Read Online Major Vices by Mary Daheim - Free Book Online Page A

and was munching away in her unconcerned fashion. “When I was a little kid, Derek would hang out here a lot. He was years older than I, but he didn’t mind horsing around with me. We spent a lot of time hiding in the bushes.”
    Judith tried not to look askance. Zoe’s remark didn’t seem to perturb Mrs. Wakefield, however. “Derek Rush can be a pain sometimes, but I figure it was his upbringing. It looks as if he expects that poor wife of his to spoil him silly. Maybe he’s making up for lost time.”
    The housekeeper’s assessment struck Judith as credible. From what she knew of Derek, he was selfish, thoughtless—and yet likable. The hint of menace in his lupine manner was born of a wily determination to get his way.With a coddled father and a distracted mother, young Derek had learned to go it alone.
    The buzzer sounded from the dining room. Glancing through the door, Judith could see Aunt Toadie with her lips pursed and an expectant expression on her face.
    Renie wrinkled her pug nose. “Refills for the trough?”
    Judith nodded. “That’s my guess, unless they’re complaining about Uncle Boo’s face falling into his potatoes.”
    â€œHe passed out?” Renie joined Judith at her vantage point. But Judith had been joking: Boo was contentedly munching away on a meaty lamb bone. He had a linen napkin tucked into his collar and appeared to be ignoring the rest of the diners.
    Mrs. Wakefield bustled past the cousins. “I’ll handle this. You’d better get your dessert ready to roll.”
    The crème brûlée was done to perfection, with its amber crackle shining under the oven light. Judith set the cups on a tray, then checked to see if the coffee had finished perking.
    â€œMore rolls, seconds on the broccoli,” Mrs. Wakefield reported, returning to the kitchen. “Hit it, Zoe.”
    Zoe did, though she took her time about it. Five minutes later, the entree plates were ready to be cleared. The Wakefields were hauling dishes from the dining room when Weed strolled in from the back stairs.
    â€œGreat TV set,” he declared, hands in his pockets and a rapturous look on his face. “Next time I’ll plug it in.” Weed Wakefield wandered off to the servants’ quarters in the basement.
    Mrs. Wakefield and Zoe had delivered the crème brûlée, coffee, and tea when the buzzer sounded again. Judith was ready to tear her hair. “Now what?” she demanded in an impatient tone.
    The housekeeper wheeled around, heading back to the dining room. A minute later, she returned, relaying the message that Toadie wanted to speak with Judith. Gritting her teeth, Judith entered the dining room.
    Toadie was spooning the last of her crème brûlée into her mouth. She held up a hand while she finished swallowing. “Ah, there, mustn’t talk with one’s mouth full.”Toadie gave Judith a smile that went only as far as her nose. “By and large, the meal was rather good, Judith. However, you might want to cook the lamb a bit longer next time. I found some pink meat close to the bone. The potatoes were a trifle overdone—they should have a bit of snap and never, never, any squish. The same with the broccoli. As for the cauliflower, you should come up with a new sauce. The Allemande and the béchamel are too similar. Are you sure you used fresh Parmesan cheese for the cauliflower? Did you add one egg yolk or two for the béchamel? When I simmer sauces, I always…”
    Since Judith had never eaten a meal prepared by Aunt Toadie that hadn’t come out of a box, a can, or a package, she couldn’t stand any more criticism or questions. Toadie’s garnishing standby was an envelope of dehydrated Mr. Sauce. Indeed, Judith suspected that Toadie had looked up the béchamel and Allemande recipes in a cookbook.
    â€œYou ate everything but the centerpiece,” Judith broke in.