Alex glanced up. “We need more wine.”
I couldn’t believe they’d drunk so much wine so quickly. Surely they’d forgotten the bottles still sitting on the sideboard. But no—when I looked up, they were gone. They hadn’t even bothered decanting the last couple.
I took a couple of the empties, and I thought it would have been nice if Pamela stopped to pick up the half-eaten meals, but she seemed to be asking Jeremy how he’d enjoyed his meal. Winston said, “I need the toilet,” and left the room.
I doubted very much that Alex’s father was going to open up the cellar for any more precious bottles tonight, but what did I know? He said, “You’ll need the key. Ask my father. Or better still, find Briggs. He’ll get them for you.”
I knew that Briggs was having the night off, but I nodded politely. “And are you ready for dessert? It’s really something special.” Poor William. I wanted the Gargoyles to at least see his amazing creations. Even though, based on the fact that they’d only eaten about half their dinners, I didn’t think they were going to gobble down the dessert.
“Yes, yes. In a minute. After the wine.”
“There’s also a cheeseboard to come, and port.”
“But first bring the wine. And you can clear all this away.” He waved his hand over the meals still on the table.
The pair of us cleared away the rest of the food. Charles came in and seemed to struggle to remember where he’d been sitting. He finally located his chair then, before sitting down, studied it. “Alex,” he said at last. “I believe there’s a wasp’s nest in this chair.”
“Don’t be thick. There are no wasps in April.”
He peered closer. “Bees? What about bees?”
“Sit down, you fool.”
“Stinging beetles. Nettles, perhaps.” He swayed as he finally sat. Oh, I was tempted…
As Pamela and I left with loaded trays, I told her that Alex wanted more wine. “I don’t want to go and ask his father for the key to the cellar.”
“No. Of course you don’t. Don’t worry, I can do it.”
“But—” She dumped her tray in the prep area, leaving me to take it into the kitchen, and she was gone.
Well, she’d been serving them their dinner up there, so I supposed she was the correct person to ask for more bottles of fancy wine.
Meanwhile, Violet and I finished clearing the plates, and William continued to fret that his desserts would be ruined. “And I’ve got a lovely Riesling to serve with the dessert. They’re boors, those young men, that’s what they are. I should have just shoved some fish and chips at them. They’d have been as happy. Probably wouldn’t even have noticed.”
“But you would have, William,” I said soothingly. “You do this for your own sense of accomplishment and pride.”
He snorted. “Pearls before swine.”
I couldn’t argue with him there. We waited for Pamela to return to take the desserts upstairs, but once more she seemed to be missing. “Perhaps she broke one of those ridiculous heels,” Violet muttered.
“Lucy, you’d better take the desserts upstairs.”
It was my first foray to the other dining room, but I did as I was told. When I reached the doorway, I could see this foursome was much more sedate but still having a good time. They were laughing at an anecdote from the past. The man with the receding chin was holding forth and was obviously a good storyteller. I waited, knowing that a good server never interrupts the flow of conversation. He ended with, “The don never did find his wig. I believe it’s missing to this day. But there was a certain horse at Ascot…” The other three burst into laughter, and the fourth man chuckled along.
I came in with the four desserts and placed them before the men. “Lovely,” the storyteller said. “Your caterer’s first rate, Hugo. I must take his name. One is always looking for a good caterer.”
“He’s Rafe’s find. And yes, excellent. I must tell my wife about him.”
His phone buzzed, and he pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the screen. “And speaking of, that’s my wife now. Right on time.” He looked around helplessly, and they all told him to take the call.
“Hello, darling. How’s London?”
I poured dessert wine and then left the room and went back downstairs to relay the excellent news that, at least among the older crowd, William would probably be getting more business.
“In fact,” he said, taking off his apron once again and donning his jacket, “I’m taking the dessert in. Who’s with me?”
Violet and I stacked desserts on trays and carried them into the dining room while William came behind us with a special dessert wine.
As we put the desserts down, nobody seemed to even notice. They were drinking two more bottles of the fancy red wine, so Pamela had got it from the cellar, then, though once again she was off somewhere. I kicked Miles in the ankle and whispered, “Tell William how beautiful the dessert looks.”
He looked up at me as though I’d spoken in Japanese. “Pardon?”
“Compliment William on the dessert,” I said again. He looked at it and then finally seemed to clue in. “What a beautiful dessert. Did you make this?” he asked William. Miles had been one of the best actors Cardinal College had ever seen. And, even though he was completely wasted, he was able to call on that talent now. “In fact, amazing meal all round.” He sounded like he’d never seen anything so beautiful in his life, and I saw William immediately soften under the attention. Taking his lead, a couple of the other guys banged their forks against their glasses, and soon they were all doing it. I supposed that was appreciation.
William said, “Well, as it is St. George’s Day, I give you a St. George’s Day dessert.”
“And I give you a toast,” said Alexander, rising.
William poured dessert wine into yet another glass, and Alexander toasted “the fine chef and beautiful serving girls.”
