In the club lounge, Cy the Cynic and I found Rose, whose courtesy and kindness we all should emulate, sitting with a pad and pen.

“What’re you up to?” I asked.

“Making my list, checking it twice,” Rose smiled.

“Well, I need a new toaster oven,” the Cynic informed her.

Rose was today’s North, and West led the king of spades against four hearts.

“If you go down, it’s my fault,” Rose said, putting her partner at ease as she tabled the dummy. “I’ve a minimum.”

East won the second spade and returned the jack, and West ruffed South’s queen and led a diamond. South, who needed the rest of the tricks, had to guess. After some thought, he played dummy’s queen. He threw the queen of clubs on the ace of diamonds, won a trump finesse and claimed.

“How’d you find the winning play?” Rose marveled.

“I had to assume East had the king of trumps,” South said. “But he didn’t open the bidding and had the A-J of spades. To take the ace of diamonds and finesse in clubs later couldn’t be right. If East held the king of clubs, he couldn’t have the king of diamonds, so the diamond finesse would win just as well. I gain when West has both kings.”

“Well played,” Rose said, gracious as ever, “and well defended.”

Cy won’t get a toaster oven for Christmas. This was Rose’s gift list:

For Cy the Cynic and Wendy the Feminist: Tolerance

For Unlucky Louie: Encouragement

For Grapefruit: Compassion

For myself: Respect

For all my fellow players: A good example

NorthEastSouthWest

PassPass1 Pass

2 Pass4 All Pass

Opening lead — K(!)

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