The Dinner Party Read Free Page A

and now he had a proper head of white hair, befitting a United States Senator. Perhaps she was amazed because she had so little of what she thought of as ambition. She had never considered her fight to exist as a woman a manifestation of ambition.
    She almost never wore make-up during the day, thankful that her skin remained good and healthy, and even more grateful for the fact that she could put herself together in a few minutes. On this day a shower, a toothbrush, and a comb through her hair did it. She then slipped into a blouse and skirt, and ran down the steps and outside to get a breath of the cool morning air before it turned warm, or hot and muggy if this were to be an uncomfortable summer day. But it had begun as a glorious morning. Dolly took such weather as a gift, and she whispered aloud, “Oh, I do feel enriched—so enriched.” She walked the length of the long driveway and back, not as exercise but because she had no appetite for breakfast unless she had used her body first.
    Ellen MacKenzie had put up the coffee pot, and the aromatic smell filled the big kitchen. She was cutting bread for toast; Dolly would have no presliced bread in her house.
    â€œI’ll set the table on the terrace,” Ellen said. “It’s warm enough, isn’t it?”
    â€œOh yes, just right. And don’t let the kids drive you crazy.”
    â€œNo, ma’am. No way.”
    â€œDid the meat come?”
    â€œYesterday. I put it in the big fridge in the pantry.”
    Turning to the pantry, Dolly said, “I do hope he sent us four small legs, properly filleted and dressed.” Ellen stared after her, puzzled, as Dolly opened a door of the big refrigerator, bent down, and confronted an enormous fresh ham.
    â€œMistake,” she said. “Ellen, he sent us the wrong meat. Did you tell him exactly what I wanted, four small legs of lamb, filleted and dressed?”
    Ellen sighed and shook her head. “I do hate to get into the middle of things and I should have asked you; but the senator said that you knew about the fresh pork.”
    Damn liar, she left unsaid. You did not call your husband a liar in front of your housekeeper. “He asked for it?”
    â€œYes—yes, he did. Do you want me to call the butcher?”
    â€œNo, he won’t deliver today. I’ll run over there myself. Just pour me a cup of coffee. That’s all I want, and find a big bag or something that we can put the ham in.”
    The ham was heavy, at least fourteen pounds, and as she stepped out of the back door, MacKenzie appeared and took her package.
    â€œIt weighs like a sack of potatoes.”
    â€œIt’s a fresh ham.”
    â€œDon’t see many of those these days. I do love fresh ham.”
    â€œIt’s going back.”
    â€œOh? Do you want me to take it to town.”
    â€œNo, I’ll do that myself.”
    Dolly took the Buick station wagon. The senator made few public appearances in the Mercedes; his public image sat better in the Buick though he would not have complained had Dolly taken the two-seater. She had no feelings about a German car, but her father, who had been an infantry officer in the Seventh Army in World War II, detested the car enough for her to shy away from it. She never understood why she had to please her father when he was not there to be pleased, she simply accepted it as one of her minor quirks. Anyway, the fact that it was so definitely the senator’s car and not the family’s made her uneasy the few times she had driven it.
    Driving to town, she tried to make some sense out of the puzzle of the switched meat order. Not only had Richard never tampered with a meat order before, or indeed with any process in the kitchen, but he loved lamb as Dolly served it. She would have the butcher bone the lamb leg, then remove the slightly tougher small end and trim away any excess fat. She would then marinate it for about four hours in wine with onions