“Well, I suppose it won’t hurt to come in, just for a little.”
Katherine smiled. It had taken a long time for Captain Braddock to get to the point of stepping foot into Miss Harriet’s, and he still never seemed quite comfortable when he did. The two tea-sellers had been somewhat at odds when Katherine first arrived in Harborhaven.
A misunderstanding and a lost letter sparked it all off, and differences of opinion over types and qualities of tea exacerbated what residents of Harborhaven quickly came to view as a feud between the two shops. But now, all was resolved and the two had become unlikely friends—although Captain Braddock still looked askance at the teabags she kept in stock alongside the higher quality loose-leaf tea.
“If you sit here, we can talk while I get the tea ready.” Katherine said, showing the captain to a table right by the kitchen doorway.
“All right.” The captain groaned slightly as he eased himself into the dainty dining chair facing the kitchen door. “What do you want to talk about?”
Katherine grinned and called over her shoulder, “Whatever company talks about, I suppose.”
“Well, now…I don’t much know what company talks about. When I was a boy, everyone talked about the weather when they went visiting. That, or politics.”
“Oh. Weather then, please.”
The captain chuckled. “It’s been mighty fine of late. I don’t think we’ll be firing up the old stove for a good while yet.”
“That’s good. I don’t think I’ve quite gotten the hang of it yet. I’m always nervous I’ll let the shop get too hot and ruin all the tea, or that the fire will die out as soon as I turn my back.”
“I used to feel the same way about it, but I suppose it’s grown on me. Or perhaps it’s necessity that’s driven me to appreciate it. Whatever the case, I must say it’s nice during these warm days to have one less thing to keep track of, ‘specially right now.”
Katherine came out of the kitchen and dropped wearily into a chair across from the captain. “I know. Things will be back to normal soon, though. Only a few more days.”
“Three, to be exact.”
Katherine chuckled. “I thought I was the only one counting the days!”
Captain Braddock’s smile softened. “I can see how hard it is on you, keepin’ everything goin’ on your own. And as much as I hate to see you worn down, I’m proud of you for steppin’ up and not makin’ excuses.”
A warm glow spread over Katherine’s heart. Captain Braddock rarely voiced his feelings, and somehow, a word of encouragement from his grandfatherly heart felt like being handed a priceless treasure. Unsure what to say in reply, Katherine just smiled happily across the table, and Captain Braddock smiled right back at her.
The singing of the tea kettle interrupted the brief silence.
“I’d better get that.” Katherine said, rising from her chair and hurrying toward the kitchen.
“Sure I can’t help with anything?” Captain Braddock called after her.
“Not a thing. Just you sitting there is a help.” She poked her head around the doorway with a teasing grin. “And if you’re good, I’ll bring some scones in with the tea. They’ll be ready to come out of the oven soon.”
“Then I’ll be stayin’ put, for sure,” he replied with a wink. “What kind of scones are they?” he called out as Katherine disappeared into the kitchen again.
“Cheddar,” Katherine called back, swirling hot water around the teapot to warm it, just like Captain Braddock had taught her to do. “They’re Mr. James’ favorite, and he’s always been our first customer of the day, so they’ve always been baked first. Then, we put in Mrs. Penelope’s fluffy round scones, although she has been branching out a bit now that she eats with Mr. Patten every day.”
“Think the two of them’ll ever follow in yer employer’s footsteps?”
“Possibly. I hope so, anyway. They’re such a sweet couple, and both being older, I think it’s just so wonderful for them to have each other.”
Captain Braddock eyed her closely as she brought the tea tray to the table. “Yer not feelin’ left out, now are you?”
“No,” Katherine replied, taking her seat across from the captain. “Not yet, anyway. I’m sure I will eventually, but for the moment, I’m just happy for Miss Harriet. Besides, I haven’t had any time to feel left out yet.” She lifted the dainty Royal Albert teapot and poured a dark liquid into the matching cups.
“This the new blend?” Captain Braddock asked, as Katherine handed him his cup and saucer.
“Yes. I thought you might like to try it out with me.”
“I can taste the Assam...” He took another sip. “And there’s the Ceylon. I wouldn’t have thought to blend the two, but this is quite good.”
“Good thing you listened to me, then,” Katherine said with a teasing grin. She tasted her own tea. “You’re right. It is good.” Holding out a plate, she added, “Scone?”
Captain Braddock picked a golden-brown triangle and plunked it down on his plate, saying thoughtfully, “You know, the newlyweds have presented the town with quite a dilemma.”
“How so?”
“Well, here we all are, used to saying ‘Miss Harriet’, and she’s gone and become ‘Mrs. James.’ Even you aren’t calling her by her proper name yet.”
“That’s true. I know she isn’t thinking of changing the shop’s name, but the rest of us do need to figure out what to call her.”
“How do the customers handle it?”
“Oh, they mostly still call her ‘Miss Harriet.’ Rosie calls her ‘Miz Harriet’—when she remembers to.” Katherine shook her head over this latest piece of presumption by their gossipy regular with a penchant for tabloids and flamboyant hats.
Captain Braddock chuckled. “That doesn’t seem to fit at all.”
“I agree. It would be easier if everyone called her just ‘Harriet,’ but people can’t seem to do it. Even I don’t call her that. So, Mrs. James it must be, I suppose. But it’s going to be a difficult habit to change.”
“Sure will. There may be lots of changes in the next little while. You just keep yer feet settled on yer own path, and don’t get too attached to life as it has been.”
Katherine frowned and cupped her tea in her hands to warm them. “What do you mean?”
