She stepped from the brilliance of the late afternoon into the dark wooded tones  of the Hassler Bar. The Bar had a gracious muted elegance. Rachel felt as if she had stepped from one dimension into another. This, for her, was to be the party dimension. 

A waiter met her at the entrance. She gave her name and indicated she had a booking. He took her to a table in the far corner overlooking the garden. It was given some privacy by a screening of timber and potted plants. She was pleased it...