Shades of Earl Grey

she said. Awfully tricky, got to get the proportions just so, and a double boiler is a must.”

“But you mastered it,” said Drayton, still impressed.

“Of course.”

“And you plan to serve it with . . .” prompted Drayton.

“There’s a couple pans of shortbread in the oven,” said Haley. “But lemon curd keeps for a good month once it’s refrigerated, so when we do cakes for afternoon tea, it’ll make a great topping.”

“Morning, Theo,” Drayton called as he heard the back door click open. “How was the concert last night?”

“Yeah,” called Haley, “I bet it was great, huh?”

Theodosia stood in the doorway of the tiny kitchen and nodded enthusiastically. “Wonderful.” She didn’t have the heart to tell them she’d listened halfheartedly to the first half, then spent the second half outside, trading cat burglar theories with Jory Davis.

“Timothy was playing first violin, I take it?” said Dray-ton as he grabbed a silver tray and followed Theodosia into the tea shop.

“And doing a masterful job,” Theodosia assured him.

“I’m baffled as to how the man does it,” said Drayton. “Poor Timothy is worried sick about the public opening of the Treasures Show tomorrow night, yet there he was playing with the symphony,” said Drayton. “He’s really quite remarkable.”

“I agree,” said Theodosia as the two copper tea kettles Drayton had put on to boil just minutes earlier began to sing their high-pitched duet. “So what’s on tap for this morning?” she asked him.

Drayton reached overhead and pulled down tins and jars of loose tea. “I thought I’d do pots of Earl Grey and Assam, which are nice and mellow and traditional, although this particular Assam is a trifle malty. Then I’ll mix things up with a couple blends, perhaps a cinnamon spice and a ginseng plum. Of course, if someone has a special request, we’ll oblige them as always.”

“Wonderful,” said Theodosia. She still felt a little discombobulated from last night. After her intense discussion with Jory Davis, she’d had dreams about cat burglars all night long. Got to get my head in the game, she told herself as the door swung open and the morning’s first customers came drifting in. Stop worrying about creepy cat burglars.

“Oh,” said Haley as she sped past Theodosia with plates of shortbread topped with her still-warm lemon curd, “I forgot to give you this.” She handed over a large brown envelope. “I guess someone must have slipped it under the door. Anyway, it was lying on the floor when I opened up this morning.”

Theodosia took the envelope from Haley and glanced at it curiously. The envelope was a number ten, business size, made of brown craft paper. Glued to the front was a white label with a single typed word, Theodosia.

“Wonder what it is?” she said.

Haley, who was busy gathering napkins and placing forks on plates, shrugged. “Don’t know,” she said, unconcerned. “Maybe a thank-you note from someone who attended yesterday afternoon’s reception?”

Theodosia grabbed a butter knife, slipped it under the gummed flap of the envelope to open it. She pulled out a piece of paper and unfurled it. As she began to read, her brows knit together and a frown creased her normally placid face. It was a note all right, but not of the thank-you variety. Instead, a very strange message had been laser-printed on a sheet of plain white paper.

Twinkle, twinkle, little bat
How I wonder where you’re at.
Up above the world you fly,
Like a tea-tray in the sky.

“What is it?” asked Haley, suddenly aware that Theodosia had gone silent.

Wordlessly, Theodosia handed the note to Haley and watched as she read it.

Haley’s face changed from polite interest to utter confusion. “What the heck...?” she said. “Is this crazy little ditty supposed to mean something?”

“It’s a passage from Alice in Wonderland,” said Theodosia.

“Yeah, great. Fun kids literature and all that. But why send it to you? And without a signature yet. Is this supposed to be some kind of inside joke?”

“I’m not exactly sure,” said Theodosia. “But I get the feeling that it might be...it could be... some kind of challenge.”

“Holy smokes!” exclaimed Haley, realization starting to dawn. “Because you’ve been poking around...Hey, Drayton!” She motioned frantically for Drayton to come over to the counter.

Drayton came hustling over immediately. “What’s wrong?” he asked, taking in the very sober looks on both their faces.

Haley thrust the mysterious note into Drayton’s hands. “Take a look. I found it stuck under the door this morning.”

“Addressed to Theodosia?” he asked as he reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out his glasses, and slid them onto his nose.

They both nodded.

Drayton studied the note intently. Finally, he looked up and met their gazes. “It’s a passage from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass,” he said.

Haley bobbed her head eagerly. “That’s what Theodosia said. Gosh, you two are so incredibly well read. Makes me want to change my major back to English lit.”

“Haley . . .” warned Drayton with an owlish look. “I don’t think this was intended as a lighthearted little note.”

“Theodosia called it a challenge,” Haley told him.

“Indeed, it could be,” said Drayton. “Witness the teatime reference that clearly relates to us.”

“And what about the little bat business and up above the world you fly?” asked Haley.

“I don’t know,” said Drayton. “It’s strange, I’ll give you that much. I get the feeling they’re slightly left- handed inferences as to what’s been going on around here lately. Flying around, looking around, something like that.”

“Mm-hm,” said Haley, not completely absorbing all of Drayton’s words.

“In other words, a taunt,” said Drayton, heavily enunciating the t’s.

“You mean someone might be daring Theo to take them on?” asked Haley. “Someone being this cat burglar guy?”

“I suppose one could interpret it that way,” said Dray-ton.

“Whoooa,” said Haley. “Ain’t that a kick.”

“It means you’ve struck a nerve,” said Drayton, looking directly at Theodosia.

Theodosia managed a thin smile. “Gulp,” she said. She meant her remark to be humorous, but nobody laughed.

Drayton refolded the note, handed it to Theodosia. “We’d better talk about this when we’re not so busy.”

Theodosia was still standing at the counter with the folded note in her hand when Aerin Linley came bustling in a few moments later.

“Hey there,” she greeted Theodosia. “Can I get a couple cuppas to go? Anything you’ve got ready is fine. As long as it’s not sweet.”

“Absolutely,” said Theodosia, sliding the note across the counter and putting a little green Staffordshire teapot on top of it for safekeeping.

“You okay?” asked Aerin.