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which draped beautifully, and Addie had added a necklace and earrings of silver and Christmas tree–green stones that Jane feared were real emeralds.
    “How can I help, Jane dear?“
    “You could start by loaning me your wardrobe,“ Jane said.
    “What?“
    “Just a joke,“ Jane said.

Eight

    Shelley came to her rescue in fine form, engaging Addie in light, impersonal conversation so that Jane could finish dinner preparations. Every now and then Shelley would toss Jane a question. An easy one, like “Do you need any help?“ or “How’s it going?“ To which Jane could reply brightly, “Not a bit,“ or “It’s coming right along on schedule.”
    As six o’clock approached, the time the carolers were to assemble, several neighbors dropped in with contributions. Sharon Wilhite made a couple trips, bringing four very expensive-looking wine bottles and a box full of plastic wineglasses. “Hope you don’t mind them being plastic,“ Sharon said.
    “Is there anyone on earth with thirty real ones sitting around?“ Jane asked. “Plastic is great.“
    “I hear Lance King’s invited to the party,“ Sharon said.
    “And he’s been uninvited,“ Jane said bluntly. “Sorry, maybe you’re a fan of his.“
    “Fan? No way. He was born obnoxious. I often wonder... oh, well, never mind.”
    This was the sort of conversational gambit Jane would normally have pursued avidly, but was too busy at the moment. She’d ask Sharon about it later. If she could remember.
    Julie Newton brought snack mix and, to Jane’s surprise, had the native wit to bring along little matched bowls the shape of Christmas trees to set around the house on various flat surfaces. Little Pet Dwyer turned up with a pan of fudge she’d made herself. It looked like a big mud pie with green sprinkles, but the women all complimented her skills effusively.
    “Are you and your dad singing with the group before you come here for dinner?“ Jane asked.
    “No, Daddy has to work at home tonight. But he said I could come if someone would walk me home by eight-thirty. He’s putting together a web page that has a lot of graphics to load.“
    “I’m sure Todd will be happy to walk you home, Pet,“ Jane told her. “Be sure your father knows he’s welcome to drop by if he gets a chance to take a break. Lots of good food here.“
    “Thank you, Mrs. Jeffry,“ Pet said in such a formal tone that it sounded like a verbal curtsy.
    As soon as she’d gone, Todd came in with his friend Elliott and they had to be severely reprimanded to stay out of the fudge and to quit making fun of the way it looked. Katie brought her friend Jenny to the house as well. Jenny’s mother had sent chips and dip with them which had suffered only a few depredations along the way.
    Suzie Williams showed up at the same time with four bags of ice and a half-set Jell-O salad. “Sorry, it was the best I could do. Inventory week. Want me to put the ice in your basement freezer?”
    Mike had spontaneously decided to make one last vacuum-cleaner run through the downstairs rooms and they were all having to shout over the noise. Jane glanced at Addie, who was looking befuddled at the Grand Central Station atmosphere.
    Addie caught the look and asked, “Is it always like this around here?“
    “Not always,“ Jane said, trying to sound very calm and competent. “Sometimes it’s quiet. Sometimes it’s worse. Remember slumber parties?“
    “My girls never had them,“ Addie said. “I was gone too much of the time in the evenings when they were the slumber party age. My sister helped me take care of them. I didn’t feel I could burden her with that.”
    This gave Shelley another conversational gambit to pursue and she took off after it like a greyhound. Jane could tell by Shelley’s too-polite tone and faintly brittle smile that she wasn’t really taking to Addie VanDyne. She also knew full well that Shelley would know better than to let Addie know how she felt.
    Jane set a big pasta