33Kate’s long afternoon of appointments and house tours had proved fruitless, but Harry’s golf match had resulted in a substantial investment by two of his golf partners in Hill Financial’s latest topical fund. This one focused on the booming environmental technology sector. The win for his firm was obtained by Harry’s judicious loss of the match, a proven tactic shrewd golfers and shrewd women alike use regularly. In this instance, it was a bit of a challenge, since it required Harry to miss an easily makeable putt in a convincing way. He used the reliable “unexpected noise” gambit, whereby his partner coughed at just the right time, causing Harry to hit the ball wide of the cup.
At the house, he found the girls back from their victorious tennis match. He congratulated them and claimed h
