"Scarlet Feather" by Maeve Binchy Quiz

Answer: Cater a party for her mother-in-law

This was the first occasion Cathy had to prove herself to her mother-in-law through her work. All of her help was late, and the pressure was overwhelming, but the food was a triumph!

Answer: A new premises

It must have been fate. After a worrisome and stress-filled evening, Tom was completely rejuvenated as the long-awaited premises appeared before him on his way home.

Answer: Maud and Simon

The twins' arrival during the middle of the New Year's cocktail party caused maximum chaos at the Mitchell household.

Answer: They wrote on the walls

Mrs. Mitchell had had enough and demanded that someone rescue her. That someone ended up being Cathy and Neal, then Cathy's parents, all of whom boarded the twins while the poor kids' parents got their acts together.

Answer: Waterview

Their complex was full of other young professional couples with no children. Until the young Mitchells arrived, of course!

Answer: Lawyer

Neal had a great passion for helping the underprivileged, especially refugees.

Answer: Too many guests, not enough food

The hosts had tried to get their bill reduced by telling Cathy and Tom that far fewer people were invited. Cathy and Tom got everyone plastered in self-defense against the shortage of food.

Answer: Rice and Fish

Kedgeree is composed of boiled rice, chopped hard-cooked egg, cold minced smoked haddock, and a lump of fresh butter. These are all cooked together with mace and cream. I know there are infinite variations on this recipe, and note that many have strong views on what goes into a kedgeree, especially the spices. Cathy and Tom recycled the kedgeree at the christening party, bringing this starter out at the end of the evening to use as blotting paper for all of the drunks they had created.

Answer: Mistress and servant

Cathy's mother once cleaned for the Mitchells, and the fact that Cathy, the daughter of her former maid, had married into the family was a constant source of irritation for Mrs. Mitchell.

Answer: Marcella

Marcella Malone was a beautiful manicurist with dreams of becoming a model. At the beginning of the book, she and Tom had been together for several years.

Answer: Beef in pastry with mushrooms

This recipe also includes Madeira, truffles, and fois gras. This is not an inexpensive dish! Cathy made one of these especially and brought it back to thank her parents for watching the twins, who thought she "nicked" it from someone who had paid her for it.

Answer: Muttie and Muttie's wife

They began calling Lizzie Scarlet "Muttie's wife", as they didn't know her actual name. Later, they kept it up out of habit, though they also occasionally called her Lizzie.

Answer: St. Jarlath's Crescent

St. Jarlath is an Irish saint, known primarily for opening a famous college in the 6th century. His feast day is June 6th.

Answer: Baby chickens

June was working with some poussins in the catering kitchen, triggering Cathy's morning sickness and letting the cat out of the bag about Cathy's pregnancy.

Answer: Foster Child

James Byrne and his wife Una were forced to give up fourteen-year-old Shona and send her back to her biological mother after ten years of living as a family. Shona was a close friend of Cathy and Tom's, and James was their accountant.

Answer: Making girls' dresses

Joe was actually a clothing importer, working out of an office in London. Mr. Feather was just being sarcastic, as he was very disappointed that neither of his sons wanted to come into the building trade with him.

Answer: Pastry

This recipe includes only flour, salt, eggs, butter, and cold water. Most people use this texture of pastry for eclairs or profiteroles. Cathy and Tom had a signature dish of roast beef and horseradish sauce in a little choux pastry, which they often served as a starter.

Answer: Quentin's

This restaurant has featured in several of Binchy's books, including "Evening Class" and the eponymous "Quentin's." Cathy and Tom were well known in that establishment, having worked internships there before they embarked on their catering careers.

Answer: The Beeches

Although they came from a wealthy family, the poor twins lived a very dysfunctional existence before they came into the book, with a "drinky" mother and a vague father prone to disappearing out of the country. The Beeches had to be sold at the end of the book to provide a future for the children.

Answer: 196

They used the initials "S" and "F" and their places in the alphabet so that "even men can remember it." Simon took great offence at this, insisting that "I don't think men are more stupid than the rest of people, really..." This is one of my favorite lines in the book.

Answer: Walter Mitchell

Neal's cousin was desperate for cash to pay off a gambling debt, and filled with rage over what he saw as unfair treatment from Tom and Cathy. The twins unwittingly provided him the method of entry.

Answer: Corned Beef and Cabbage

Corned Beef and Cabbage is actually an AMERICAN invention, originating from the proximity of the Irish neighborhoods to the Jewish sections (and of the fabulous deli) in New York City at the turn of the century. No self-respecting Irish chef (including Tom and Cathy) would embrace this as a hallmark of their skill!

Answer: Hooves

The twins named him after the "thundering sound of hooves that gets into your heart," which was Muttie's explanation of his horse-racing addiction.

Answer: Got married to a client of Cathy's

Aunt Geraldine's generous contributions allowed Cathy to go to catering college. Her parents thought she had won scholarships! Geraldine was famous throughout the book for her liaisons with married men - most of whom showered her with generous gifts - including the startup costs for her own PR firm.

Answer: Accumulator

An "accumulator" requires that you choose a winner for each race in the day. Any winnings from a horse are then placed on the next horse on your list. If you miss even one, the chain is broken and you are at ZERO. The chances of winning one of these are astronomical, even if you've studied form your whole life.