Bed & Breakfast 14 - Legs Benedict by Mary Daheim

Author:Mary Daheim [Daheim, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mary Daheim
Publisher: Unknown
Published: 2010-03-22T04:00:00+00:00

“Speaking of Bill, if he’s…ah…um…out this evening, do you want to have dinner with Joe and me?”

“Oh,” Renie replied with a wave of her hand, “Bill will be finished by dinnertime. He’s not one to linger after the deed is done. Besides, the kids will be home tonight.”

Judith handed Renie her bourbon. “How do your kids feel about this Key Club thing? Or do they know?”

“They like the idea,” Renie said. “They thought that when Bill retired, he might get bored, even though he retained some of his private patients and still serves as a LEGS BENEDICT / 203

consultant to the university. But Tom and Anne and Tony all feel that the Key Club has perked up our lives. The kids were afraid that Bill and I would just park ourselves in our respective places at night in front of the TV and never budge. As Anne puts it, we have a whole new energy force going for us. After all, variety is the spice of life.”

Judith turned away, lest Renie see her appalled expression. As soon as the current crisis at the B&B was resolved, Judith intended to take her cousin to task for such a moral lapse. Adultery—Judith refused to call the Key Club encounters by a gentler name—was totally out of character for the Joneses. She couldn’t imagine what had made them stray from their usual virtuous path.

But for now, Judith held her tongue. “Well…that’s…nice.”

She took a big sip of Scotch and sat back down at the kitchen table.

“So,” Renie went on, “I’ll finish this drink and be off. You have to get dinner, too, not to mention the appetizers for those fun-loving guests.”

“I’d rather skip that tonight,” Judith said, then frowned. “I assume they’ll be allowed out for dinner. I have no intention of feeding them.”

Renie looked up at the old school clock. “It’s almost five now. Say, do you want me to drop off that roll of film?”

“Oh!” Judith slapped at her temples. “I forgot again. Damn. Yes, would you? I wonder how soon they can get it back to me? The Malones may look for it. It’s three-hour service when you get it in by four o’clock.”

Renie shook her head. “Too late. You won’t have it until tomorrow morning.”

“But it’ll be early, won’t it?” said Judith, looking anxious.

“I’ll go up to the camera shop right after I serve breakfast.”

Polishing off her drink, Renie stood up as Judith handed her the film. “They open at eight,” Renie said, slipping the roll into her big purse. “Good luck, coz. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

204 / Mary Daheim

Judith walked Renie to the back door and watched her go down the walk to the driveway. The clouds were moving in again, and the air felt faintly humid. More rain was on the way. As if to justify the prediction, Judith saw a rainbow in the eastern sky. The graceful arch of soft pastels did nothing to cheer her.

Neither, for that matter, did the Scotch. Joe came home shortly before six, just as Judith was carrying the appetizer tray out to her grumbling guests.

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