“Ah, well, we do happen to have an abundance of scones this morning. Did you have anything particular in mind?”
“Hmm… well, I suppose I hadn’t really thought that far.”
Katherine smiled and leaned a little closer, saying quietly, “We do make a lovely Cornish pasty here, which I’m told some have been known to eat for breakfast. Would that do?”
Mr. Patten smiled back a little sheepishly. “Yes, I think that will be just the thing. Thank you.”
At the kitchen door, Katherine stopped and took a quick glance around. What a jumble of secrets and emotions were seated in that room!
* * * *
Just before the noon rush, Miss Harriet popped into the kitchen. Putting on her apron, she asked, “Well, how are you getting on back here? Everything going well?”
Katherine looked searchingly at her friend. “I could ask you the same question.”
“Oh, things are going quite well indeed. I know I won’t have time to do it all justice at the moment, so you’ll just have to be content to know that everything is… is as it should be, and I’m quite delighted with it all!”
“Now, if that isn’t a teaser, I don’t know what is! But I’m glad it’s all right. Is Mr. James still out there?”
“Yes, he had some work he needed to get done.”
“Aha… Perhaps I’ll just go see if he needs anything.”
“Now Katherine, don’t you go pumping him for information. I’ll tell you all about it after we close. Let the poor man work.”
“All right… but if I happen to pass his table and he happens to divulge a few of the details you’re so skillfully withholding, I’ll be forced to stop and listen, just to be polite, of course.”
“Oh, go on with you!” said Miss Harriet, throwing a tea towel at Katherine in mock frustration. Katherine ducked and picked up a tray, giving Miss Harriet one last teasing grin before heading out of the kitchen.
* * * *
As soon as the shop door closed on the last customer of the day, Katherine rushed over and turned the lock. Whirling around again, she asked,
“Well?”
“Let’s have some tea.” Miss Harriet replied with a grin as she headed towards the kitchen.
Soon they were sitting at one of the tables, each warming their hands around a steaming, fragrant cup of tea.
“So what was it he wanted to ask you about?”
“He wanted to ask if I would like to know what he almost said the other night.”
“And did you?” Katherine said, holding her breath for the answer.
“I told him yes, so long as he wanted me to know.”
“And?” Katherine set her teacup down on its saucer and leaned forward.
“He did.” Miss Harriet said simply, smiling as she took a sip of her tea.
“Oh, good!” Katherine exclaimed.
“You act like you knew what he was going to say all along.”
“Well, it was rather obvious…”
“And there I was, thinking I must have imagined it was anything out of the ordinary.”
The two giggled, then lapsed into a happy silence for a few moments, sipping their tea and smiling at each other. Then Miss Harriet said,
“I suppose you’ll be wanting to know that Mr. James and I are, well, let’s just say we’re cautiously getting to know one another better in the hopes of being something more than ‘just friends.’”
“And what does that look like?”
“Much as it has done, only without the awkward hiding of interest and dancing around issues. We have the freedom now to talk about anything we feel is necessary, and I think it should be a much more comfortable friendship moving forward.”
“But… that sounds exactly like what it has looked like, awkwardness aside. Shouldn’t there be something… more, now that the plan is to be more than friends?”
“Not necessarily. You see, we both feel that a healthy marriage is best built upon a healthy friendship. We have the friendship already, but it needs to grow, to deepen, before we can be sure it’s meant to be more.”
