Chapter One
"Good morning, Lilly. A fine morning." The jogger said as he approached the cyclist.
"Morning, Peter. Isn't it lovely to have the first signs of Spring showing through?" She replied, coming to a stop and causing the grey cat, dozing in his carrier in the front basket, to meow plaintively. "How's Charlotte doing, by the way?"
"Brilliantly, and it's all down to you. I can't thank you enough for your advice. Things are much more peaceful in the house now. Although the music is still louder than I'd like."
Lilly laughed. "That's teens for you, Peter. But I'm glad I could help."
"Well, I for one am relieved you're still on hand to dispense excellent advice, even though you're not with the paper anymore. How's the new shop going?"
"Extremely well, as a matter of fact. Which is an enormous weight off my mind as I sunk almost everything I had into it."
"Excellent news. Long may it continue. And I'm sure it will, considering this country practically runs on tea. And talking of running, I must get on. I'm trying to beat my best time." He said, tapping the Fitbit tracker on his wrist.
"Of course. Actually, while I remember, could you let your wife know the Alice in Wonderland tea set she ordered has arrived?"
"Will do. Thanks, Lilly." He started his stopwatch and set off running again with a last wave over his shoulder.
Lilly Tweed, former agony aunt with the local newspaper now a purveyor of fine teas and owner of The Tea Emporium in the centre of Plumpton Mallet, gripped the bike's handlebars and once again set off down the riverside path on her way to work. Pedalling through the tunnel which passed under one of the major roads from town, she entered the park and took a deep breath. After the dark, cold and wet days of winter, it was a joy to cycle to work again. To see the small buds appearing on the trees and the shoots of daffodils valiantly pushing up through the grass.
She sped along the path, the wheels kicking up the last of the fallen autumn leaves, and turned left up the steep hill at the edge of the park which led to the town. From there, it was a brief journey to the market square and her shop.
Plumpton Mallet was a historic market town with the cobbled square being its oldest part. A firm favourite with tourists who came in their droves to walk through the woodland, picnic on the little stone beaches beside the river, then finish with a meander around the shops and cafes in the square itself.
The Tea Emporium was housed in the old apothecary shop, and although it had had several retailers since then, the interior had remained authentic, with floor to ceiling shelves, and cabinets with row upon row of miniature drawers with dainty brass handles. It was the perfect set up to house Lilly's merchandise and display the range of quirky china she sold.
The exterior was double fronted with large bay windows flanking a recently painted cream door. The door furniture was also brass, including a knocker in the shape of a teapot which Lilly had found at an antique fair years ago and bought on a whim.
She dismounted, leaning her bike against the window and retrieving Earl unlocked the door and entered.
***
Inside, Lilly relocked the door and let Earl out of his carrier. He sauntered across the wooden floor, stretching each individual leg in turn, then jumped up to his favourite spot, the window. Delicately avoiding the items on display, he walked on silent paws to his bed and curled up. It was an odd place for him to choose, but it was the position he obviously felt safest and happiest, and there was no doubt about it: having a cat in the window certainly made people stop and look. Earl Grey was good for business.
He'd turned up barely a week after she'd opened, a thin, filthy and flea ridden bag of bones with a scar on his nose and a chunk of his right ear missing. Lilly hadn't a clue how he'd ended up on the streets, but he wasn't doing well. She'd promptly taken him to the local vet for a check-up and adopted him immediately. It had been touch and go for a while, but Lilly had poured all her energy into saving him. That, along with his fighting spirit, had seen Earl over the worst and well on the way to recovery. Now he was as much part of the shop as she was, and her first order of the day had been to install a cat flap in the storeroom door at the rear of the shop. There he had access to food and water as well as a litter tray and another bed. But he still preferred the window.
Lilly repositioned the Help Wanted sign in the other window, then began getting ready for the day ahead. The Tea Emporium had only been open for just over two months, but word had spread quickly thanks to some free advertising for its former employee in the Plumpton Mallet Gazette. Now though, it was necessary to take on her first member of staff.
After she'd gathered the post, the morning newspaper and set up the rest of the shop, she turned to the last job, decorating her bike. On the pavement outside she chained the bike to an old post and hung the open sign on the handle bars. She filled the basket with colourful pots packed with spring flowers and fixed another flower basket on the seat. Her last job was to put up the Tea of the Week sign. She'd chosen Echinacea because of its benefit to improving cold, flu, and sinusitis symptoms. Perfect for the time of year. That done, she went back inside and brewed herself a cup of Ginkgo Biloba, known for improving both brain function and vision, and perused the paper while waiting for her first customer of the day.
