Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

Peace and Prosperity Jan 1921

January 1921

"Hello, Margaret," Clara said as she entered the hallway outside her father's office. It was January 2nd, and Clara was still tired from the trip to New York. She was also treading lightly around her father, whom she had broken the news to about Jimmy's marriage the night before. He wasn't thrilled that Jimmy married Angela without talking it over with him first. So she was a smidge anxious about being summoned to his office.

Clara badly wanted to tell her father he had to pick a path-either Jimmy was his son, or he wasn't. Because right now the damage of this wishy-washy nonsense was adding up fast, and Clara's stomach had grown an acidic knot that never went away.

"Hello, dear. Do you know why we have been asked?" Margaret asked from the chair where she waited.

"No. I wish I did."

Eddie brought the women into the office and then sat down himself before Nucky began speaking. "I'm sure you are wondering why I've summoned you here. I want to throw a party. A large one, the last weekend of January. 1920 was a transformative year, and I'd like to memorialize it and welcome in a new year of peace and prosperity. Clara, you and Eddie have done this before and can show Margaret the ropes. I want a small dinner party here in the suite, and then a ball at Babette's with entertainment, dancing, a supper, and maybe a breakfast."

"Of course," Clara replied with a practiced smile. Enoch Thompson's parties were legendary, but behind the ease of perfection lay endless days of work. Days Clara would prefer to spend writing or otherwise engaged. Clara groaned internally at the thought of the million small details which would consume her coming hours. "Well, we are going to have to quickly formalize the guest list so we can start issuing the invitations and personalizing the VIPs."

"I want to invite everyone. The state government, the federal government, local government, society people, Chicago, and the New York contingent. Let's invite the Yacht Club circle as well."

"Wives, or?"

"You and Margaret, so wives. Invite Jimmy, and whomever else you think from Atlantic City."

Yes, I think I will, Clara decides.

"Please spare no expense on clothing, you two. I want you two to be the best-dressed women on the planet that night."

Clara led Margaret into a small file room. "This is where we keep the invitation lists." Clara starts pulling file folders. "Fun people are socialites, athletes, artists, or entertainers Father has met and liked or would like to know. The other lists are pretty self-explanatory. The pencil marks are by order of importance. Eddie usually updates those, but if you have information, flag it. There's no limit, really, on how many we invite to the party. I'm thinking no more than 24, though, for the dinner in the suite."

Clara stops and calculates. Margaret and Father, the Rothsteins (whom the party was being held to impress, she assumed), Angela and Jimmy, Richard, herself. That's eight. Probably a good idea to invite the Commodore and Gillian as a show of unity. Ten. She should invite Uncle Eli and Aunt June, but they were rather heavy furniture at dinner parties, and she'd have enough to do to keep the dinner moving without them. They could come to the party only. She'd invite Lansky and Luciano, though, and if they came without dates that pushed her to twelve. Eddie Cantor and a songstress date would get them to fourteen but provide some brightness and life to the dinner. Everyone liked dining with celebrities.

"We need to pick five political couples. I'm thinking Mayor and Mrs. Bader, the governor and his wife, and some judges and spouses, but I'll confirm with Father. Then we'll need to work with the Ritz for catering the dinner." Clara stops and thinks. "Father is going to want to impress, so I think we'll start with lobster canapes, then have cream of something soup, poached salmon in aspic, timbale de foie gras with roasted apple, lamb chops with potato croquettes and asparagus, if we can get any, and then just a watercress salad with cheese crackers. For dessert, simply cake and ice cream I think. Do you think that will suffice?"