There are several serious buyers out there, and Golden Age mystery novels are much in demand. Get a bidding war going and you could end up doubling the standard dealer estimate. Laura wants a figure to dangle before Andrew on Saturday. That done, she sits down at the kitchen table, pulls a lined pad toward her, and writes at the top: Dinner for 8. She has a menu to plan. Laura is a good cook and she takes pride in her food. She wants to present a dinner that will be seen to be special, while at the same time not straining to be praised. The food is to be fine but not showy. But this is not a family supper, and she will feel inescapably on show, so she does not want to subject herself to any unnecessary last-minute stress. Dover sole for eight, for example. Or soufflé. Not that either are on her mental list. But the object is to have as much done ahead of time as possible, so that once the guests arrive there is nothing left to go wrong. Against this one must set the need to present each dish at its right moment, which will almost certainly mean last-minute cooking of some parts of the meal.
