A Bitter Bouquet (A Tea & Sympathy Mystery Book 4) by J. New

Author:J. New [New, J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Phantom Press
Published: 2021-10-31T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Lilly went into work a bit later the next day, as Stacey had offered to open the shop. She spent the extra hour taking care of numerous household chores that had been neglected due to the time she’d spent working on Edmund and Yasemin’s wedding, while Earl snoozed in his basket by the unlit fire.

Eventually, with the cottage hoovered, dusted and polished to within an inch of its life, and the washing done and hung on the airer to dry, she scooped up her cat and put him in his carrier. With a final look round, she locked up, placed the cat carrier in the basket of her bike and set off to work.

As she arrived outside the shop, she could see Stacey talking animatedly with a customer about the latest selection of teapots which had arrived, while two others were drinking samples and another was wandering around browsing the displays.

“We’re here, Earl,” she said to the cat, lifting the carrier out and leaving her bike outside ready to decorate. Inside, she unzipped the carrier and Earl strolled out in his regular lazy fashion, stretching his legs and yawning before hopping up into the window and resuming his nap. He was certainly making up for the time he lived by his wits on the street. He can’t have got much sleep then, Lilly thought, and no doubt slept with one eye open. She assumed this was where the term ‘cat nap’ came from.

After checking the agony aunt basket and finding two new letters, Lilly took her place behind the counter just in time to take payment from a customer Stacey had been helping.

“Did you find everything you came for?” she asked the elderly woman.

“Oh, I did, dear. And a few things I didn’t know I needed,” she said, giving a toothy smile. “Your young American girl was very kind and helpful. And knew so much.”

Lilly returned the smile. People were always amazed that the American college student she’d hired knew so much about British tea. “She’s one of a kind,” Lilly said, wrapping the order carefully. The woman left happy with her purchases and with promises to return with the members of her knitting club.

“Lilly, I had a telephone order for a loose tea earlier. I’ve wrapped it up ready,” Stacey said, reaching under the counter and retrieving a large box wrapped in The Tea Emporium paper and with a thank you for your purchase tag attached to the jute ribbon. “It’s a tourist, I think. He’s staying at The Wharfe B&B and asked if we could deliver? I said yes since it’s so close. Is that okay?”

“Of course it is. It’s in the park, so only a five minute bike ride away. What room number is he in?”

“5b.”

“Okay, thanks, Stacey. I’ll take it now while it’s a bit quieter.”

The B&B was actually on Lilly’s route home, but instead of turning right at the bottom of the hill in the park, she went left. Cycling under the avenue of cherry trees, now in their autumn coat, she was in the car-park a couple of minutes later.

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