One Fifth Avenue - Candace Bushnell [203]
Paul, for some reason, glared at her, although Enid thought this was probably his usual reaction to being greeted by relative strangers. “Really?” Paul said. “Why?”
“We all know about your aquarium, dear,” Enid said. “You obviously like fish. There’s a scuba-diving instructor on board. The ocean is like a giant aquarium, I suppose. Have you ever scuba-dived?”
“No,” Paul said.
“I’ve heard it’s very easy to learn,” Enid said, and moved away.
The gong sounded for dinner. “Nini!” Philip exclaimed, having just found her in the crowd. “I’ve been looking for you all night. Where were you?”
“I was having a little chat with Paul Rice.”
“Why on earth would you do that? Especially after all the trouble he’s caused in the building.”
“I like his wife,” Enid declared. “Wouldn’t it be lovely if something happened to Paul, and Annalisa ended up in the apartment without him?”
“Plotting a murder?” Philip asked, and laughed.
“Of course not, dear,” Enid replied. “But it’s happened before.”
“Murder?” Philip said, shaking his head.
“No, dear,” Enid replied. “Accidents.”
Philip rolled his eyes and led her to the head table. They were seated with Annalisa and Paul, and Schiffer, of course, and a few other people whom Enid didn’t know, but who appeared to be business associates of Paul’s. Schiffer was seated next to Paul with Philip next to her, followed by Enid. “This is a wonderful event,” Schiffer said to Paul, trying to make conversation.
“It’s good for business. That’s all,” Paul replied.
Philip put his arm across Schiffer’s back, touching the nape of her neck. Schiffer leaned toward him, and they kissed briefly. On the other side of the table, Annalisa watched with a pang of envy. She and Paul would never have that now, she thought. Standing up to give her speech, she wondered what they would have.
She made her way to the podium. On a monitor in front of her was a copy of her speech. Annalisa looked out at the sea of faces. Some people looked expectant, while others sat back in their chairs, looking smug. Well, why shouldn’t they be smug? she thought. They were all rich. They had helicopters and planes and country houses. And art. Lots and lots of art. Just like her and Paul. She glanced over at him. He was drumming his fingers on the table as if he couldn’t wait for the evening to be over.
She took a breath and, veering from her prepared remarks, said, “I’d like to dedicate this evening to Billy Litchfield.”
Paul jerked his head up, but Annalisa went on, “Billy lived his life in the pursuit of art as opposed to money, which probably sounds like a horrifying idea to those of you in the financial world. But Billy knew the real value of art—that it wasn’t in the price of a painting but in what art gave to the soul. Tonight all of your donations go to children who don’t have the privilege of having art in their lives. But with the King David Foundation, we can change that.”
Annalisa smiled, took a breath, and continued, “Last year we raised over twenty million dollars in pledges. Tonight we want to raise more. Who’s willing to stand up and make the first pledge?”
“I will,” said a man in the front. “Half a million dollars.”
“A half million over here,” said another.
“A million dollars,” someone shouted.
“Two mil.”
Not to be outdone, Paul stood up. “Five million dollars,” he said.
Annalisa stared at him, her face impassive. Then she nodded, feeling a rush of excitement. The pledges continued. “Five million here, too!” exclaimed another man. In ten minutes, it was over. She’d raised thirty million dollars. Ah, she thought. So this was what it was all about.
Afterward, as she returned to her seat, Enid reached out and grabbed her wrist. Annalisa bent down to hear what she was saying. “Well done, my dear,” Enid whispered. “Mrs. Houghton couldn’t have done it better herself.” Then she glanced over at Paul and, pulling Annalisa closer, said, “You’re very much like her, my dear. But you must remember not to go too far.”
Six weeks later, Annalisa Rice leaned over the railing of the super-yacht and watched as Paul and the onboard