The Bookseller Blunder by Cate Martin

Author:Cate Martin [Martin, Cate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781958606520
Publisher: Ratatoskr Press

Chapter

Fourteen

At first, I thought the three of us were going down to the teashop first so that Audrey could give Liam some last-minute instructions on running the business while she was out. But the minute we stepped inside, Liam went straight to the back to start filling up the pastry case with scones and rolls left in the warmers after Audrey's early morning baking session. Audrey went behind the counter to start the kettle. Then she took down an unlabeled tea tin and scooped some of the contents into an empty steeping bag.

"What are we doing?" I asked conversationally.

"Oh, this is Violenta's special blend," Audrey said. "It's a white tea with floral elements."

"A blend just for her? And you keep a whole tin of it?" I asked. I tried not to feel left out. I mean, I didn't have a special tea. But then, I liked variety. And I loved drinking whatever Audrey was most excited about at any given moment.

"She's a loyal customer," Audrey said. "One of my first, actually. She had stopped coming to Loose Leaves when Agatha lost her tea mojo, but she was willing to give me a try on my very first day. Luckily, I could put together what she wanted perfectly on the first try."

"Well, that's hardly surprising. You're amazing," I said. The tea kettle beeped and shut off without quite coming to a boil, and Audrey poured the water over the tea-bag in one of her take-away cups. Liam was just emerging from the back room with a tray full of pastries, and she snatched two of the scones in passing, wrapping them in waxed paper, then dropping them into a white paper bag.

"All right. I think we're all ready," Audrey said, licking a bit of sugar off her finger that had crumbled away from what I guessed by the scent had been a lemon and rosemary scone. She slipped out from behind the counter after giving Liam a quick peck on the cheek. Liam, of course, flushed a bright red. But he also held the tray out for me surreptitiously.

I snatched one of the lemon and rosemary scones, then hustled to follow Audrey out the door and onto the Square.

"It's earlier in the day than her usual teatime," Audrey said as we cut across the orchard, skirting around the hedge maze to the far side of the Square. "She comes in every day at two o'clock precisely. But provided she doesn't have any customers there right as she opens, I think the tea and scones will persuade her to talk to us."

"I don't know if she'll be able to tell us anything really useful," I said. "I doubt she knows anything that is going to help me find that book. Unless she knows where the brother is hiding. If he even has it."

"We won't come out of it knowing anything less," Audrey pointed out.

"True," I said. "Plus, I've been meaning to see inside her shop since I got here. I just never seem to find the time.

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