THE DIVINE MRS. M. went with a friend to have something done to their feet the other day. It was a Saturday afternoon, about one o’clock, and I was downstairs reading the obituaries and watching our sons build things and destroy them. (I love the obits; they’re like tiny biographies of regular people, and are frequently touching.) She stuck her head down the stairs and said, “Susie just called and asked if I wanted to get a pedicure. Can Paul bring the kids by, and the two of you can watch them all together? It’ll be fun. Okay?”
I think this is what is commonly known in the political trade as plausible deniability. At some future congressional hearing, or in a court of law, or at The Hague, she can always say, “But I asked you first, honey. Remember?” (By the way, I have no idea where The Hague is, but since it’s always capitalized, I assume it’s a city, or a zone, or a nightclub; additionally, it can only be called sloppy thinking to have anything involved with international law rhyme with “vague.”)
