Page 51 of Murder in the Tea Leaves

“Okay, thanks,” Beth Ann said. “And thank Haley for me, too. You guys are lifesavers.”

“What’s up?” Drayton asked once Theodosia hung up.

“The shoot is going to run late and they need more food.”

“I wonder what Haley will have to say about that?”

“You can come with me while I ask her,” Theodosia said.

Drayton held up both hands, palms out. “No thanks. I’m plenty busy here.”

“Chicken.”

Theodosia went into the kitchen and said, “Haley, please don’t kill me, but we have a problem.”

Haley looked up from where she was chopping apples and celery for tomorrow’s tea sandwiches. “What? Somebody spilled the tea? Got a cleanup in aisle five?”

“A different kind of disaster. Beth Ann just called and the shoot at Brittlebank Manor is going to run late, so they’re asking for more food.”

Haley leaned against the butcher-block counter. “What kind of food?”

“I think if we took over a couple trays of tea sandwiches and a plate of scones we’d be okay.”

Haley thought for a minute. “That we can manage.”

“Really?”

“Sure, really.” Haley tapped the side of her head with an index finger. “Good thing I’ve been planning ahead and have a few things prepped.”

“How can I help?” Theodosia asked. But Haley had already grabbed a fresh loaf of sourdough bread and was throwing slices onto the counter as if she were dealing hands of five-card stud in Vegas.

“You can start buttering,” Haley said.

So Theodosia buttered while Haley whipped up crocks of chicken pâté and cream cheese with olives and sliced a dozen or so tomatoes.

“Okay, once I spread my fillings on the bread, you slap on a tomato slice,” Haley instructed. “Then top the sandwiches and get your magic little fingers out of the way so I can whack off the crusts.”

“That’s a technical culinary term? Whack off the crusts?”

Haley grinned. “It is in my kitchen.”

“And you’ll cut them into quarters?”

“Par for the course,” said Haley.

“And we have scones?”

“Got a ton of lemon scones in the freezer. You run and grab the picnic baskets while I heat up the scones and finish them off with a dusting of powdered sugar.”

They worked together for another forty-five minutes, wrapping, sorting, and packing everything up.

“You think we’re good?” Haley asked.

“I think this will more than do the trick.” Theodosia glanced at her watch and frowned. “Drat! I’ve really got to hustle—transport this food to Brittlebank Manor, arrange it, and probably stay for a while. I sure don’t want Beth Ann to have to spend the entire day and night there.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“Oh, I promised the director I’d tea-dye a dress for him. It’s a gown they’re using in the movie.”

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