Page 112 of Red Mountain Burning
The Blind Horse
The dining room in Épiphanie was hopping this morning. Popping out of bed at 4:00 a.m., Margot had woken with an urge to get into the kitchen. With Etta James’s voice brightening the morning, Margot had set out to make a breakfast worthy of kings and queens. It was the first day of August, and that was plenty of reason to celebrate.
Typically, she served the guests family style, and she and Adriana would usher out trays of food to the tables. This morning, she’d decided to set out an entire buffet. It didn’t matter if she had to take the leftovers all over the mountain, she wanted to cook everything that came to mind. Besides, with Carly and Remi’s latest bounty, she had more than enough ingredients to work with.
“Good morning,” Margot sang to Adriana as her favorite coworker entered the dining room a few minutes before eight.
“What in the world?” Adriana said, looking at the display on the back wall.
“I went a little crazy, didn’t I? You don’t want to see the kitchen. It looks like one big Jackson Pollack painting.”
Adriana approached the buffet and feasted her eyes. Margot joined her in a moment of appreciation. Starting from the left, a basket featured homemade raspberry scones with raspberries from Remi’s garden. She’d also made croissants, because why not? She’d squeezed a few gallons of fresh grapefruit and orange juice, and then, deciding that wasn’t enough, juiced a few carrots with parsley as well. Next stood three different quiches, including her favorite: wild garlic and kale. One of her most beautiful china dishes displayed her ripest Cherokee purple and gold medal tomatoes garnished with fresh basil and olive oil. She surprised even herself with the elaborate cheeseboard she’d created. She’d made little signs noting the name and origins of each selection. Some of the dishes, like the escarole and white beans, might have been better suited for dinner, but she’d been unable to stop cooking this morning. What was better than seeing her waking guests come downstairs to this wonderful surprise?
“We might have to invite the rest of Benton City for breakfast,” Adriana said unconvincingly.
Margot detected an off note in her tone.
“Oh, I know it’s ridiculous. What do you do?” Never one to hold back, Margot asked, “What’s got your panties in a bunch?”
Adriana looked away.
“Out with it,” Margot said. “What’s going on, my friend?”
Adriana looked behind her, obviously checking to see if any of the guests had come down yet. “We’ve decided to move to Florida.”
“Again? I thought we were past that.”
Though Adriana had offered the announcement rather calmly, Margot heard banging pots and pans. Her right-hand woman was leaving? As awful as the news was, however, Margot didn’t let all the banging in her head consume her.
The pre-epiphany (and pre-Épiphanie) Margot might have dropped to her knees and clutched Adriana’s ankles. “Say it ain’t so, Adriana. You’re not leaving me. What about my honeymoon to Paris? Oh God, I’ll never be able to leave this place.”
Well, that pre-epiphany Margot Pierce, the outdated 2.0, as she had referred to her past self more than once, wasn’t in the dining room today. Filling out Margot’s wonderfully supple earth suit was the real Margot Pierce, the one who could handle the twists and turns of life.
Though she felt a second of resistance from that outdated 2.0 hag, Margot quickly caught herself. Challenges in life were simply opportunities for growth. That thought was superseded by a more important one. One of her best friends on the mountain, a woman she’d been through hell and high water with, had just told her that she was moving to Florida.
Forget Margot. This was a big deal for Adriana. Swallowing all these wild thoughts in an instant, she belted out, “Well, holey Ms. Moley, Florida. I know who I’ll be visiting this winter.”
“Don’t worry,” Adriana said. “I won’t leave until you’re back from your honeymoon.”
“Honeymoon, schmoneymoon. Don’t worry about me. This is about you. Tell me all about it.”
Adriana dropped her chin. “How are you taking this so well? Have you been drinking?”
“Not at all. You’re happy, aren’t you? About the move?”
“I’m the happiest I’ve been in years,” Adriana said, “but I feel like I’m abandoning you.”
Margot brushed the air. “Nonsense. You have to do what’s right for you. I’m happy for you. How’s Brooks taking it?”
A smile found Adriana’s lips. “He’s coming with me.”
Margot opened her mouth wide. “How wonderful!”
“Are you really not mad?” Adriana asked.
“On the contrary…I’m thrilled for you.”
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