“Ms. Jones, if you’re free during the New Year, come over with Alex. It’s very lively here then, and most importantly, you’ll get to taste the dishes cooked by his cousin, Austin, who’s an excellent chef.

“I suppose you’ve tasted Alex’s cooking before, right? It’s pretty good, isn’t it? Austin is more than twice as skilled as he is.”

Sheila had been looking at Lilian with admiration the whole time. Even when Lilian was not speaking to her, she smiled at her constantly. When she did speak to he