All this I had
often heard, and recalled every word during the long hours of that
night as I was making plans for the coming day. The combination in its
entirety could not have been more formidable. There was Faye's mother,
a splendid housekeeper--her very first day in our house. His colonel
and an abnormally sensitive palate--his very first meeting with each
of us. His classmate, a young man of much wealth--a perfect stranger
to me. A soldier cook, willing, and a very good waiter, but only a
plain everyday cook; certainly not a maker of dainty dishes for a
dinner party. And my own experiences in housekeeping had been limited
to log huts in outlandish places.
Every little thing for that dinner had to be prepared in our own
house. There was no obliging caterer around the corner where a salad,
an ice, and other things could be hurriedly ordered; not even one
little market to go to for fish, flesh, or fowl; only the sutler's
store, where their greatest dainty is "cove" oysters! Fortunately
there were some young grouse in the house which I had saved for Mrs.
Rae and which were just right for the table, and those West could cook
perfectly.
So with a head buzzing from quinine I went down in the morning, and
with stubborn determination that the dinner should be a success, I
proceeded to carry out the plans I had decided upon during the night.
Pages:
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153