hat; really; no man should ever wear; but he looked surprisingly good。 It was hard to remember a time when her dad was a straitlaced partner of a Park Avenue law firm and not a French vineyard–owning gay man with a partner named Giles and adopted twins from Cambodia named Pierre and Pauline。 As infants the twins had been named Ping and Pong; because of their cute round hairless heads; but as soon as Harold and Giles began applying to nursery school programs; they realized their son and daughter might be teased。
You think?
“‘For auld lang syne’…” Harold warbled as he stepped between the pieces of the elaborate train set the twins had gotten for Christmas spread out on the floor。 In the corner; Giles was having a tea party with the twins。
Blair contemplatively swirled the wine in her glass。 It was nice to be in Newport; where she’d spent so many of her childhood holidays。 Christmas had been perfect: They’d spent the morning opening presents underneath the gigantic Douglas fir; then taken turns helping Pauline and Pierre build their train set。 She’d gotten a pair of limited edition Chanel booties from her father; and she’d spent the afternoon curled up by the fire reading and drinking wine。 There’d been no unexpected surprises; and she liked it that way。
She was even looking forward to a quiet New Year’s。 No drama; no hangovers; and the only brushes with the past would be in the form of pleasant memories。 The house smelled like oranges and cinnamon; and if she closed her eyes she could imagine herself as a teenager; annoyed to leave New York—and Serena and Nate—for boring; lonely Newport。
“It’s good to have you back; Bear;” Harold told her。
It felt like she’d been gone forever。 Blair was spending her junior year at St。 Peter’s Coll