Dizzy Spells Read Online Free PDF Page B

course. It wouldn’t do to have a shop that booted people out
at every turn. I smiled to myself as I imagined a shoplifter
suddenly finding themselves out on the sidewalk.
    I was jolted from my thoughts when the door
opened with a cheerful jingle of silver bells tied to the
handle.
    “Amelia, what are you doing standing out
there in the damp? You’ll catch pneumonia!” Mint gave me a welcome
smile as she scolded me, waving for me to come inside. “Come on
in!”
    “Sorry, I was lost in thought.” I balanced
the plastic tray between my hands.
    “I wouldn’t know why you would have so much
to think about. Things have been so dull and tranquil since you
made it to town.” Mint winked at me before looking up at the sky
and waving me in insistently. “Come inside before it starts to
pour.”
    As if to emphasize her point, thunder
rumbled in the distance. I hurried inside and handed her the tray.
“I hope sandwiches are okay. I wasn’t quite bold enough to cook
anything.”
    “These were so thoughtful! Thank you,
Amelia.” Mint accepted the tray and closed the door. “I have some
tea brewing. How about you join the others at the table?”
    Before long everyone was chattering around
the table. No matter how many times I came by, I always felt that
the place was truly magical. The shelves lining the walls were all
wood, but not the glue-and-sawdust-from-the-store type. They were
true blue heavy polished wood. Each one was hand carved with
intricate Celtic knots and swirling vines, and each leaf was
chiseled out in exquisite detail.
    The table must have been made by the same
craftsman. The dark cherry wood gleamed in the light that came from
a myriad of candles, giving this particular room a special
ambiance.
    The books on the shelves were all leather
bound. Most of them looked ancient. Mint had explained that this
room was for private gatherings, and housed their rare collectibles
for special patrons. There were even display cases with handmade
books dated to the eighteenth century. These were no doubt
Ruprecht’s pride and joy.
    Despite the rows of books, the place did not
smell dusty or old at all. The jars of herbs that lined the upper
shelves along with the rows of candles gave the place a witchy
atmosphere. There was a tapestry on the far wall, depicting a woman
and a dragon under a crescent moon. The many candles burning threw
the dark blue walls threw into relief.
    Ruprecht smiled as he followed my eyes to
the tapestry. “An old friend in England just sent that to me. His
daughter crafts them for festivals every year.”
    “That’s amazing!” I gazed enviously at the
tapestry. I wished I had half that sort of talent. In fact, I would
be happy if I could just ice a cake evenly, and maybe make icing
flowers look like more than blobs of abstract colors. “She has
amazing talent.”
    “I’ll forward your praise when I talk to
them next,” Ruprecht said with a smile on his face.
    “Has there been any word from Madam Dianne?”
Thyme asked as she took a sip of her tea.
    I shook my head. “I was thinking of taking
her something to eat.” I raised my hands in surrender as every head
turned in my direction. “Nothing I cooked, of course! I was hoping
one of you suggest something she’d like.”
    Camino offered me a tray of crackers. “The
diner always has a nice soup. It would be easy on her stomach,
given that she must be stressed.”
    “You could take some cakes from the store,”
Thyme said. “The plum cake I made yesterday would probably be a
treat. Sweet things help make everything better.” She gazed up at
the ceiling thoughtfully. “Except blood sugar levels, I guess. But
other than that, it’s a win-win.”
    “I could cook something, too,” Mint chimed
in. “We should all go and offer a little distraction from her
troubles. She could certainly use it. We could welcome her to
town.”
    “It seems silly that the police would
suspect the poor woman. She wouldn’t hurt a soul.” Camino shook