Rosemary Fell was born into privilege. She has wealth, well–connected friends, and a handsome fiance, Philip Alsop. Finally she has everything she wants. It is then, in a moment of beneficence, that Rosemary invites Eleanor Smith, a penniless young woman she sees under a streetlamp in the rain, into her home for a cup of tea. While there, Rosemary sees Eleanor exchange an unmistakable look with Philip, and she sends Eleanor on her way. But she cannot undo this chance encounter, and it leads to a tempestuous and all–consuming love triangle –– until the tides of war throw all their lives off balance. Inspired by a classic Katherine Mansfield short story, A Cup of Tea engages with its vivid –– and often amusing –– cast of characters, wonderful period detail, brilliant evocation of the uncertain days of World War I, and delightfully spare and picturesque sense of story. “An elegant love story…as exquisitely sculpted as fine porcelain.” - Entertainment Weekly “A jewel…. This novel will plunge you into New York City in the turbulent year of 1917 and will keep you enthralled…. A page turner from start to finish, Ms. Ephron’s spare novel has classic proportions.” - West Coast Review of Books “This book is smooth and seamlessly written witha screenwriter’s sure hand for manipulation in short spaces.” - Los Angeles Times Born to privilege, Rosemary Fell has wealth, well-connected friends, and a handsome fiance, Philip Alsop. One cold and rainy night she sees, under a streetlamp, the mysterious Eleanor Smith huddled against the elements. In a moment of beneficence, Rosemary invites the penniless young woman home for a cup of tea. Arriving on the scene, Philip notices Eleanor warming herself by the roaring fire. When Rosemary sees them exchange an unmistakable look, she promptly sends the girl packing. But too late. In that one brief moment, Rosemary's carefully sculptured life has cracked beyond repair. . . . Inspired by the classic Katherine Mansfield short story, A Cup of Tea springs to life from its rich cast of characters and brilliant evocation of the uncertain days of World War I. This darkly romantic novel engages us with impeccable plotting and a deep sense of foreboding, propelling us toward its shocking conclusion. Rosemary Fell was born into privilege. She has wealth, well–connected friends, and a handsome fiance, Philip Alsop. Finally she has everything she wants. It is then, in a moment of beneficence, that Rosemary invites Eleanor Smith, a penniless young woman she sees under a streetlamp in the rain, into her home for a cup of tea. While there, Rosemary sees Eleanor exchange an unmistakable look with Philip, and she sends Eleanor on her way. But she cannot undo this chance encounter, and it leads to a tempestuous and all–consuming love triangle –– until the tides of war throw all their lives off balance. Inspired by a classic Katherine Mansfield short story, A Cup of Tea engages with its vivid –– and often amusing –– cast of characters, wonderful period detail, brilliant evocation of the uncertain days of World War I, and delightfully spare and picturesque sense of story. Amy Ephron is the bestselling author of the acclaimed novels One Sunday Morning and A Cup of Tea . Her magazine pieces and essays have appeared in Vogue ; Saveur ; House Beautiful ; the National Lampoon ; the Los Angeles Times ; the Huffington Post ; Defamer ; her own online magazine, One for the Table; and various other print and online publications. She recently directed a short film, Chloe@3AM , which was featured at the American Cinematheque’s Focus on Female Directors Short Film Showcase in January 2011. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alan Rader, and any of their five children who happen to drop in. A Cup of Tea A Novel of 1917 By Amy Ephron HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. Copyright ©2005 Amy Ephron All right reserved. ISBN: 0060786205 New York City January, 1917 A young woman stood under a street lamp. It was difficult to make her out at first because she was standing almost in shadow and the mist from the ground, the rains and approaching night made the air and the street seem similarly gray and damp. It was dusk. A light rain was falling. A man walked up and solicited her. It startled her. She shook her head and turned away. Without another thought of her, he hailed a cab which stopped for him at once. She pulled the thin sweater, hardly protection from the rain, tighter around her shoulders as she stepped back from the curb to avoid the spray of dirt and water as the taxi pulled away. Down the streets a very different scene. In an antique store famous for accepting only quality estates and European shipments where not a speck of dust had ever been allowed to gather on the shelves, a woman, slightly older than the woman under the street lamp, stood in front of a display case. Her name was Rosemary Fell. Her clothing was exquisite. Her dark hair framed her face even though in th