“So, what do you think of Charlie’s house, George? It’s stunning, isn’t it? And Lily Pond Lane isverydesirable.”
“It is,” George answered, taking a sip of his wine. He was nothing if not polite, but Will could see how carefully his friend was choosing his words.
Birdie, on the other hand, didn’t notice. “I knew you’d love it. It’s the perfect Hamptons summer house.”
“It’s too bad the summer is almost over,” George replied diplomatically.
She waved him off. “Oh, that doesn’t matter. It’s the kind ofplace you can show off year-round, maybe do some holiday entertaining. I really think you and your girlfriend would be extremely happy there.”
George nodded even as he said, “When I’m in the market, I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Who knows if it will be available then?” Birdie sighed. “It’s one of the most exclusive addresses in the Hamptons. A house like that doesn’t stay on the market for long, George.”
“It might, though,” Lizzy said.
Birdie’s head whipped around to face her. “Excuse me?”
“Oh.” Lizzy looked between her and George, as if she was surprised anyone had heard her. “It’s just that Marv’s Lament has been on the market for a while.”
“Marv’s Lament?” Birdie asked, her lip almost curling.
“Charlie’s house. Or, former house. What’s going on with that, exactly?”
Birdie waved off the question with her red nails. “The only reason it hasn’t found a new occupant is because the market has been in flux. It’s set to hit its stride in the next few months.” Then she turned to Will. “Speaking of which, we have to talk about the Montauk house before you go. I’m getting calls, so I need you to let me know when we’re putting it on the market.”
Lizzy’s attention snapped to Will.
“You have a house in Montauk?” she asked.
He nodded once. Then he adjusted his sleeve, avoiding her eyes.
George turned to Will, his brow furrowed. “I didn’t think you were actually going to sell that place.”
“It only makes sense,” Birdie said, clasping her hands together so her red nails overlapped one another. “That house is gorgeous, but when does Will have time to go out there? And there’s just somuch land, it deserves to be developed so other people can enjoy it, too. Right off the cliffs at the very end of the island. Just beautiful!”
She sighed, like the listing was already written in her mind. Then Will remembered that it probably was.
That’s when he noticed that Lizzy’s gaze was still on him.
He was having a hard time reading her expression. There had been doubt there just a few moments ago, but now it almost seemed like she was surprised. As if the idea of him having any connection out east was beyond her comprehension.
“If you have a place in Montauk, why were you always at Charlie’s?” she finally asked.
“My house out there was being renovated.” He didn’t want to give his aunt more of an opening to discuss it, but as Birdie drummed her fingernails on the white tablecloth, he knew it was already too late.
“It cost an absolute fortune, too,” Birdie said, as if she was footing the bill. “I will never understand why you insisted on doing all that—the land sells itself! Homes out there are as rare as hen’s teeth and go for top dollar with or without a new roof. In fact, I had an agent who had a listing nearby last summer that was half the size and it went for over fifteen million dollars.”
“That is… a lot of money,” Lizzy said.
Will took another sip of his beer.
“Exactly,” Birdie said with a nod. “It’s the smart choice.”
A moment, then Lizzy looked over at Will.
“Do you want to sell it?” she asked.
The question stopped him. Her dark eyes were narrowed, but they had lost the fire that had threatened to scorch him earlier. She was studying him, like his expression might give away more than any possible answer.
