“Well, no… at least, we can’t be sure, now can we? It isn’t the type of thing he would go around talking about.”

Katherine soon noticed whenever Rosie came in sight, she was in for a tale of dramatic proportions. Not that much ever happened in Harborhaven which would merit such proportions, but that never stopped Rosie from framing every little detail of Harborhaven life in the most harrowing light possible. And in case nothing occurred to suit her thirst for shocking news, she carried around a sheaf of tabloids in her capacious handbag, “For when I need a good read while out and about,” she would explain.

Her favorite topic of study from those tabloids was that of the British Royals. And since Miss Harriet herself had come from England, of course Rosie felt her day incomplete without apprising Miss Harriet of the latest news.

She would bluster through the door each morning, wearing a bright, garish coat with a large matching hat, ringed around the brim with a puffy layer of tulle and a few jaunty feathers fastened on one side. “Like the Queen wears, you know,” she would say with a knowing nod. She would plunk herself down nearby the right window (often to the dismay of Mr. James), and talk, peer out the window, and eavesdrop on Mr. James’ conversations by turn.

Each Wednesday, Rosie would come a little later than usual, and with a group of ladies in tow.

“The Luncheon Society,” as they liked to call themselves, met each week to chatter, eat, and giggle over another of the Dailies, a tall, thin man with grey hair who came in promptly at noon.

Walking quietly in, the tall man would sit near the window across from that in which Mr. James was typically still installed, ordering Earl Grey tea and one of Miss Harriet’s homemade Cornish Pasties, which he would then politely eat with fork and knife. This extremely proper man’s name was Edward Patten, and he managed the town’s only bank, which had been named “First Bank” by some optimistic town founder.

Katherine quickly observed that the reason this dignified man was doomed to be giggled over by Rosie and her “Luncheon Society” was because Mr. Patten was unmarried—and so was Rosie. And despite the garish red rinse Rosie used to disguise her gray hair, one could easily tell that they were about the same age.

This unfortunate circumstance had been intensified by Rosie’s belief that Mr. Patten was “enormously rich, you know.” When asked how she had ascertained this detail, she would lean in and say mysteriously, “I have my sources,” punctuating her statement with a serious but vigorous nod of the head which made her hat feathers bob. The whole table would be still for a moment, conscious of the gravity of Rosie’s statement, then erupt into a fresh wave of giggles and teasing as Rosie blushed and pretended to look shocked and embarrassed.

But regardless of Rosie’s efforts, Mr. Patten had no interest whatever in her, and tolerated the cry of “Oh, hello there Mr. Patten!” hollered across the quiet tea shop with a cold and dignified nod, trying his best to ignore the resultant clamor of the cluster of women at the table. Katherine always felt sorry for the man, and wished Rosie and her friends would leave him alone. She said so to Miss Harriet one afternoon.

“They’re not so bad as they seem, dear.” she had replied in an undertone, leaning on the counter as she surveyed the scene. “All hat and hairspray, that’s what they are. There’s no substance whatsoever behind their tittle-tattle. Mr. Patten knows this, and has the happy ability not to be offended by the chatter of silly schoolgirls—even when they’re schoolgirls with wrinkles and grey hair.”

Katherine did observe that on the days Rosie dined alone, she appeared hardly to notice Mr. Patten’s arrival at all. Only when she had an audience did she greet him so boisterously. Katherine thought she liked Rosie much better without her entourage.

One week, Miss Harriet and Katherine noticed that Rosie seemed subdued and uncharacteristically quiet. This lasted for days, and Miss Harriet began to be concerned for her. On Wednesday, she asked one of the Luncheon Society ladies if anything was wrong with Rosie.

“Oh, I know what’s wrong with her. She decided to take on the Captain over at the Harborside.”

Katherine, clearing a table nearby, slowed her work to listen as Miss Harriet replied,

“Oh, yes? And what happened?”

“Well, we had been talking last week, you know, about how no one could get anything out of him about where his sister had gone to, and you know that Rosie has her theories.”

“Yes?”

“Well, Maybelle got exasperated with Rosie, like she does, and said, ‘why don’t you go ask him about it, if you’re so sure.’ and then she said she would. The next day, Maybelle ran into Rosie on the street in such a state, she told Maybelle everything before she could even stop to think what she was doing.”

Miss Harriet patiently nodded. “And what did she say?”

“She said she went to the Harborside, and walked in all lofty like. When the captain came out, she said she was interested in looking at some tea—which she wasn’t, of course—and he asked which kind. She, thinking herself so smart, said she couldn’t remember the name, and that his sister had recommended it. Right off the bat, he looked her over and said the name of a tea.

Since Rosie really hadn’t ever gone into the store for tea before, she couldn’t say it wasn’t the right kind, and had to buy some. As he got the tea from the jar, she asked about his sister, and he just said she was doing all right where she was, like he always does, you know.”

