Read A Quiche Before Dying for Free Online Page B

terrific teacher.“
    “Besides, we’re committed now,“ Shelley said. “We’ve been summoned to dinner at Pryce’s tomorrow. A sort of royal command.“
    “We have?“
    “Jane, I’m worried about you,“ Shelley said. “Don’t you remember? Where is your mind? Mrs. Pryce announced that we would all meet for dinner at her house. You even asked if there was anything you could bring.“
    “I must have been on autopilot. Whenever people talk about getting together, I go into my casserole mode. What did I offer to cook?“
    “A quiche,“ Shelley said.
    “What? I don’t know how to make quiche. I’d never volunteer that.“
“No, it was assigned you. I was assigned a fruit salad—no pineapple. Don’t you really remember?“
    “I guess it is ringing a faint bell.“
    “I’ll make your quiche, Jane,“ her mother offered. “I’ve got a great recipe that uses chicken and asparagus—“
    “You don’t mean you’re all really going to her house, do you?“ Jim said. “Why would she invite you, anyway?“
    “She just wants to show off her house, I guess. And yes, we have to go. We can’t leave the others unprotected,“ Cecily explained.
    “I tried to wriggle out,“ Shelley put in. “Missy nearly slapped me. She said if she had to go, we all had to.“
    “Besides, I’m curious to see how she lives,“ Cecily said. “It’ll probably give me stories to dine out on for weeks.“
    “But why would anyone go? You should have all refused,“ Jim insisted. He was a lifelong bachelor, and the ways of women never stopped surprising him.
    “If we’d had any warning, I imagine we would have,“ Cecily said. “But, Jim, I’ve been to dinners where I was expected to eat eels—and act as though I like them. If I can survive that, dinner with Mrs. Pryce ought to be a piece of cake. Now, Katie, let’s go sit in the living room and plan our shopping tomorrow. I want to take some notes on your closet.”
    Shelley told everyone good night and took off. Jane opened the refrigerator door, wondering if she had the necessary ingredients for quiche. She was hard-pressed to remember what went into a quiche. It was just a custard without the sugar, wasn’t it? As she was standing and staring stupidly into the white box, Uncle Jim came over and put his arm around her. “Janey, what’s wrong? You aren’t acting like yourself.”
    She shut the refrigerator door and hugged him hard. “I’m fine, Uncle Jim. Really fine. And the garage door works beautifully. Thanks for fixing it. I kept hoping something truly terrible would happen to it and I could persuade the insurance company to pay for fixing it.“
    “I don’t think you should be taking this class. It’s making you unhappy,“ he said to the top of her head.
    “No, it’s really not. I’m not unhappy. I’ve just got something on my mind.“
    “Anything I can help with?“
    “No, it’s nothing bad. In fact, it’s kind of exciting and nice. Let’s take a couple beers out on the patio.“
    “So, what’s up?“ Jim asked when they were settled outside. “Is it VanDyne? I don’t think the bastard’s right for you, honey.”
    Jane laughed. “Uncle Jim, Mel VanDyne and Ihave no relationship at all—not that I’d mind if we did. Just out of curiosity, though, why isn’t he right for me?“
    “He’s too slick.“
    “And I’m a hayseed?“
    “Naw, that’s not what I mean. Anyway, I think—well, I think he’s younger than you.“
    “You say that as if it’s a dark, dirty secret. He’s four years younger than I am. I asked.“
    “See?“
“That doesn’t matter these days, Uncle Jim.“
    “ It should.“
    “You sweet old reactionary. Well, it’s not Mel on my mind anyway. It’s something I’m writing for Missy’s class. We were supposed to write an autobiography, but I didn’t want to. So I invented a person to write about, and I can’t keep my mind off her.”
    Jim looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “You’re sure that’s