The front-page story was a rehash of one that had run previously, with very little in the way of updates. There had been a break-in at the local university and various small, but high cost pieces of equipment and a number of pharmaceuticals had been stolen from the labs. So far the culprits hadn't been found even though there were continuous interviews being carried out with students and teachers alike. Popular opinion was the drugs were being sold to addicts somewhere out of town. Lilly could almost hear the tone of derision in the piece at the failings of the police to solve the thefts. The author wouldn't be doing themselves any favours by making an enemy of the local police officers. She glanced at the byline and noticed Abigail Douglas had written it; the new agony aunt. Lilly had heard rumours that the column wasn't doing well, was Abigail trying to set herself up as an investigative reporter instead?
When the small local paper had been taken over by a much larger concern, they had offered Lilly redundancy. The new owners already had an agony aunt who apparently intended to move to Plumpton Mallet, and Lilly suddenly found herself middle-aged and unemployed. It was a terrifying prospect but was just the push she needed to try to make a go of a long-held dream; to open her own tea shop. If she didn't grab the opportunity now, then she knew she never would. A combination of her redundancy money, the majority of her savings and a small loan from the bank and she had secured the premises. Two months later, it looked as though it was paying off. There wasn't a day when she wasn't busy.
She turned to the page where the agony aunt column usually was to find it absent. Lilly had worked hard on her column and through good advice, a genuine desire to help and her interest in people, she had turned what was to all intents and purposes a 'filler' into an integral part of not just the paper but the community. She sighed, it saddened her to find it was no longer popular, but it wasn't her concern now she had her own business to look after.
She was just disposing of the paper when the shop bell tinkled. Time to get to work.
***
Her first customer entered and announced themselves with an almighty sneeze.
"Kate, you poor thing."
"Sorry, Lilly. Can you help? I'm getting nowhere with my cold medicine, I think I've become immune to it, and I want to see if something more natural will work."
"Of course, have a seat and I'll put the kettle on."
Kate took one of the bar style stools at the counter while Lilly selected several samples.
"Is it a cold or more sinus symptoms you have?" Lilly asked, putting a teacup and saucer in front of Kate.
"Sinus problems, although I'm just getting over a nasty cold as well."
"Do you have a sore throat at all?"
"A little, although not as bad as it was."
"Well, both Mint and Echinacea will help with the sinus problem. As will Ginger, and it also helps relieve congestion. If you have an infection, then Thyme will help. I've also just got some Japanese Kuzu tea, which helps with cold and sore throats."
"So many to choose from. What do you suggest?"
"I'll brew you a cup of Echinacea, I think that's the best for the sinus problem and as Tea of the Week it's on special offer. Have you eaten, Kate?
“Yes, I had porridge for breakfast.”
“Good. You mustn’t have this tea on an empty stomach. You can have a cup two or three times a day until you feel better, but don’t take it for more than ten days. Also ginger will help fight any infection and reduce inflammation, so you could take some for later if you want?"
Lilly let the tea steep in the small teapot for three minutes, then using a decorative strainer, poured a cup for Kate. She took a deep appreciative breath and smiled.
"It smells lovely. Hope it tastes as good."
She took a sip and nodded. Within five minutes she'd finished the cup.
"I feel better already. I'll take it and some of the ginger as well. Thanks, Lilly."
With her purchases wrapped, Kate asked Lilly if she mended tea sets?
"It's the handle of one of the cups which has come off. I'd like it mended as it belonged to my mum."
"I'll need to see it before I can tell you if it's possible. Can you drop it in some time when you're passing?"
"Yes, I'll do that. Thanks, Lilly. See you soon."
After Kate had left, there was a steady stream of customers. It actually was busier than usual, which Lilly was thrilled about. She hurried from customer to customer, brewing tea samples, teaching about remedies, wrapping up sales and dispensing personal advice on occasion. She was still being sought out as an agony aunt. By eleven o'clock the shop was packed and Lilly was wondering how she was going to find time to replenish what she'd sold from the stock at the back, when a young blonde woman entered.
Lilly sized her up and came to the conclusion she was neither local nor English. She was of athletic build, slim, tanned and radiating health with hair tied in a high ponytail, wearing jeans, trainers and a white tee shirt under a faded raspberry hoodie advertising a well-known brand of soft drink. She returned Lilly's smile, showing perfectly straight and white teeth.
"Welcome to The Tea Emporium."
"Hey, thanks. You're Lilly Tweed, the owner, right?" The girl replied in an American accent.
"Yes, I am. Are you looking for anything in particular?"
