Catch as Cat Can by Rita Mae Brown Page B

to the dining room to put it on the table. Another sugar bowl with cubed white sugar was on the table. That, too, was getting used up fast. Honey was also on the table. She wondered if Aunt Tally would mind if she filled up a few nonmatching bowls with sugar to meet the demand but forgot about it as Chef Ted, the caterer himself, called for her to come back in and take a tray of moist carrot cake out.
    â€œWant to help me, Mrs. Murphy?” Brooks asked.
    â€œSure.”
The cat trotted after Brooks, then remained in the dining room sitting on the fireplace mantel so she could see everything.
    Back out on the dance floor, Diego inadvertently bumped Fair as the dark man danced yet another dance with Harry.
    â€œWatch it, buddy, and while you're at it you could move away from my wife.”
    â€œI am not your wife.” Harry was appalled.
    Fair then tapped Diego on the shoulder. Diego quizzically looked to Harry, who indicated she'd dance with Fair. They didn't dance so much as they quietly moved back and forth. Neither one said a word.
    Diego joined BoomBoom, Thomas, and Susan, who gave the men a two-sentence description of the marriage and its unraveling.
    â€œThey were high-school sweethearts. They got married and, well, it didn't work.”
    â€œAh, I see,” Diego said with some feeling. “He seems still to care.”
    â€œHe does,” Susan flatly stated. “He wants her back. She was the best thing that ever happened to him and he lost her. Those things happen.”
    â€œTo lose Harry would be quite a loss,” Diego murmured.
    â€œEveryone grows at their own rate.” BoomBoom had no desire to remain on this topic.
    Susan understood, of course. Their attention was diverted by Sean propelling his brother back into the house.
    â€œShe's not interested,” Sean said with the little group overhearing.
    â€œShe is, too. You don't get women, Sean,” Roger said.
    The music ended and Diego walked out, taking Harry's hand. Fair stood there a moment.
    â€œM-m-m, I can see steam coming out of those ears,” Aunt Tally noticed, but then she noticed everything, most especially that Miranda Hogendobber was happier than she'd seen her since girlhood and Tracy Raz looked twenty years younger. They were obviously in love.

    Sean sat Roger down and got him a cup of coffee. Many people crowded around the table for coffee and tea. The desserts had been brought out.
    Mrs. Murphy thought about waking up Pewter and Tucker but they were sound asleep. She noted from her high position how many of the men had bald spots.
    Roger was loaded, but not as loaded as Sean made out. After all, he could still recognize people, he could still speak. He drank his cup of coffee in silence.
    Sean bent over, whispering to Lottie now at the desserts. She glanced at Roger, then sighed.
    â€œIt would mean so much,” Sean said. “And he could use a second cup.”
    Mrs. Murphy watched as Lottie picked up a piece of Black Forest cake, then moved over to the samovar, poured a cup of coffee. She reached for the cubed sugar in a silver bowl. She paused for a second, and Thomas just behind her handed her the china bowl with raw sugar. He had just dipped a spoon into it but being a gentleman he handed it to Lottie first. She dumped three heaping spoonfuls of sugar into the cup and turned to hand it back to Thomas just as he reached for it. She lost her grip and the bowl clattered to the floor, breaking and spilling sugar all over the random-width heart-pine flooring.
    â€œI am sorry,” Lottie said.
    â€œI'm the clumsy one. This gives me the opportunity to ask you for a dance when you're finished with dessert.” He smoothed over the incident.
    â€œI won't be long.” Lottie smiled and hoped it would upset BoomBoom.
    People noticed and approved as she walked over to Roger, handing him the coffee and the cake. “Roger, I'm sorry I was cross but sometimes you're a pest. Try to think of