"Did he say why he canceled?" I pressed.

"No. I thought Alexander would have told you," she said.

"Not directly."

She shook her head. "A good man is hard to find, you know. But you have Alexander."

I bit my black lip.

"Hey, aren't you late for school?" she inquired, looking up at the Armstrong Travel clock.

"I'm always late! Janice, can you give me Ruby's address?"

"Why don't you stop back at the end of the day?"

"It's just that she left her compact—"

"You can leave it here," Janice suggested.

The front door opened and in walked Ruby.

I imagined a jaded woman in jeans holding a cigarette and a beer, but even being jilted, Ruby was in style. She was wearing full makeup and a white sweater and matching tight white slacks.

"You're in early today," Janice said.

"I have a lot to catch up on," Ruby replied with a sigh. "What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised to see me.

"I have something of yours."

"If you are here on behalf of Jameson," she said, "you can tell him I'm sorry I had to cancel."

"You? But he was—" I began.

Ruby settled in at her desk and turned on her computer, accidentally knocking over her cup of pens.

"Darn it!" she exclaimed, agitated, trying to grab the pens as they fell to the floor.

Janice and I raced over to help her pick them up.

"This has never happened before!" Ruby said angrily. "Now everyone will know."

"I knock things over all the time," I comforted.

"No, she means about Jameson," Janice whispered to me. "I got stood up several times before I met my Joe. But I must admit I'm surprised about the butler. It was doubly rude, since we came to the party to support the Sterling family." Janice glared at me as if Jameson's no-show was my fault. "I feel as though he stood me up, too."