Enchanted August by Brenda Bowen

said Bill. “The first on the list was the first family here, the van Straatens, now ruled by their dreadful matriarch. We’re twelfth on my mother’s side and twenty-third on my father’s. So not bad. Your SanSoucis are not so shabby either, though they’re not the original builders. There was a lot of turnover in the twenties. Then people clung on.”
    â€œ
My fault, my fault!
” Another blame-taking cry from the court.
    â€œThose two are up here from May till October,” said Bill, pointing to the handsome couple on the far side of the court. Lottie was charmed that they actually wore white to play. “The Wades. She once placed second in the Little Lost bathing suit competition, back when there was a Little Lost bathing suit competition. She’s a van Straaten, originally.”
    â€œI bet she can still rock a maillot,” said Lottie, pleased she knew the word.
    â€œ
No, that was in. Your point!
”
    â€œTheir partners are wife and wife, can you believe? A Boston marriage that turned into a legal one. She plays like a man so they’re a match in mixed doubles.”
    â€œDo people like each other as much as they seem to?” Lottie asked. “Or is it show?”
    â€œShow is as good as real after a while, don’t you think?” Bill said. “It’s a small island.”
    â€œIs that why everybody just walks across everyone else’s property?” Her meandering walk had cut across many cottage lots this morning, yet no one had seemed to notice. “That’s okay?”
    â€œThe cottages belong to their owners; the land belongs to everyone.”
    â€œThis island is a
co-op
?”
    â€œWASP communism,” said Bill. “So we have to get along. Our parents were neighbors. Our grandparents were neighbors. Sometimes we marry each other. Sometimes we divorce each other. If we can’t play together by this generation, we have only ourselves to blame.”
    Lottie considered all this. “So you’ve worked things out,” she said.
    â€œMost families have, even though a summer cottage tends to be a strain on the family finances. Your young Mr. SanSouci could use more family. The Ladies Association for Beautification wishes he would settle down and get married and populate that upstairs dorm room with
Kinder
, but he’s not a real presence here. We have his renters instead. And not a bad bunch they turn out to be.” He smiled.
    â€œWhat association?” Lottie couldn’t let that go by.
    â€œThe Little Lost LABs. They run the place. Beautify, socialize. Iron fist in a lace glove. They’re the social committee. We’re relentlessly social here.”
    â€œYou should meet our cottagers,” said Lottie, taking a chance. “Will you come over sometime? I make a very good old-fashioned.” She had pegged him as a bourbon man.
    â€œI’d be delighted. And you must come to the August cocktail party. It’s at the Whyte Cottage. The twentieth, I think. Always the third Thursday of the month. The social calendar should be in the cottage somewhere.”
    â€œYes, Robert left it for us.”
    â€œBring a covered dish—recipes favored by the islanders are in the Little Lost cookbook at the library. Tons of calories. The theme is hats this year. Wear a hat.”
    â€œA hat!”
    â€œThere’ll be plenty at the cottage, I’m sure. Look through all the closets! That’s a renter’s privilege.”
    â€œWill do.”
    â€œWe dress for cocktails, so don’t be surprised to see me in a jacket.”
    â€œ
Out!
” The tennis players laughed, walked to the net, and shook hands, straight on, then diagonally.
    â€œAnd that’s a match. Want to watch another one?” he asked.
    As friendly as Bill was, Lottie did not want to outstay her renter’s welcome. She thought about how Caroline would exit this situation. “I won’t trespass on