” Ken asked. “You know no one on that island and you’ve promised to put on a wedding for your friend. How are you going to do that?”
“Dad, you’re supposed to cheer me up, not make me feel worse.”
“I’m being a realist.”
“Me too,” Alix said, “and that’s why I think I should return to the mainland. Besides, this house belongs to Mr. Kingsley and he wants it back, if for no other reason than for the big sink.”
“Who’s Mr. Kingsley?”
“Jared Montgomery.”
“He told you to call him Mr. Kingsley?” Ken was aghast.
“No, Dad. That’s what the lawyer called him. But I called him that and he didn’t correct me.”
“That upstart!” Ken said with his teeth clenched. “Look, honey, I have something I have to do. Promise me that you won’t leave the island before I talk to you again.”
“All right,” she said, “but what are you planning to do? You aren’t thinking of calling his office, are you?”
“Not his office, no.”
“Dad, please, you’re going to make me sorry I told you. Jared Montgomery is a very important person. When it comes to architecture, he’s in the stratosphere. It’s understandable if he doesn’t want to deal with a nothing, nobody student. He—”
“Alixandra, it may be a cliché to say this, but you have more talent in your little finger than that man has in his whole body.”
“You’re sweet but that’s not true. When he was my age, he—”
“It’s a wonder he lived to be your age. All right, Alix, how about this?