Rotten to the Core by Sheila Connolly

you agree? Not covered by any etiquette books, if such things still exist. ‘Proper condolences for those who discover corpses.’ In any event, I’m glad to see a few faces here. Jason deserves some recognition for his contributions to this department.”
    She had to admire Christopher’s diplomatic phrasing. “Christopher, will there be any . . . well, for want of a better word, eulogies?”
    “I had thought I would say a few words. Let’s wait a bit and see if anyone else arrives.”
    “Is there anyone else I should meet?” Meg asked. Most of the crowd appeared to be hungry graduate students, attracted, as Christopher had predicted, by the lure of free food and drink.
    “I think, perhaps . . . Ah!”
    At the sound of his exclamation, Meg followed his gaze to the door. There were two newcomers: a tall young man in his late twenties who needed a haircut, and a frumpy woman a few years younger, both wearing what Meg defined as grubby student clothes. Both seemed unsure of their welcome.
    Christopher, playing the good host, went toward them to welcome them, and Meg drifted along behind him. “Michael, I’m glad you came. And Daphne, is it?” Michael reached out to shake Christopher’s hand, and Daphne mumbled something. She looked as though she would rather be anywhere else, and hung on to Michael’s arm, radiating hostility.
    Christopher turned to Meg. “Meg, this is Michael Fisher. He was a colleague of Jason’s at GreenGrow. Perhaps I’ve mentioned the group?” Christopher all but winked at her. “And Daphne? I’m afraid I don’t know your last name.”
    “Lydon. Daphne Lydon.” Daphne jammed her hands in her pockets, her shoulders slumping.
    Meg stepped forward. “Why, yes, Christopher, I think you did. Michael, Daphne, I’m pleased to meet you. I’m very interested in the concepts behind organic farming. I’ve just taken over an orchard in Granford, and I have a lot to learn. Christopher has been helping me, but I gather that the philosophy behind the organic approach is somewhat different?” She stopped, trying to look sincere and eager for enlightenment.
    Christopher laid a hand on her arm. “You’ll have to excuse me. I need to have a word with Professor Delgado,” he said and then retreated discreetly, leaving Meg with Michael and Daphne.
    An awkward silence fell. “How did you know Jason? Was that through GreenGrow?” Meg ventured.
    “Yeah,” was Michael’s reply. “We go back a ways.”
    “Were you a student here?”
    He nodded without volunteering anything more.
    Meg was beginning to feel frustrated by Michael’s unwillingness to hold up his end of the conversation. “I understand he was very committed to organic farming.”
    “Yeah. Sure.”
    Michael was not going to make this easy for her. “Tell me about GreenGrow, then,” she asked. “What do you do?”
    He brightened slightly. “We work to eliminate the use of harmful chemicals that are destroying the earth and all its creatures.”
    To Meg’s ear it sounded like a canned response, but she didn’t want to judge too quickly. “How do you go about that? Do you have pamphlets I could look at? Or maybe you hold public meetings of some sort that I could attend?”
    Michael looked uncomfortable. “Well, uh, things are kind of unsettled now, after Jason . . . Maybe we could set up a time, and I could give you our info packet. Maybe go over it with you.”
    “I’d really like that,” Meg said. “I’m still very new to all this, and I can use all the help I can get. There’s so much to think about. I didn’t have any idea!” She knew she sounded like a babbling idiot, but Michael appeared oblivious to the falseness of her tone. Not so Daphne, apparently; the girl was staring at her speculatively, and the expression on her face wasn’t exactly friendly.
    “Do you want to set up a time now?” Meg hurried on. “I’m on campus a couple of days a week, for classes, or I could meet you somewhere here in Amherst.