Page 69 of Murder in the Tea Leaves

“And then we need to get changed.”

* * *

Theodosia, Haley, and Beth Ann all slipped into black cocktail dresses, then added pearl earrings, matching necklaces, and high heels. Drayton, being Drayton, changed into one of his elegant tuxedos.

“Wow,” Haley said to Drayton. “You look like the head waiter at a fancy restaurant.”

“Excuse me, Haley, but this happens to be a Brioni tuxedo, not some purple velvet number straight out of a neon-lit cocktail lounge,” Drayton said, which made them all explode with laughter.

“Do you think our guests will be wearing cocktail dresses and pearls, too?” Beth Ann asked.

“You never know,” Theodosia said with a wink. Because she’d already asked several of her friends to do exactly that.

“And please remember,” Drayton cautioned, “that Willis Conklin from Tea Faire Magazine will also be our guest for lunch. He’ll be writing a review on the Indigo Tea Shop, hopefully a favorable one, so everything needs to be spot-on.”

“It will be,” Theodosia said. “And where will your Mr. Conklin be seated?”

“By himself. Small table by the window,” Drayton said.

* * *

Ten minutes later it looked as if their guests had just stepped out of the pages of Vogue magazine, circa 1961, the year the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s was released.

Just as Theodosia had hinted, several guests came dressed in black cocktail dresses and pearls. And a few guests had taken it one step further and added vintage mink stoles. Brooke Carter Crocket upped the ante when she arrived wearing a glittering silver tiara in her short, gray hair, and Susan Monday wore a white suit, à la Truman Capote, the author who penned the book on which the movie was based.

There were even a few stylish women who wore what fashion people called le smoking, which was a sleek tuxedo-style jacket with tailored slacks.

“This is amazing,” Theodosia said, clapping her hands together. “Everyone really did go wild and embrace the theme.”

But Theodosia was completely blown away when her aunt Libby and her aunt’s cousin, Laura Lee Bouvier, showed up. She was never sure if Laura Lee was her second cousin once removed or her aunt-in-law. But whatever, it was grand to see them both.

“What a surprise!” Theodosia cried, embracing her tiny aunt, who was wearing a black boucle jacket and black silk slacks, then giving a hug to Laura Lee. “I had no idea you guys were coming!”

“We made secret reservations,” Aunt Libby said with a grin. She cocked an index finger in Drayton’s direction. “Thanks to your man, Drayton.”

Theodosia turned to Drayton. “And you never gave me a hint!”

“What could I do?” Drayton said. “She swore me to secrecy.”

More guests arrived, and then, last but not least, Willis Conklin from Tea Faire Magazine came in. He was a compact man, no taller than five foot six with a head of white hair, ruddy face, and cherubic smile.

“Thank you so much for having me,” Conklin said, shaking hands with Theodosia and greeting her warmly.

“Thank you for coming,” Theodosia said.

“It’s an honor,” Drayton added. “We’re just hoping you…” He stopped, looking just this side of fluttery and unsure of how to proceed.

“You’re hoping I write a favorable review?” Conklin said, favoring Drayton with a crooked grin.

“Well, yes.” Drayton touched his bow tie nervously. “Needless to say, we would love that!”

* * *

When everyone was settled, when cups of tea had been poured and flutes of champagne delivered to the guests who wanted to imbibe, as “Moon River” played over the sound system, Theodosia walked to the middle of the room. Conscious of teetering on three-inch-high spike heels, she spread her arms wide (it helped with balance) and said, “Welcome to our first ever Breakfast at Tiffany’s Tea.” There was a nice round of applause and then she added, “I’ve never seen so many chic-looking women in my life.” Which brought even more applause.

“Good style also extends to what we hope is a stylish menu. So for our first course today we’ll be serving cream scones with Tiffany-blue icing as well as bejeweled scones, which are lemon scones embedded with multicolored bits of candied fruit. Our second course consists of Waldorf tea sandwiches, and our main entrée will be eggs Benedict topped with caviar. For dessert we’ll be plying your sweet tooth with New York–style cheesecake and handmade petits fours.” Theodosia paused. “Drayton, do you want to tell us about your special house-blend teas?”

“Nothing would please me more,” Drayton said as he stepped forward. “For your sipping pleasure we’ve already filled your cups with a tea I call Two Drifters Off to See the World. It’s my house blend of Ceylon black tea with pinches of cinnamon and ginger. And since we’re all styling today…” He stuck his thumbs behind the lapels of his tuxedo and struck a pose. “I’ve created a second tea to specifically complement your eggs Benedict and caviar. It’s called New York Minute and it’s a blend of green tea, apple, and honey that takes barely a minute to steep.”

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