In Over Her Head by Elsie Russell - Parnasse.com

BATS IN THE BELFRY
Downstairs in the salon Ula and Signora were having a tête a
tête. Ula perhaps believed that she was learning the secrets of becoming
a Grande Dame. Sandro walked up to his mother. She whispered
something in his ear and they moved into the anteroom. Penny heard
them walk away. Ula had been watching her, sipping a translucent drink
that smelled like licorice.
"Get you a drink?" she motioned with the glass to the bar, as if
this were her own house.
"No, thanks." Penny sat in one of the red damask chairs.
Sounds of china and silver came from the dining room.
"You're so uptight, a little alcohol might help."
"It'll just make me sleepy." Penny sure hadn't felt uptight until
now.
Ula sailed to the bar and poured something into a small crystal
goblet from a bottle with an artichoke on the label.
"Here, try this," she said, "It's good for the digestion and almost
non alcoholic, from the heart of the artichoke."
Penny took a sip of the artichoke blood. More sweet than bitter,
like homeopathic cough medicine, but also reminiscent of Coca Cola.
"What is it?"
"Cynar, an aperitif invented by this eccentric art
collector/inventor that I met at Salvador's."
"In El Salvador?"
"No, silly, Dalí, the artist! They collaborated on these weird
projects, holograms and things. I met him when I was visiting Salvador
and Gala in Port Lligat and he'd stopped by in this gargantuan yacht,
parked it right outside in the little bay!"
"Hmm." What did Ula think when she walked down that hall
with all the photos? Penny swirled the surrealist's bitter potion in a
paper thin goblet like ones in still life paintings of desserts and watched
the crystal facets sparkle under the chandelier. Ula continued her
ramble on this celebrity's legendary quirks and extravagances. Penny
tuned it out until the part about twin baby bottoms on wet paper.
"The little rosebuds were identical!" Ula exclaimed as if it were
normal cocktail hour conversation. In the silence that followed, because
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