“And what did Rosie do next?”

“What she’s best at, of course. She stuck her nose in a little further. She said, ‘and where is she, exactly?’ trying to sound all innocent. The Captain turned red, and shoved the package of tea into her hand, saying angrily ‘She’s where she is, and it’s none of yer business!’ Well, Rosie just flew out of there fast as she could go, and that’s when Maybelle found her.”

Miss Harriet listened sympathetically to the tale, and waited on the Luncheon Society with the utmost decorum, but as the afternoon wore on, Katherine noticed that the corner of Miss Harriet’s mouth would twitch now and then, as though trying not to laugh.

As soon as the door closed on the last customer of the day, Miss Harriet walked composedly into the kitchen where Katherine had been tidying up, carefully pulled the curtain across the doorway, then burst into laughter.

“Can’t you just see it! Oh, good for the Captain!!” she said, laughing until tears streamed down her face. When she finally recovered, she explained, “Rosie’s a generous old thing, and she can be ever so kind on occasion, but people do tend to allow her to be impertinent, and it will do her no end of good to have been taken down a peg or two.”

At first, Katherine didn’t know what to think of this outburst, being so unlike Miss Harriet’s usual gentle composure. She had to admit it was funny, the thought of Rosie challenging the captain to a battle of wits and losing so decidedly. She began to laugh as well as she pictured the scene, and soon the two were merrily washing the dishes, chuckling now and then as the scene resurfaced in their thoughts.

“I only wish I had been there when it happened.” Katherine said. “It would have been so interesting. I wonder whether Captain Braddock had any idea he had won so substantial a victory against the forces of small-town gossip.”

“It certainly would have been interesting to witness, but I think it’s better we weren’t there.” Miss Harriet said, with a mischievous grin, “This way, we have all the fun of imagining the scene, without any of the responsibility of disapproving of either party’s actions, since we only have it on hearsay what passed between them.”

Katherine looked over at Miss Harriet with a sly grin. “I thought you were always ready to disapprove of the actions of Captain Braddock.”

Miss Harriet pretended to be affronted. “Why, me? Never!” then, becoming more serious, she added, “I do admit that it is sometimes very easy to disapprove of the captain, or at least of his opinions and manners. But then, we can always find fault with others if we’ve a mind to, and I daresay he has about as much to find faulty with me as I do with him.”

A tone of finality had slipped into Miss Harriet’s voice, and Katherine decided to drop the topic. After a moment’s pause, Katherine asked, “Miss Harriet,”

“Yes, Dearie?”

“Do you think Mr. Patten is really as rich as Rosie supposes?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Just curious, I guess.”

Miss Harriet looked at her for a moment before replying. “Well, I know he’s no billionaire, that’s for sure. It’s natural to assume he would make a decent wage at the bank, and he seems to live quite frugally, so I daresay he’s got a good sum saved up. But, Katherine, something tells me this is no idle question. What are you thinking of?”

Katherine blushed. “Well, he’s about the same age as Mrs. Penelope, isn’t he? And didn’t you say her husband died several years ago? I would say she’s a much better match for Mr. Patten than Rosie, any day.”

“Yes, well. I should not be encouraging you, but I have to say I agree. It would be nice to see Mrs. Penelope well off, but I don’t think she’d ever consider anything of the kind, especially at her time of life.”

Miss Harriet gazed absently into the dish water as she mechanically scrubbed a teacup. “Mind you, she does seem a bit lonely, with her children far away, and no grandchildren coming to visit. It would be nice…” Bringing herself back to reality, she turned to Katherine. “But we mustn’t be such gossips. If we’re not careful, soon we’ll be carrying tabloids around in our handbags like Rosie!”

They both chuckled and resumed their work, but Katherine couldn’t keep from thinking about the little old woman and the quiet banker and how nice it would be for them to have a happy ending.

6 Beginnings at the Harborside

Captain Braddock stood up from his desk and stretched. Looking up at the old clock on the wall, his heart started to beat faster.

It’s almost time, he thought.

Over the last three weeks Katherine had made her weekly pilgrimage to the Harborside, he had watched her carefully. She seemed to be respectful and conscientious, and listened most intently to anything he had to say about the history of the Harborside.

She always had some question or other about the teas on the shelves; why they looked the way they did, how they differed from other kinds, where they had come from—but she hadn’t tried to pry into his personal life like the other townspeople were always trying to do.

To a man as private as the captain, hiring a potentially nosy employee seemed risky, indeed, but Katherine appeared to have her inquisitive nature under control. Besides, he found he liked her curiosity; it made her teachable.

Yes, the captain thought, She’s the right one. She’ll be good for this old place.