Page 27 of Must Love Scones and Secrets
“I’m not sure, Winnie.”
“You didn’t ask?”
“It didn’t come up.”
“And what manner of man is he?” Winifred asked, her gaze penetrating.
“Ladies, the book?” Portia said, trying and failing to redirect the conversation.
Emmalyn laughed. “I don’t have your keen powers of observation, Winifred. I guess… Well, he has good table manners.”
I sighed, then sat back. “Unfortunately, all this talk isn’t worth bothering with. Handsomeness and good table manners aside, I don’t think he’s interested in me,” I said, remembering how Bjorn left hastily last night. I wasn’t sure what had happened, exactly, only that something had suddenly caused his mood to change.
The little vase of flowers on our table sighed sadly, then drooped slightly.
“Shh, you,” Winnie told the flowers, who perked up at her scolding.
“Are you sure about that?” Emmalyn asked me. “My mother mentioned you at breakfast, and Mister Runeson’s cheeks were burning red.”
“Sadly, yes. No angst-ridden yet sweeping romance for me,” I said, lifting my book. “I don’t know what went wrong. We were having an nice conversation, and then Merry had a little episode, and Bjorn left abruptly. He’s no Lord Thornwick, I’m afraid.”
Sir Hootington gave an empathetic hoot.
“Ladies, can we get back to—” Portia began, lifting the book, but Juniper set her hand on Portia’s arm, gesturing for her to wait.
“Rosalyn, what happened to Merry?” Juniper asked.
I described the strange magical sneezes Merry had been having. Juniper leaned forward in her seat and listened, her brow furrowing.
“That sounds very similar to the issue Granik’s new snufflecorn piglets have been having,” Juniper said, referring to her orc bestie and a local farmer. “The piglets have been zipping around and leaving trails of truffles in their wake, not that anyone minds. Snufflecorn piglets are always wild, but thisis strange magic. He asked me to come look at the fields. I didn’t find anything odd, at least vegetation-wise, that might be causing it.”
“Have you been to the unicorn fields?” Emmalyn asked her.
Juniper nodded. “I went with Kellen, but we saw nothing amiss. But the unicorns, Merry, and the snufflecorns…all magical horned creatures.”
“Do you think there may be some connection?” I asked Juniper.
“There may be,” Juniper said. “Is Mister Runeson still at your house, Emmalyn?”
“He headed out to Woodsong Cabin.”
“He should be told,” Juniper said, “don’t you all think?” Juniper lifted her tea and sipped in an attempt to hide her plotting smile.
Everyone turned to me, grinning expectantly.
Even Sir Hootington swiveled his head my way, giving me a knowing blink.
“And you all thinkIshould go tell him?” I asked, feeling a blush rise in my cheeks.
Everyone nodded, even Portia, who had pushed her glasses up to see me more clearly.
“Well, I couldtake him a basket of goodies. I mean, just to be friendly, right?”
“Of course,” Primrose said. “Just like Miss Beth was friendly with Lord Thornwick in chapter twelve.”
“And chapter twenty,” Tansy added.
“And chapters thirty, thirty-two, and thirty-five,” Winifred added with a giggle. “But especially chapter fifty-eight.”
