The Diva Serves High Tea Read Online Free PDF

shortly—I hope.” I closed the door behind the two of them and went straight to my tiny home office.
    It wasn’t quite the way I had planned my day. I checked my calendar. Luckily, unlike Natasha, event planning was my business, and I had everything well in hand for the upcoming Guild of Matrimonial Lawyers meeting that started the next day. I had planned to attend the auction and tea anyway, so the late afternoon had already been blocked off. Nothing urgent demanded my attention.
    When I arrived at the alley, Bernie was backing in a truck from his restaurant, The Laughing Hound, and Mars was directing him.
    Three body-building types whom I recognized as bartenders and a waiter from Bernie’s restaurant hopped out and opened the back doors, ready to work.
    I packed the smaller items, like clocks and porcelain, in boxes. After a few minutes of loading, Natasha appeared, dressed to kill and screaming, “No, no, no!”

CHAPTER FIVE
    Dear Natasha,
    I always order Earl Grey tea. It just can’t be beat. But what’s the bergamot that’s in it?
    â€”Tea Lover in Greycliff, Montana
    Dear Tea Lover,
    Bergamot is an orange that grows in Calabria, Italy. The oil from the peel of the orange is used in Earl Grey tea to give it that distinctive flavor.
    â€”Natasha
    Not even a strand of Natasha’s almost-black hair was out of place. She had dressed in a cream-colored dress with a boat neck that revealed her shoulders, yet had three-quarter-length sleeves. A webbed belt accented her waist, and the fabric clung to her curves. She probably would have looked great for a photo shoot, but she clearly wasn’t planning to lift a finger to move furniture.
    â€œI’m glad I caught you. Not everything goes to the auction. Some of these items are mine.”
    As it turned out, most of the furniture belonged to Natasha, which came as a surprise to me.
    Mars shot me looks of incredulity as Natasha walked through the garage, claiming furniture. I knew why he was amazed. Not only did they already have a fully furnished house, but Natasha loathed antiques. She much preferred sleek modern furniture.
    While the guys carried a faded velvet settee off the truck, Natasha sidled over to me. I braced for the worst.
    â€œThat was close! They almost stole my furniture. Imagine if someone had bid on it before I realized that my pieces had been included in the auction.”
    She didn’t
seem
devastated by the breakup with Mars. Her makeup was thick enough to cover a multitude of sins but her eyes weren’t red from crying. She chattered on about the auction while I looked around at huge wardrobes and exquisite sideboards. “What are you going to do with all this furniture?”
    Natasha turned to me and whispered. “Sophie, I’ve left Mars.”
    I staggered backward a step. I had not seen that coming at all. I was so surprised by her twist on the situation that my mouth actually hung open.
    â€œDon’t look so shocked, Sophie. He’s not the right man for me.”
    I snapped my mouth closed. Had she been thinking about leaving Mars? Or was she twisting the situation to save face? I gazed around at the furniture. “Is that why you bought all this stuff? For your new home?”
    For a very long moment she stared at me, as though my question had caught her off guard. A smile crept over her lips. “Yes. Yes, it is.”
    There was only one problem. “I thought you weren’t a fan of antiques.”
    â€œA girl can change her mind, can’t she?”
    She certainly could. But this was a huge departure forNatasha. Still, whatever had happened between her and Mars, they both seemed to be happy to move on. Maybe their split wouldn’t be the big drama I had feared.
    â€œLoad that one! It’s my contribution to the auction.” Natasha grimaced. “Ugh. Have you ever seen anything so scary? I couldn’t have that in my house.”
    It didn’t seem