"Yes. A man’s ear," Chris says. "I told Richard, ’You miss that convention’"—a move during the auction phase of a hand—"’again, and I’m going to do that to you.’" She gives him a playful shove.
Who was the man in the painting? I ask.
Richard shrugs. "I don’t know," he says. "I guess someone who played bad bridge."
HOTEL CIPRIANI, 10 Giudecca, Venice; 800/237-1236 or 39-041/520-7744; www.hotelcipriani.com; doubles from $745.
Jennifer Senior is a contributing editor for New York magazine. She prefers blackjack to bridge.
