Read Online Wild Swans by Patricia Snodgrass - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Patricia Snodgrass
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Althea his arm. She took it and everyone followed them into the restaurant.
Mr. Cathar had made arrangements earlier in the day for them to have a secluded table in the private section of the dining room. Hank pulled the chair out for Althea. Blushing, and not quite sure what to do because Jake never did anything like this for her, she looked to her mother. Ruby offered her a slight nod, and let Mr. Cathar slide a chair for her. She sat down in it, and Althea followed suit. Hank gently pushed the chair in for her and then went to assist his mother. What is it with men, Althea wondered, suddenly angry, that they think we’re so helpless we can’t pull a chair out for ourselves? She started to say it out loud, but before she could open her mouth a sharp pinch on her thigh made her jump. She glared at her mother. “Don’t do that again,” she hissed.
“I hope you don’t mind the accommodations,” Mrs. Cathar was saying, apparently oblivious toward the brief scuffle between mother and daughter. “We couldn’t get a table at Chez Roland . The new manager simply didn’t understand we have a table reserved for us there at all times.” Mrs. Cathar picked up a fork from its place setting, frowned at it, then picked up her linen napkin and began polishing it.
“And look at this,” the old horse faced woman complained, “they didn’t get the silver right, and I told the waitress the last time we were here that they needed to take better care of their silver, didn’t I say that, Bruce darling?”
“You did indeed.” Mr. Cathar grinned at Althea, who blushed crimson.
“Nancy, dear,” Mrs. Cathar said to Ruby, “I am always saying to my girl, ‘Andrea dear, you absolutely must make sure the crystal and the silver are spotless.’ I won’t have spots on my good things. I simply won’t have it.”
“Oh,” Ruby said, copying Mrs. Cathar’s officiousness, “I have the same trouble with my girls. Neither of them can do the silver right, either. And they never make the beds properly. The sheets are never ironed enough and they always put in too much starch. And neither of them knows how to do hospital corners right. Why I was just saying to Mrs. Seffy the other day—”
“—and it was so kind of you to you let Mr. Dick our driver off for the night, Mother, ” Althea said in a snooty tone. “After all, Mrs. Dick and the new baby needed him at home. You know how those people are... thinking more of their families than their jobs.”
“Don’t give in to their whims, Ruth, darling,” Mrs. Cathar interrupted. “They get uppity when you spoil them like that. It’s bad enough they think they’re just as good as we are,” Mrs. Cathar said with a disapproving tone. “I never let my girl have the day off—well Sunday morning to go to Mass—but afterwards I expect her back at the big house with dinner ready. The lazy slut hardly works now for the amount I pay her.” Mrs. Cathar pontificated. “I tell you, Ruthie, you let your help take advantage of you. Those people are having babies all the time. They’re not going to miss your driver for a few hours while they dump out another one.”
Althea snickered.
“Oh I like to drive,” Ruby said, offhandedly. “Besides, the help does like to gossip, and I wanted this little dinner party to be between us.”
“Oh I know,” Mrs. Cathar said, as if it were possible to put on even more airs. “We had to let our own chauffeur go because he was spreading all sorts of lies about us, isn’t that right, Bruce?”
Mr. Cathar grunted in agreement as he sampled a large dinner roll.
“Why, you can’t trust any of them these days, can you, Ruthie dear? I was just saying the other day—”
“Ruby,” Althea corrected.
“What?” Mrs. Cathar looked confused. “Ruby?” She looked at Ruby and Althea as if trying to figure out exactly where the contradiction came from. “Don’t be silly. That’s a dreadful name. Something a stripper—” she said,
Mr. Cathar had made arrangements earlier in the day for them to have a secluded table in the private section of the dining room. Hank pulled the chair out for Althea. Blushing, and not quite sure what to do because Jake never did anything like this for her, she looked to her mother. Ruby offered her a slight nod, and let Mr. Cathar slide a chair for her. She sat down in it, and Althea followed suit. Hank gently pushed the chair in for her and then went to assist his mother. What is it with men, Althea wondered, suddenly angry, that they think we’re so helpless we can’t pull a chair out for ourselves? She started to say it out loud, but before she could open her mouth a sharp pinch on her thigh made her jump. She glared at her mother. “Don’t do that again,” she hissed.
“I hope you don’t mind the accommodations,” Mrs. Cathar was saying, apparently oblivious toward the brief scuffle between mother and daughter. “We couldn’t get a table at Chez Roland . The new manager simply didn’t understand we have a table reserved for us there at all times.” Mrs. Cathar picked up a fork from its place setting, frowned at it, then picked up her linen napkin and began polishing it.
“And look at this,” the old horse faced woman complained, “they didn’t get the silver right, and I told the waitress the last time we were here that they needed to take better care of their silver, didn’t I say that, Bruce darling?”
“You did indeed.” Mr. Cathar grinned at Althea, who blushed crimson.
“Nancy, dear,” Mrs. Cathar said to Ruby, “I am always saying to my girl, ‘Andrea dear, you absolutely must make sure the crystal and the silver are spotless.’ I won’t have spots on my good things. I simply won’t have it.”
“Oh,” Ruby said, copying Mrs. Cathar’s officiousness, “I have the same trouble with my girls. Neither of them can do the silver right, either. And they never make the beds properly. The sheets are never ironed enough and they always put in too much starch. And neither of them knows how to do hospital corners right. Why I was just saying to Mrs. Seffy the other day—”
“—and it was so kind of you to you let Mr. Dick our driver off for the night, Mother, ” Althea said in a snooty tone. “After all, Mrs. Dick and the new baby needed him at home. You know how those people are... thinking more of their families than their jobs.”
“Don’t give in to their whims, Ruth, darling,” Mrs. Cathar interrupted. “They get uppity when you spoil them like that. It’s bad enough they think they’re just as good as we are,” Mrs. Cathar said with a disapproving tone. “I never let my girl have the day off—well Sunday morning to go to Mass—but afterwards I expect her back at the big house with dinner ready. The lazy slut hardly works now for the amount I pay her.” Mrs. Cathar pontificated. “I tell you, Ruthie, you let your help take advantage of you. Those people are having babies all the time. They’re not going to miss your driver for a few hours while they dump out another one.”
Althea snickered.
“Oh I like to drive,” Ruby said, offhandedly. “Besides, the help does like to gossip, and I wanted this little dinner party to be between us.”
“Oh I know,” Mrs. Cathar said, as if it were possible to put on even more airs. “We had to let our own chauffeur go because he was spreading all sorts of lies about us, isn’t that right, Bruce?”
Mr. Cathar grunted in agreement as he sampled a large dinner roll.
“Why, you can’t trust any of them these days, can you, Ruthie dear? I was just saying the other day—”
“Ruby,” Althea corrected.
“What?” Mrs. Cathar looked confused. “Ruby?” She looked at Ruby and Althea as if trying to figure out exactly where the contradiction came from. “Don’t be silly. That’s a dreadful name. Something a stripper—” she said,
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