“Because unlike the English Breakfast tea you usually order, our Irish Breakfast is one hundred percent Assam tea, though not the best quality.”
Mr. James chuckled and said teasingly. “I see you’ve picked up the captain’s obsession for subtle nuances and high quality. When it comes to tea, only the best will do!”
Katherine laughingly nodded. “Perhaps I have. It really does make a difference, though.”
“Then pick up some of the ‘best’ Assam when you go over to the Harborside tomorrow, and I’ll try it. Since this little experiment was my idea, I’ll gladly pay for the tea.”
* * * *
“I have a tea order to fill today!” Katherine said, bursting through the door of the Harborside.
“Really? Does Miss Harriet want hers early?” Captain Braddock leaned back in his desk chair to peer at Katherine through the doorway.
“No. It’s for Mr. James. He wants some second flush Assam.”
“That sounds about right.” Captain Braddock nodded. “The Orange Pekoe will be right for him, I think. Not so light as the Flowery Orange Pekoe, but not as earthy as the ordinary Pekoe.”
Katherine’s eyes widened and her face lit up. That was exactly what she had planned to bring to Mr. James!
Perhaps I’ve got the Braddock gift, after all, she thought to herself as Captain Braddock went back to the ledger he was poring over, leaving Katherine to the happy task of measuring out the dark, twisted leaves with the golden tips which gave the tea the nickname “tippy tea.”
When she finished, she set the little bundle of tea on top of her purse and rang up the sale, putting Mr. James’ money into the ancient cash register with a satisfied little smirk.
“Captain,” she asked, standing in the doorway. “I’ve never been able to figure out why Orange Pekoe teas have ‘orange’ in their name. They don’t taste or smell at all like orange.”
“That used to baffle me as well.” Captain Braddock said, shaking his head as he jotted down one more number in the ledger and closed it with a sigh.
Looking up at Katherine, he leaned back in his chair again and explained, “You know that the various pekoes are classifications of Assam teas.”
Katherine nodded and recited, “Flowery Orange Pekoe is the small leaf next to the bud, Orange Pekoe is the second leaf, Pekoe is the third leaf and Souchong is the fourth leaf.”
Captain Braddock smiled broadly. “You have been paying attention! And since you’ve been paying attention, you can probably tell me when and by whom the Assam tea plants were first discovered?”
“Was it… 1823?” the captain nodded and Katherine continued. “a man named Robert Bruce noticed the plants and asked for samples to send back to England. But he died soon after, so his brother Charles is really the one who got Assam tea classified as a variety of Camellia Sinensis.”
“Good! Now, as to the word orange, I have heard some say that it is because of the golden tips on the leaves or because of the Chinese practice of mixing orange blossoms with the tea leaves. Others have argued that it is because of the color of the tea when it’s brewed, and still others say that it is because of the Dutch East India Company.”
“Why that?”
“Because of the House of Orange, the reigning dynasty of the Netherlands. It’s thought that the Dutch East India Company might have stuck orange in the name to honor their royal family.”
Katherine thought for a moment. “I suppose any of those could explain it. What’s your opinion?
“Don’t know. We’ll probably never really know for sure.”
* * * *
The next morning, Katherine offered to prepare Mr. James’ order so he and Miss Harriet could enjoy a nice long chat before the first customers came in. When she brought out the tea, Mr. James put on a serious face.
“Is this it?” he said with an air of mystery.
Katherine adopted his same manner and silently nodded in reply.
“Is this what?” asked Miss Harriet, gazing inquisitively from one to the other.
“It’s an experiment, Dearest.” Mr. James replied. Turning to Katherine, he declared imperiously, “Pour the tea!”
Katherine poured a cup for each of them, then drew a chair up to the table and sat down. She watched, hands clenched, shoulders tense, as Mr. James made a show of carefully swirling the tea in his cup, smelling the steam which rose from the dark liquid, and blowing across the surface of the cup to cool the tea. Finally, he took a sip.
“Well?” said Katherine, holding her breath.
“It’s good.”
“How good?”
“Very good. In fact, I think I might have to talk Harriet into carrying it so I can order this in the mornings.” Katherine tried to contain her excitement as Mr. James turned towards Miss Harriet. “What did you think of it?”
“I must say, it is quite nice.” A teasing grin spread over her face as she took another sip. “I suppose we could make an addition to our weekly order… for such a faithful and distinguished customer as yourself, Darling.”
