Ethan decided to continue the battle using Darlene's own weapons.
He lent on the kitchen counter in front of the utensils draw and in the way of the industrious chefs and waiters. He stood silently watching her work. She didn't take long to crack.
'Maggie's not coming down, her decision not mine. Not good enough, she said. Wouldn't know anyone. Doesn't know how to make polite conversation, she claimed. People might recognize her from the telly.'
Ethan winced. Media coverage had been pretty intense for a few days but he was sure no one would connect the vibrant and expensively dressed Maggie with the forlorn and harassed images of Zoe.
Not yet, a small voice whispered at the back of his mind.
'She said she couldn't risk bringing scandal to your special night. She even lined up Mammary Glands to act as your hostess.' Darlene's slip of the tongue clearly showed her opinion of the buxom blonde. 'Oh yes… I forget she's also too tired to attend.'
The rest of her opinion, about the 'state of affairs', was drowned out by the clatter of trays as more savouries only just survived being removed from the oven. Ethan had no intention of letting this "state of affairs" stand.
He sprinted up the back stairs which led directly to his bedroom and out into the hallway. He came to an abrupt halt when he saw Maggie sitting at the top of the main stairs surreptitiously watching the proceedings. She looked adorable.
Maggie felt like she was playing a scene from a famous movie where the Von Trapp children watched the ball from the balcony. Like a girl years before her debut yearning to join in. She wasn't too young though. She was just not right - not sophisticated, no social skills, no impeccable background. She sat marveling at the glittering gowns whose hems ranged from floor sweepers to eyebrow raisers. Jewellery dripped from ear lobes, draped low necklines and glittered in some navels and even some noses. The men though not bejeweled looked equally sensational, tuxedos being the order of the day.
The catering firm and wait staff were doing a splendid job of keeping the food and grog flowing. She had felt guilty not helping in the kitchen but Darlene had shooed her away saying to leave it to the professionals. Another area where she fell short, apparently. Of course Darlene's rejection of her offer of help was probably based on the assumption that she was going to join the party. "Not happy" summed up Darlene when Maggie announced her intention of withdrawing to her room claiming tiredness. She knew that Ethan was expecting her downstairs and if he had seen her helping in the kitchen he would have dragged her into the melee.