Page 66 of Torin and the Princess

I said, “Oh man, that all sounds delicious, now I’m embarrassed by my one course meal.”

“Twas a tavern, taverns must hae hearty food for the journeyers. This is a verra fine meal for a small party, Mistress Lexi, and I am staggered ye cooked it all on yer own. In my time twould take five men. Ye would hae tae butcher the boar and deer, grind the oats, prepare the sauces, och nae, there be days of toil. How did ye procure the meat for the balls?”

“We bought that at the store earlier today. In the package.”

He nodded. “Did Mistress Marjorie butcher the meat?”

“No, she buys it from somewhere else.”

His eyes went far away as if he was trying to understand.

Cooper asked, “Back to the question, what did you drink?”

“We drank a copious amount that night —heather ale. Tis the tavern’s specialty, hae ye ever had it?”

We shook our heads.

Cooper said, “Nah, but I’ve seen it for sale in Nashville.”

Torin asked, “Dost Nashville hae moors?”

Cooper chuckled. “Nah, man, Nashville is known for country music, but that’s neither here nor there.” He wrote Heather ale. “Anything else?”

“Aye. After a round we asked for somethin’ sweet, and were served crowdie cream served with cherries.”

I said, “Oh man, that reminds me, I have ice cream! Want a banana split?”

I jumped up and began clearing places. I carried a stack of plates into the kitchen as they began looking up the questions and answers on the laptop.

22

LEXI

2004 - THE DINING ROOM

Istuck my head back in. “Torin, what kind of ice cream? Chocolate, or cookies and cream?”

He said, “Aye.”

I said, “And don’t find out too much, Coop, I’m totally invested, don’t want to miss anything.”

I returned with two gallons of ice cream, a spoon, a bunch of bananas, chocolate sauce in a squeeze bottle, a stack of bowls and spoons, and a jar of cherries. “I’ll make them here while you talk.”

Cooper pointed at the computer screen. “First question, ‘biggest political issue’. I looked it up, yes, Mary gets married, but Queen Mary alsodiesin 1558, you didn’t mention it.”

Torin’s face went pale. “Och nae, the young queen has passed! Nae, this is terrible news. Did it happen while I hae been gone?”

Cooper said, “You tell me — it says here that Mary died and Elizabeth took her place.”

Torin said, “That is odd, who is Elizabeth…? Och nae, Master Cooper, dost ye mean MaryTudordies? The Queen of England — when? She is replaced by her cousin, nae,” he shook his head,“this is not a good thing, but ye are discussin’ England, nae Scotland —wehae been at war with them. Our Mary, Queen ofScots, is bonny and fair. She is now married tae the dauphin of France, as ye ken, Scotland will hae the assistance of France in our war.”

I put two scoops of ice cream in a bowl and dripped chocolate sauce on it.

Cooper read the screen and said, “Fine, yeah, you’re right, thought I had you. It says here that Mary Tudor dies in November of that year.”

Torin’s face screwed up. “I daena like tae ken the future, tis distressing, but I am glad tae hear the English Queen will die, good riddance on her…”

Cooper reached across for the bunch of bananas right before I did, and tore off one, and passed it to Torin. “While Lexi serves our ice cream, how about you get the banana ready.”

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