Page 22 of The Best of Friends
Toss turned toward the others on his team—Mater, Mr. Layton, Daria, and Mr. Greenberry—eager to begin.
“A harrowing meal.” Mater tapped her fingers together as her unfocused gaze turned ponderous.
“Meals can be harrowing for many reasons,” Daria said. “The food served or the location or the people participating in the meal.” She bit her lips closed for a moment. “You all likely thought of that already.”
She was clearly convinced of her own thickheadedness, which was baffling. She was perhaps not academically inclined, but she was hardly bacon-brained.
“Making a list is always helpful when working as a group,” Mr. Layton said with every indication of sincerity. “Which ought we to pursue,” he asked them all, “a meal that is harrowing on account of the food, the location, or the guests?”
“I suspect our competitors will choose the guests or the location or event,” Mr. Greenberry said. “We ought to choose food.”
“What about the food makes the meal harrowing?” Mater asked. “The taste, the presentation?”
An idea formed immediately in Toss’s mind. “Every meal must be harrowingfor the food, seeing as it is about to be eaten.”
“Oooh.” Daria bounced a bit, something Toss tended to do as well. “I like that idea. No one else will think of it.”
They began suggesting different ways of applying the idea, each suggestion more absurd than the previous. Laughter was plenteous and universal among their team. Daria’s suggestions were met with compliments and laughter, as was appropriate.
After one particularly funny suggestion, Daria turned toward him, smiling so broadly she was likely to fill the entire room with figurative sunshine. “I think I’m doing well.”
“You are doing brilliantly,” he said.
She clasped her hands together. “My parents would hate this.”
“No surer way to win a point, Daria.”
She laughed lightly, the twinkle in her eyes rendering them even lovelier. With her smile still in place, she began to turn toward the others in their group but stopped partway, her eyes fixed on something.
Toss followed her gaze directly to Mr. Colm Greenberry watching her from his own group with a soft smile of his own. She blushed a bit. There was nothing untoward, nothing objectionable in the younger Mr. Greenberry’s expression or notice of her. Toss ought to have been happy that a lady he considered a friend was being treated kindly.
Why, then, did he feel the urge to place himself between the two of them and put an end to all the smiles and blushes and attention?
“Time to share,mes amis,” Mr. Fortier announced. “Let us begin with Lord Aldric’s team.”
Mr. Colm Greenberry rose to read their offering.
“’Twas at a gathering near Aberdeen I had my first taste of haggis.
In the days and weeks to follow, alas, I learnt what it was to gag-is.”
The room erupted in laughter.
“Tobias had a hand in that effort, I am certain of it.” Daria’s voice lilted with a laugh of her own. Utter delight filled her expression, pulling a smile to Toss’s lips as well. He particularly liked seeing her happy.
Mrs. Fortier rose to recite their team’s composition.
“The food was expertly prepared.
The company was charming.
But a table balanced upon a cliff
Proved, above all else, alarming.”
Applause followed that offering, with ample commentary on the dual meaning of the phrase “above all else” when paired with the imagery of being on a cliff. It was a lighthearted poem but the composition was quite good. Mr. Fortier was, as Mater had said, quite talented at poetry; his team’s entries would almost definitely be of a higher quality than the rest.
When Mr. Layton rose to read their team’s verse, he was met with calls of “A royal reading” and “The King wishes to be heard” and “What an honor, Your Majesty.” This was a group of long-acquainted friends, and Toss didn’t doubt these were long-established teases among them.
