“How about some warm-ups?” said Orbra van Hest cheerily as she wheeled up a tea cart. The owner of the tea house and the fifth Tuesday Lady, she was in her early seventies. Robust, solid, and very Dutch with iron gray hair and a will to match, she loomed over six feet tall and ran her establishment with skill and finesse. Even Trib eagerly took advice from Orbra. “Now, Iva, you’re going to have to back up and fill me in on some of this—I’ve been busy closing down in the back.”
“Callie’s canceled the wedding on her,” Maxine informed her. “Just called her out of the blue and yanked the rug out from under the poor dear!”
Callie’s face went hot, and she squirmed in her chair, trying to figure out how to defend herself—but therewasno defense. She hadreallyscrewed up. Before she could speak, Fiona patted her hand and murmured, “Shh. Don’t worry. That’s just Maxine.”
“What’re you two whispering about over there?” snapped Maxine, leaning across the table so sharply the cups rattled in their saucers. “I can hear everything you’re saying, you know.”
“Then I’m sure you heard me say how everyone listens to what you say,” Fiona replied sweetly. “And no one would dream of arguing with you.”
“That’s right,” Maxine retorted. She gave a vehement nod as if it were the exclamation point of her sentence and the cups rattled again.
Callie couldn’t help fidgeting. Why was she here, and what was Iva’s big solution?
“Oooh! Orbra!” Cherry had lifted the quilted tea cozy off one of the teapots only to discover it wasn’t a teapot at all, but a bottle of Crown Royal. “When you said warm-ups, I didn’t realize you were serious!”
“I really like a good dollop in the cinnamon blend tea,” Orbra said with a crafty smile. “But it would also be good in the pu’erh. if you don’t mind the caffeine. And add a nice helping of honey, too, while you’re at it. Now, there’s some Bailey’s under there somewhere—you can put it in the chai or the vanilla oolong.AndI’ve got my Honeybear syrup—you know how good that is in a hot toddy!”
“Honeybear syrup?” asked Fiona. “You know I’m a vegetarian, Orbra…”
“There’s nobearin it,” Maxine said with an eyeroll. “It’s got—what is it, Orbry?”
“It’s a syrup you can add to whiskey or tea—or both, if you like—which I do—and it’s got orange, sage, and honey in it.”
“Anyway,” said Iva, picking up the story as Orbra finally sat down, “As I was—I mean, asMaxinewas saying, Callie decided it might be best not to move forward with having our wedding outside on the Tremaine Tower balcony because of the curse. She doesn’t want to risk anyone’s life, do you?” She reached over and patted Callie’s hand, her blue eyes bright and sympathetic.
“It’s just as well,” said Orbra. “Who wants anoutdoorwedding in Michigan in December anyway?”
“ButIdo,” said Iva earnestly. “I always wanted to get married on New Year’s Eve—and how many people do you know get marriedoutsideon New Year’s Eve?”
“Only the crazy ones,” muttered Maxine, eyeing the pile of cinnamon scones.
“Then call me crazy, but Callie really sold me on the idea of an outside wedding in December. It’s so unique, and it would be beautiful—”
“But the curse—” Juanita started.
“So don’t have it at Tremaine Tower,” said Cherry, pouring a healthy glut of Crown Royal into her mug. “And pray for decent weather.”
“You always have to pray for decent weather when you’re getting married outside,” said Juanita. “Practically speaking. And—”
“Only thecrazy ones,” said Maxine again, a bit louder.
“Oh, hush up and drink this,” said Cherry, shoving the Crown-Royal-laden teacup at her friend. “Let Iva finish.”
“You’ve been interrupting her just as much—”
“Please. Ladies, Callie’s not used to you all, and she’s about to have a heart attack,” said Fiona with a giggle.
“Well give her some of this,” said Maxine, gesturing to her brandied drink. “Needs more honey, Cherry.”
“And a cherry would be good too,” said Juanita, perking up. “Cherry, can you put in a cherry too?” She tittered and Callie wondered if Juanita had already tasted some of the Crown Royal. Or something else.
But Fiona was right—she was sitting here with her belly going in knots waiting to hear what her client, Iva, was going to say about the wedding situation.
“All right, everyone listen up!” Iva had pulled to her feet and she looked around the table. “No talking for five minutes—that includes you, Maxine.Andyou, Juanita.”
“Blah, blah,” muttered Maxine. But she closed her mouth after that.
“It’s very simple. I’ve decided I want to have my wedding outside on the balcony at the clock tower as planned,” Iva went on primly. “It’s going to be absolutely stunning the way Callie has designed and described it—and we have plans for every weather eventualityexceptif there’s a crazy blizzard. The nice thing about precipitation for winter weddings is that, unlike with rain, snow is pretty and it doesn’t necessarily ruin things because it’s not wet—it just freezes.Maxine, I said five minutes.And so,” she went on as if she hadn’t digressed, “I’ve decided there’s only one way to proceed in order for me and Hollis to have the gorgeous nuptials we’ve talked about. So, we have to fix things up with Brenda Tremaine.”
