She recovered her composure quickly. "My father used to work for Tobias Pilaster and Co. As I child, I used to wonder who Co was." They laughed, and the moment of tension passed. She added: "Would you lads like to sit down?"
There was a bottle of champagne on the table. Solly poured some for Miss Robinson and called for more glasses. "Well, this is a real reunion of old Windfield chums," he said. "Guess who else is here: Tonio Silva."
"Where?" said Micky quickly. He seemed displeased to hear that Tonio was around, and Hugh wondered why. At school Tonio had always been frightened of Micky, he remembered.
"He's on the dance floor," Solly said. "He's with Miss Robinson's friend, Miss April Tilsley."
Miss Robinson said: "You could call me Maisie. I'm not a formal girl." And she threw a lascivious wink at Solly.
A waiter brought a plate of lobster and set it in front of Solly. He tucked a napkin into his shirt collar and started to eat.
"I thought you Jewboys weren't supposed to eat shellfish," Micky said with lazy insolence.
Solly was as impervious as ever to such remarks. "I'm only kosher at home," he said.
Maisie Robinson gave Micky a hostile glare. "We Jewgirls eat what we like," she said, and took a morsel from Solly's plate.
Hugh was surprised that she was Jewish: he always thought of Jews as having dark coloring. He studied her. She was quite short, but added about a foot to her height by piling her tawny hair into a high chignon and topping it with a huge hat decorated with artificial leaves and fruit. Underneath the hat was a small, impudent face with a wicked twinkle in the green eyes. The cut of her chestnut-colored gown revealed an astonishing acreage of freckled bosom. Freckles were not generally thought to be attractive, but Hugh could hardly take his eyes off them. After a while Maisie felt his stare and returned it. He turned away with an apologetic smile.
He took his mind off her bosom by looking around the group and noting how his old schoolmates had changed in the last seven years. Solly Greenbourne had matured. Although he was still fat, and had the same easygoing grin, he had acquired an air of authority in his middle twenties. Perhaps it came from being so rich--but Edward was rich and he had no such aura. Solly was already respected in the City; and while it was easy to earn respect when you were the heir to Greenbournes Bank, all the same a foolish young man in that position could rapidly become a laughingstock.
