Agony of the Leaves: Tea Shop Mystery #13 Read Online Free PDF

She thrust a yellow gift bag into Theodosia’s hands and plunked herself down in the chair across from her. “I tried to talk to you last night, but you were…how shall I put it?
Occupado?
Talking to that awful man Tidwell.”
    “What’s this?” asked Theodosia, focusing on the gift bag. A gift? From Delaine? Surely this had to be a first.
    “Just a little something,” Delaine told her, as she reached into her navy Chanel bag and pulled out her cosmetics purse.
    A bouquet of yellow daffodils poked out of the bag Delaine had handed Theodosia. Along with something else.
    Theodosia stuck a finger into yellow tissue paper and plucked out a small tube of essential oil. She held it up and read the label. “Lavender.”
    Delaine swiped a smear of red across her full lips, then snapped the cap back on her lipstick. She tapped an index finger against her inner wrist. “Essential oil to dab on your pulse points,” she explained. “Lavender is supposed to be…” She glanced into her pocket mirror, then nodded approval at her newly rouged lips. “Soothing.”
    “Thank you,” said Theodosia, “how very kind of you.”
    Delaine forced her face into an overexuberant smile. “What are friends for?”
    “A lovely gesture,” said Drayton. He plucked another cup and saucer from the serving board, set it in front of Delaine, and filled it with tea.
    Delaine turned bright eyes on Theodosia. “But you can’t feel all that bad,” she trilled. “After all, it’s been a good while since you broke up with Parker. And you do have a wonderful
new
boyfriend.”
    “That’s not really the point,” said Theodosia. “Parker andI were still friends.” At least she thought they were friends. On the other hand, she didn’t know a whole lot about what Parker had been up to in the past couple of months. Maybe he’d hadn’t missed her at all; maybe he’d gotten on wonderfully well with his lifepost-Theodosia.
    Delaine took a sip of tea and said, “Just think, Theo, now you’re dating my old flame and I’m dating yournext-door neighbor. It’s like that old saying, politics makes strange bedfellows.”
    “How’s that, Delaine?” asked Drayton.
    “Just that we’re both rapturously happy with who we ended up with,” said Delaine. She reached across the table and patted Theodosia’s hand. “Can you believe it, my Dougan right next door to you. Fancy that.” Dougan Granville was Delaine’s latest catch and Theodosia’snext-door neighbor; also the former owner of her small house, which had once been part of Granville’s rather grand estate. Delaine squeezed her eyes shut and said, “Just think, if Dougan and I ever decide to get married, we’d be neighbors! Wouldn’t that be a scream!”
    “It’d be a shocker,” Theodosia agreed.
And I might even have to move.
    Delaine opened her eyes, tipped her head back, and gazed at Theodosia with a slightly accusing look. “But not as shocking as those headlines in this morning’s paper.”
    “The ones about Parker drowning at the Neptune Aquarium?” asked Drayton. He pulled out a chair and sat down at the table with them.
    “That’s right,” said Delaine. She pursed her lips. “Ghastly. Couldn’t come at a worse time.”
    “What are you talking about?” asked Theodosia. Delaine seemed to be babbling more than usual.
    “Just awful publicity for the grand opening of the Neptune Aquarium,” Delaine lamented. “After all, Dougan is on the board.”
    So that’s what this is about
, thought Theodosia.
Her boyfriend being on the board.
    “Yesterday’s events weren’t so nice for Parker, either,” Theodosia spat back.
    Delaine seemed to realize that her words must have sounded a little cold and struggled to make amends. “I realize that, honey. I didn’t mean anything by it.” She suddenly looked confused. “I’m just talking silly, I guess. I’m not the best person in the world when it comes to offering soothing words and comfort. Just too doggone direct, I