The masterminds behind The Mount, the troubled but on the mend (we hope) Edith Wharton property in Lenox, have had an idea so brilliant it gives us hope for the historic site's future. On Friday and Saturday evenings throughout July and August, the cafe there will remain open from 5 to 8 to serve wine and hors d'oeuvres. In other words, at the very hour when Wharton herself would have taken a break from writing her masterpiece, The House of Mirth (on any well-considered list of the top 10 English-language novels), to walk the magnificent grounds when the light is at its most beautiful and to relax on the terrace, so may we. Moreover, like Wharton, we get to park the Duesenberg for free, and we may enter without so much as a dime changing hands. If afterwards, you realize you had a magical moment there, and hope to do it again next summer, we suggest you sit down at once and write The Mount a big, fat tax-deductible check.
