disagreement over the menu?â
Mrs Rutherford struggled out of Walterâs embrace and straightened her tunic. âMr Walter,â she said, her jaw clenched, âWhy donât you try whatâs on offer and tell us what you think.â She held out a tray of green-topped canapés, each piece an artful creation but, from where Gerald was standing, none of them resembled anything heâd want to eat.
Walter cocked an eyebrow and looked over the selection. âIâm sure itâs allâ¦mighty fine,â he said.
Miss Rousseau snatched the tray from Mrs Rutherford. âIâll take that,â she sniffed. âPlease, try one of the yeux de mouton âtheyâre magnifiques .â
Walter recoiled slightly then picked up a pasty case filled with a glistening white ball. He sniffed it. âInteresting, um, aroma,â he said.
âYou have a good nose, sir,â Miss Rousseau said. Walter popped the morsel in his mouth. âSo many people use tinned ingredients these days.â
âOh really,â Walter said, chewing away.
âI prefer fresh. Especially the sheepâs eyes.â
âSheepâs eyes!â Walter gagged and spat into his hand.
Gerald couldnât help noticing the look of pleasure on Mrs Rutherfordâs face.
Walter rushed to the sink and poured himself a glass of water. âVery interesting, uh, texture, Miss Rousseau,â he said between gulps. âVery modern, Iâm sure.â
âSo itâs settled,â Mrs Rutherford said. âI will be directing affairs in the kitchen tonight.â She pulled an apron from a cupboard and tied it behind her back.
âOh,â said Geraldâs mother, her face shining red inside her costume.
âImpossible!â Miss Rousseau declared.
âNow wait, wait,â Walter said, trying to restore calm.
âLetâs justââ Then he saw Gerald.
âGerry!â Walter called out, crossing the kitchen, clearly relieved to be diverted from the tension behind him.
â Gerry ?â Ruby whispered.
âAnd these must be your buddies Iâve heard so much about,â Walter said, switching on the southern charm. âThe valiant Sam and the redoubtable Ruby, eh? Pleased to be making your acquaintance, Iâm sure.â Walter thrust a hand towards Sam. Sam offered up his own and it was swallowed in a double-fisted pump action that threatened to dislocate his shoulder.
âUh, yeah,â Sam said, wringing some blood back into his fingers. âNice to meet you, too.â
âI hear you are brave and resourceful, Sam. A friend to be favoured and a foe to be feared. Am I right?â
Samâs cheeks reddened. âOh, I donât know aboutââ
âNonsense! Donât sell yourself short. False modesty is the white ant of the soul. I see in you a tremendous builder of palaces in the sky, Sam. Brave at heartâthatâs what Sam means. Did you know that?â
âNo, well Iââ
âAnd you, Ruby. The celebrity magazines werenât telling lies. You truly are a beauty for the ages. The new âit girlâ, theyâre saying. And one with a killer crush on our Gerry as well.â
Ruby gagged as if someone had shoved a fresh sheepâs eye down her throat. âI really donât think thatâsââ
âAnd I know you offer so much more than just fashionable good looks. A house with a fancy coat of paint on the outside is nothing if itâs got termites in its timbers.â
âIâm sorry, but are you calling meââ
âMy friends!â Walter cut her off, ushering them into a group. He clamped a hand on Samâs shoulder on one side and Geraldâs on the other. His voice dropped low. âMy friends, you must all be brave. Brave of heart and brave of purpose. You will need to be for the challenge that lies ahead.â
âChallenge?â Gerald said.