Early Warning

“About three-thirty. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, she picks up Jesse at the kindergarten.” Rosanna’s voice had warmed up. Everyone’s voice warmed up at the thought of Jesse (really Joe Jr., but his own charming self already). Lois was working at Dave Crest’s store part-time now. Rosanna said, “If there was ever a mother who needed more children, it is Lois. She was born to raise a brood.”

“I think she’s decided to quit while she’s ahead,” said Minnie.

Rosanna laughed and said, “Well, no matter how long this brouhaha takes, I will sit around making myself comfortable until she brings that darling child home, just to get a hug from him.”

“She can drop you, if you want.”

“I do not want. I am not Jahqueleen Kennedy, afraid of a little snow, sleet, wind, or subzero temperatures.”

Minnie said, “Did you ever not have an opinion, Rosanna?”

Rosanna said, “Never.”

—

THE EVENING AFTER Arthur had his first meeting with a man named McGeorge Bundy, Lillian was surprised at his mood. Arthur was not impressed by the Kennedys, either Jack or Bobby. Both were hotheaded know-it-alls; the only difference between them was that one had a modicum of tact and the other didn’t. But when Lillian chuckled at Bundy’s name, Arthur frowned, though only a little — he never frowned at Lillian as if he were angry at her. She kissed him to make up, and Arthur started talking at once, leaning against the sink with his whiskey and soda in his hand while Lillian stirred the spaghetti sauce and watched Tina coloring at the kitchen table. She did it in her own way — every figure was done in different shades of the same color. Arthur said, “Well, how long have I been aware of him? I know he was working with Kennan and Dulles as long as ten years ago. On our side of the Marshall Plan.”

“What side was that?” said Lillian.

“Funding anti-communist groups in France and Italy.”

“Oh,” said Lillian.

“But I never met him. What is he — about my age, I guess. But he looks younger. He’s a hopper.”

Arthur hadn’t seemed this impressed in years. “Everyone knows he’s Mr. Smart.” Arthur snorted, then downed his drink and turned toward her. He said, “But listen, Lil, here’s the thing. He looks you in the eye. He listens.”

“What did he say?”

“Only ‘Oh, you’re Manning, I think we need to have a cup of coffee sometime soon. Call me.’ ”

“Maybe he says that to all the boys,” said Lillian, but with a smile.

Arthur said, “He should say that to all the boys. You know how I think. The servants know what is going on. The prince who consorts with the paupers ends up learning how the world operates.”

At the dinner table, he was in such a good mood that he did something he hadn’t done in ages, which was to tell a story. They were almost done with supper (though Arthur made them say “finished with dinner”), and Debbie was just picking up her plate to carry it to the sink, when Arthur said, “Guess what?”

Debbie’s head turned, and Dean said, “What?” Timmy and Tina looked up. Even at almost fifteen, Timmy (Tim, he insisted) couldn’t resist his father.

Arthur said, “I saw the funniest thing in town today. I was walking back to the office after lunch, and there was a dog — you know, a big dog, like a greyhound — and it was walking along. It had a wool coat on and a little hat.”

Tina said, “We should have a dog.”

“We should have this dog,” said Arthur. “It was walking on its hind legs, easy as you please, and almost as tall as I was.”

Tina laughed.

Tim said, “Was it wearing high heels?”

“No shoes,” said Arthur, “and it wasn’t a female. That much was evident.”

Now Tim laughed, and Lillian did the obligatory “Goodness, Arthur.”

“So,” said Arthur, “I can’t tell you how many people were ignoring this dog. I don’t know why that was. Embarrassment, maybe. But I was staring at him, and he saw that, so he came striding over to me and said, ‘How do you do?’ I shook his paw. His nails were very neatly trimmed.”

“He could talk?” said Tina.

“He could,” said Arthur. “Though obviously he was not fluent in English. He said, ‘Purrrrhaapppss yew cn tll I are new in tawnnnn.”

Lillian tried not to think about why Arthur had stopped telling stories.

“I said, ‘You seem to fit in well enough. Are you looking for a particular office building?’ He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little note. I couldn’t read it, though — it was in code, scratches and pokes in the paper. But he said, ‘Depppertmnt if Stet.’ We weren’t far from that building.” Now he fell silent, and went back to eating, as if this were all he had to tell. Debbie gazed at him for a moment, then took her plate to the sink, but Dean wasn’t going to give up. He said, “That’s all, Dad? What happened?”