It had occurred to him that perhaps Americans were different in the way they handled certain situations, and that possibility was what actually took a big chunk out of his anger. After all, Tanya might lose her temper frequently with him, even with his friends, but he couldn’t recall her ever letting it loose in front of strangers, and she would consider Alicia a stranger. Then again, women adhered to certain rules of conduct when they were together. Two of them could be sworn enemies who would go for each other’s throat in private, yet they could behave like perfect friends in public. Once he’d begun, he came up with even more excuses for Tanya’s seeming indifference to the situation. She could be intimidated by Alicia’s sophistication and elegance. Tanya’s upbringing made her ignorant of social protocol. She hadn’t even changed for dinner, was still wearing the clothes she’d worn on arrival, while Alicia had turned herself out in grand style, her white silk gown new, her jewels abundant.
