âLook at how fast those trays are going down!â
âGood thing weâve got plenty of raw material in here.â Mavie chuckled.
They worked steadily for the next hour, making and baking succulent treats for the guests. The band was playing some lazy blues tunes, and a few couples were dancing in the big family room by the patio door.
âYou should be in there dancing and having fun,â Mavie said. âYouâre young enough to enjoy these parties.â
Morie gaped at her. âIâm the hired help.â
âBaloney. The boss doesnât think like that.â
âWant to bet?â Morie murmured under her breath. Sheâd already had an unforgettable taste of the bossâs attitude toward the lower classes. It had a sting.
Mavie glanced her way. âYou want to watch that Gelly person. She was raging to the boss about how you talked to her like a dog and said she was a useless person.â
âI said no such thing!â Morie replied indignantly.
âJust telling you what sheâs sayingâ came thesoft reply. âIâve seen women like her all my life. They purr when theyâre around the man in charge and claw when theyâre not. She isnât as wealthy as she makes herself out to be. One of my friends works for her folks, and gets paid nothing, not even minimum. She says they put on airs and pretend to be rich, but theyâre barely middle class. Gellyâs hoping for a rich husband to prop up the family finances. Sheâs got her eye on the boss.â
âIf heâs nuts enough to marry her, heâll get what he deserves,â Morie pointed out. âThat woman has more sharp edges than a razorâs blade.â
She nodded in agreement. âI think she does, too.â
It was almost ten oâclock. The staff would leave soon, and so would most of the guests. Morie would be glad to see her bed. Sheâd been on her feet since daylight. She was half-starved, as well, because she hadnât had a dinner break. Neither had Mavie.
âIâm so hungry.â Morie sighed.
âMe, too. Weâll save a few canapés for ourselves,â she said, laughing. âIâll put some on a plate for you to take back to your room.â
âThanks, Mavie.â
âNo, thank you,â she replied. âYouâre a wonderful little worker. I couldnât have managed this alone.â
She grinned. âI like working in the kitchen.â
âMe, too. Call me old-fashioned, but I love to cookâ¦.â
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âW HEREâS THAT WONDERFUL cook?â came a familiar deep voice from the doorway. A minute later, Morieâs uncle Danny Brannt came through the doorway, laughing. He stopped dead when he spotted Morie.
She put her finger to her lips, when Mavieâs back was turned, and shook her head frantically.
âWhoâs the cook?â he repeated, beaming at Mavie. âI just had to thank you for those delicious canapés. Itâs been a long time since Iâve tasted anything that good.â
âIt was meââ Mavie laughed ââbut my helper here came up with most of the recipes.â She indicated Morie. âSheâs Morie,â she added. âIâm Mavis, but everyone calls me Mavie.â
âIâm happy to meet you,â he said. âBoth of you.â But when he looked at Morie his eyebrows lifted. âLike working here, do you?â he asked her.
âOh, yes, very much,â she replied.
He pursed his lips. âCan I speak with you for a minute?â he added. âI want to ask you something about that little sausage canapé. For my housekeeper,â he said.
âSure,â she replied.
He walked to the back door, held it open and lether go out before him. She worried that it might make Mavie suspicious, but she had to make him understand. She explained what she was doing.
âWhat the devil are you up to?â