The Dinner Party by Mona Gardner is a short story that follows the events of a dinner party hosted by a wealthy couple, Mr. and Mrs. Belmont. The story is told from the perspective of one of the guests, Mr. Ford, who is a prominent lawyer.
The story begins with Mr. Ford arriving at the Belmonts' luxurious mansion for the dinner party. As he enters the house, he is greeted by the butler, who leads him to the dining room where the other guests are already seated. The guests include a famous opera singer, a wealthy businessman, and a famous scientist.
As the guests begin to converse, Mrs. Belmont reveals that she has invited a special guest for the evening, a famous psychic named Madame Zara. Mrs. Belmont is convinced that Madame Zara has the ability to communicate with the dead and has arranged for her to conduct a séance at the dinner party.
Mr. Ford is skeptical of Madame Zara's abilities and is initially reluctant to participate in the séance. However, he ultimately decides to go along with it to humor Mrs. Belmont. During the séance, Madame Zara claims to have made contact with the spirit of Mrs. Belmont's deceased son. Mrs. Belmont is overjoyed and grateful to Madame Zara for providing her with the chance to speak to her son again.
However, Mr. Ford becomes increasingly uncomfortable with the séance as it progresses. He begins to suspect that Madame Zara is a fraud and is merely manipulating the guests for her own gain. His suspicions are confirmed when he discovers that Madame Zara has been using a secret code to communicate with the Belmonts' butler, who has been feeding her information about the guests.
Mr. Ford confronts Madame Zara and reveals her deception to the other guests. The dinner party ends in chaos as the guests angrily confront Madame Zara and demand an explanation for her actions. In the end, Mr. Ford leaves the Belmonts' mansion feeling disgusted and disillusioned by the evening's events.
Overall, The Dinner Party by Mona Gardner is a story about the dangers of greed and the desire to believe in the supernatural. It serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of being swayed by charlatans and con artists.