Finn sighed. “Go on.”
“Kindness is a very important commodity around here.” Harry tipped his head and backed toward the door. “And being neighborly will get you far.”
Another hit to Finn’s interaction with Daphne.
“So I’ll see you two tonight?” Harry took a few more steps back. “Six?”
Finn nodded.
Harry stopped at the threshold, a strange look on his face. “Oh, and you might want to check your chalkboard out front. Seems someone’s added their own review.”
Finn followed him with Lucy trailing behind.
Instead of seeing his own handwriting, a new note, in a delicate hand, showed the following message:
English Pub Coming Soon.
What can you expect?
Ambience: ????, Tea Selection: ?, Scowling Proprietor: ?????
Despite himself, his lips twitched. Five stars for scowling indeed. He ought to be irritated, but somehow the clever jab only inspired a broader grin.
He definitely wasn’t interested. But he did find himself wondering what other surprises Daphne Austen might have in store. And... Finn Dashwood was always up for a playful battle of wits.
Chapter 5
@TeaThymeNC:Tea: 1, Coffee: 0
They say coffee gives you energy, but have you ever sipped a perfectly steeped Earl Grey and felt your soul realign? No burnt bitterness, no jittery regrets—just warmth, flavor, and the quiet promise that everything will be okay.
No shade to coffee drinkers... okay, maybe a little.??But let’s be honest—tea doesn’t need sugar to be sweet. #TeaWins #SipSipHooray #DaphneApproved
Comments:
@PastorNateNHC:You’re going too far, Daph. Let’s not pit God’s beans against God’s leaves, okay? #GraceForCoffeeToo #BlessedAndHighlyCaffeinated
@TGDPub:Look, not everyone needs a tea séance to feel whole in the morning. Some of us just want strong coffee, loud music, and a biscuit that bites back. #BeanWaterIsLife #CaffeineAndChaos #AustenStartedIt
@GrannyDOfficial:Back in my day, folks drank what was hot and didn’t write love letters to their beverages. Still... that Earl Grey is mighty nice with shortbread. #GrannyKnowsBest #CoffeeShmoffee
@WisteriaGeneralStore:Why choose? Have both! COMING SOON: “Tea Séance” candles and “Bean Water Is Life” tote bags. We are here to fuel your small-town drama. #MerchWar #ShopWisteria
“Okay, what’s wrong?” Rosemary’s question bristled Daphne’s spine as her friend slid behind the counter to palm the strawberry-banana smoothie Daphne left for her to take to a table of vacationers from New England.
The nearby Blue Ridge Parkway had a wonderful way of introducing folks to their little town. And tourists left the best tips. Some of the locals did too, but there were too many, especially the older men, who’d grin and leave “verbal tips” behind like, “Don’t walk in the rain or you’ll get wet” or “Watch your step when treadin’ through a cow field.”
Very helpful.
“What makes you think something’s wrong?” Daphne refused to turn from her place by her precious teapot shelves. Her collection stood on the back-corner wall of her shop, carefully positioned in perfect order of when her grandmother had purchased them. Daphne adjusted another handle by a quarter of an inch and then stepped back to examine the results.
“This is the third time in two hours that you’ve straightened your perfectly straight teapots.” Rosemary leaned against the counter, refusing to budge from the topic, so Daphne did what any adult should do.
She shot a grimace over her shoulder and proceeded to ignore Rosemary by moving to the adjoining wall where her most prized teapots stood on a shelf all their own. Her grandmother’s very first teapot—a Victorian John Bevington in white, encrusted all over with porcelain flowers, even on the handle. Next to it stood a Victoriansterling silver classic teapot her grandfather bought her grandmother for their tenth wedding anniversary. Beside it stood Daphne’s favorite, though of lesser value than the previous two—Johnson Brothers Old Britain Castles series, decorated with ancient castles from around England.
A few empty spots waited to be filled with her future purchases... someday.
When she had more money than worry.
