“the maid we assigned to the staffords has informed me that mr stafford is indisposed, and will not be coming down to dinner.”
“on top of m santcerre having the same complaint. what do you think, wallace? that it is something in the air? the shooting has been good, and the air is usually good when the shooting is good.”
“i really can’t say, madame. shall i have cook proceed with dinner for ten?”
“no, no, that is too few. not with such a guest as mr mahmoud, you know how sensitive they can be about trifles.”
wallace nodded, indicating that he awaited mrs foster’s command.
“i know it is tiresome, but you shall have to go out into the highways and byways and round up a couple of guests. it is short notice, but do what you can.”
“yes, madame. and i will tell cook to proceed with dinner for twelve.”
*
stone, mrs foster’s chauffeur, pulled the old bentley - the family’s oldest car, used for the most functional and least ceremonial purposes - off the driveway and on to the “highway and byway” in which he and wallace, the butler, were to find a pair of guests to complete the evening dinner party.
“what are we looking for, mr wallace?”
“the first people who come along, stone. the first people who come along.”
“ha, ha. surely you have some more stringent requirements than that, mr wallace?”
“no, not at all.” wallace looked out the window. “especially as it looks like rain. i really do not care to be driving around muddy roads in the bleak countryside all day to little purpose.”
“so you have done this sort of thing before, have you?” stone asked. he was new to mrs foster’s establishment.
“oh, yes, many times.”
“and you have never found that the people you just pick up by the side of the road cause any - any embarrassment when they are introduced to the society of the likes of mrs foster and her distinguished guests - heads of state, the cream of society, and all that?”
“not at all.”
stone laughed. “really? they never misbehave, or express any disgruntled proletarian or anti-establishment sentiments?”
“never. i have found that people, even the lowest of the low, are always quite properly in awe of their betters, and mind their manners quire nicely.”
wallace and stone lapsed into silence, and continued to drive along. perhaps because of the threatening skies, the roads were deserted.
the rain began to fall.
stone was just about to head for the main highway and the roads into the city when they saw a young man and a young woman trudging along ahead of them.
mary heard the bentley behind them before joe did, and moved a bit off the road, so as not to get splashed by the rainwater.
but the bentley stopped. wallace rolled the window down and explained his and stone’s mission.
mary listened attentively. when wallace was finished, she asked, “so we get some free food?”
“yes, miss, and quite a bit of it, if that is your fancy. one thing about mrs foster, she is no cheeseparer. and expects no great show of gratitude, either. you will not be required to sing for your supper.”
“sounds good.” mary nodded to joe.
“the rear door is unlocked,” wallace told them, and they both got in the car.
wallace noticed that joe had not said a word, but had let mary do all the talking.
16. angeline
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