Camellia Read Online Free PDF

it?"
    "There are many types of dungeons," Lucy replied smoothly. Danny had a nice laugh, rich and throaty like her speaking voice. She wondered how Danny sounded when she sang, or if she sang at all. "Some of them are certainly posh enough for me to be seen in if that's what you're wondering, but no, those are not typically a part of my Friday evenings."
    "But teaching is," Danny said, fishing a bit. Lucy decided to give her a little more.
    "Teaching is. I enjoy sharing my passion for my work, and there are plenty of people willing to pay for the privilege of learning with me."
    "Really." Danny licked her lower lip unconsciously.
    "Indeed." A brisk knock sounded at the door. "Come in, Dalton," Lucy called, and a moment later he entered, carrying a tray with the tea service set that Danny had so admired last week. Lucy smiled appreciatively at Dalton's attention to detail. "Thank you." She waited for him to clear the other teapot and cups from the class before turning back to Danny.
    "You were in the mood for coffee earlier," Lucy said.
    "Oh, no," Danny said quickly, shaking her head. She was probably remembering Andrea's boyfriend. "Tea is fine, really. I've just never been a fan of grapefruit. It was all my grandma had to eat for breakfast when we stayed over at her place, and it got old by the time I was five."
    "I think this tea will be more to your liking," Lucy assured her. She poured each of them a cup, enjoying the citrus smell of the bergamot. "Taste it before you add cream or sugar, although this tea is excellent with both." Lucy added a splash of the cream to hers before lifting it to her lips.
    Mmm, there was that delicious full-bodied malt flavor, slight notes of burnt sugar and tobacco alongside the subtle orange of the Ceylon. Lucy deliberately didn't look up when Danny first tasted her tea, and her faint sound of surprise and approval was heartening.
    "This is great," Danny said, staring at her cup like it was speaking to her. Lucy hoped it was. "Really, really good."
    "Thank you. It's one of my favorite blends, I like it whenever I need a little pick-me-up," Lucy confessed. "White teas are absolutely divine for a light breakfast or afternoon tea, but nothing is quite so comforting as a stout Earl Grey."
    "Did you need comforting after that class?"
    "No. But I did wish to make you comfortable. We have quite a lot to discuss concerning tomorrow, after all."
    "Right." Danny took another sip, then set her cup down. "So, I watched all of those videos, and I do mean all of them, even the one that took half an hour before she got to the actual tea part of the tea ceremony. I've gotta warn you, I've been working on it, but I don't think I'll be able to drag it out that long."
    "You have to work at a speed that feels right to you, of course," Lucy said. "And that looks right to me. That is where the correction will come in."
    "Can we practice tonight?" That was eagerness in Danny's voice, anticipation in her bright brown eyes. Lucy enjoyed it even as she prepared to dowse it.
    "No." Danny deflated in her chair. "I told you to practice this past week. Have you done so?"
    "Yeah, I already said—"
    "And do you feel confident in your ability to perform the tea ceremony adequately?"
    "Yeeesss … I guess."
    "Then I believe you," Lucy replied simply. "A great deal of the pleasure I anticipate for tomorrow will be in seeing your improvement over last week's efforts for the first time. Besides, we have plenty of other things to go over, starting with your attire." Lucy stood up and walked over to the dresser.
    Lucy opened the dresser drawer, and her fingers grazed over the light leather outfit before pulling it out. She waited until she was back beside Danny to speak again. "As you may remember from the job description, our presence in the conference is to help bring attention to my friend's designs. She makes marvelous costumes, all of them by hand. This is an example of her work." Lucy laid it out in front of Danny and