Fell Down by M.E. Kerr

Author:M.E. Kerr [Kerr, M. E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4405-3920-6
Publisher: F+W Media
Published: 1991-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

chapter 9

A dieu was on Dune Road, at the top of a hill overlooking Seaville and the Atlantic Ocean.

I expected Eaton, their butler, to answer the door, but he wasn’t on duty.

Keats’s father did the honors instead.

“Hello, John.” He was in a dark suit, always.

“How do you do, sir?”

Gras, the two-ton dachshund, was growling at my pants cuffs, while Lawrence Keating eyed the suitcase I was carrying, his mouth turned down.

“So!” he said. “I’m told you’re here to rescue the supper party.”

“I think I can,” I said modestly. I knew I could.

“We want to pay you too, John.”

“Oh, no, sir. I’m doing this as a favor to Keats.”

“She tells me you do this sort of thing professionally,” said Himself, sticking a hand down his pocket and rattling his change. “I never designed a house for anyone free of charge.”

I felt like saying, Try it, you’ll like it.

But he wasn’t the type.

I said, “I like to cook.”

“I liked what I did too, John, but I expected recompense.”

Mrs. Keating came rushing out then like a little bird running down a lawn. She was thin and tiny, always very tan and quick to smile. She had on a long, red dress.

“Hello, dear. My my, you didn’t waste any time getting here.”

I was still carrying my suitcase, but I stuck out my left hand and we shook.

“Speaking of time,” Mr. Keating said, “if we’re going to the Stewarts’ before theater, we’d best get started.”

“Sweetheart, I have to show John the kitchen and see what he can make of all that shrimp.”

“Do you have bread and salad greens?” I asked her as we went down the hall.

“Yes, plenty of both. And luscious tomatoes!”

“Then don’t worry … Dessert?”

“We have cookies. We have peaches.”

“Peaches, good! I’ll do peaches with bourbon. You have bourbon?”

“Of course…. The help have the afternoon off, but they’ll be on duty again at seven. This is awfully nice of you, John.”

“Everyone calls me Fell.”

“I know, but I can’t call someone by his last name,” she said. “And at ten o’clock, for entertainment, we’re having one of those ventriloquists from the convention.”

“Was that Keats’s idea?”

“No, we didn’t even think our daughter would be here this weekend. Someone from the club told me about this young Vietnamese. He’s performed at The White House!”

“Fen,” I said. Fen trying out Plumsie!

“Yes, that’s his name, dear. I wish there was someone to put your suitcase up in the guest room.”

“I’ll do that, Mother,” said Keats, rounding a corner wearing an apron and a maid’s cap.

“Darling, what have you got on? I thought you were cooking the shrimp.”

“It’s cooked,” she said. “All Fell has to do is shell it.” She took my bag and blew me a kiss.

“Did Mr. Keating speak to you about payment, John?”

“He did, ma’am. And I told him I didn’t want any.”

“Oh, dear, dear, dear. He’d be more impressed if you took something, you know.”

“I’m not trying to impress him,” I said.

“Anymore,” she said.

• • •

After I shelled the shrimp, I made layers of shrimp, onion, lemon, and parsley in a casserole.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.