"Oh, I'm not here to shop," she replied, thrusting an envelope into Lilly's hands.
Opening it, Lilly found an application. "Oh, you're looking for a job?"
"Sure am," she said, sticking out her hand and shaking Lilly's with a strong, confident grip. "My name's Stacey. Stacey Pepper. I just started at the university and am looking for something part time. You're looking to fill a part time position, right?"
With the sign in the window, Lilly could hardly say otherwise. "Yes. But do you know anything about tea, Stacey?"
"I know it's brewed in a kettle, but that's about it. I'm a quick learner, though."
"Actually, the tea is brewed in a teapot," Lilly gently corrected her with a smile. "The kettle is used for boiling the water, which is poured into the teapot."
"Right! I think it's an English versus American terminology thing. But don't worry, I won't forget again."
"Perhaps you're right. Well, I'll be sorting through the applications this evening and..."
"Oh, drat it!" a man's voice rang out just as the unmistakable sound of smashing china reached Lilly's ears.
***
"Lilly, I am so sorry," an elderly man said with a combined look of horror and shame.
"Don't worry about it, Jeffrey. It was an accident."
"But that's twice in as many weeks! You must let me pay for it this time," he said, reaching for his wallet with a shaking hand.
"Honestly, it's not necessary," Lilly began.
"It is, you know. I insist."
While Lilly had been speaking with Jeffrey, Stacey had taken it upon herself to start picking up the bits of broken china.
"Stacey, be careful!" Lilly said. "I don't want you cutting yourself. I'll deal with it in a minute."
"I don't mind. Where's your mop and broom?"
Lilly sighed. "In the back storeroom, just behind the door, you'll find the dustpan and brush and a mop and bucket. Thank you."
While Stacey busied herself cleaning up the mess, Lilly rang Jeffrey's payment into the large antique till. Then she had an idea. A few days before, a company rep had come in and left some product samples with her. Now, normally Lilly didn't like plastic products, they were harmful to both the environment and the wildlife. All her merchandise was sold in paper bags or cardboard boxes. However, these she would make an exception for as they were recycled plastic. She dug one out of the box under the counter and set it in front of Jeffrey with a smile. A beautiful deep teal with a gold rim teacup and saucer, styled like its china counterparts. It was so perfectly put together that unless you knew, it was almost impossible to distinguish between it and the real deal.
Jeffrey shook his head. "I don't want to have another mishap, Lilly."
"You won't. I promise. Pick it up."
Jeffrey did so, then broke out in a huge grin. "Well, I never. Isn't that amazing? I would never have guessed."
"Would you like refill?"
"I would indeed. My usual please, Miss Tweed."
Lilly laughed and reached for the Fennel, known to help brain function. The first time he'd broken one of her cups, Jeffrey had confided that he'd been diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's disease. The tremors had caused him to lose his grip. There was little Lilly could do in the way of help, but Jeffrey was adamant the Fennel tea was alleviating his symptoms and who was she to question it?
With Jeffrey sorted out, Lilly made a note to order a few more of the plastic range of tea cups for her samples. They would be a lovely alternative for those elderly customers who had trouble gripping and lifting a heavier china version. It seemed Jeffrey had the same idea.
"I say, Lilly, do you sell this range? I'd love to have a set at home. Much more practical."
"It's something new I'm trying, so I can add your order to mine, Jeffrey. I'll have to confirm the price for you, but it shouldn't be too expensive."
He made a vague gesture with his hand, dismissing her concerns. "Whatever it is, it will be cheaper than constantly breaking and having to replace the china ones. Order me a set of six would you, my dear?"
By the time that was done, the mess was cleaned up, everything had been returned to the store room and Lilly had several other customers to serve. She had no idea what had happened to Stacey. Ten minutes later she got her answer as Stacey came over with arms full of merchandise she was carrying for a customer. The older woman was laughing at something the younger girl had said and thanking her profusely for her help.
"Anytime," Stacey replied.
She's acting as though she already works here, Lilly thought with amusement. For the next hour she didn't have time to think about the confident American girl. There were simply too many customers in the shop to deal with. She did notice that Stacey stood to one side, observing and making notes in a small notebook. She was obviously keen.
Shortly after lunch and with the shop now empty, Lilly had time to grant the girl a more formal interview. She brewed them both a cup of Rooibos, a red tea from South Africa, and took a seat at the far end of the counter.
"Well, you've certainly got my attention, Miss Pepper," Lilly began. "But what do you think qualifies you to work in my shop?"
"Honestly, not much. Although I am good with people. But I'm willing to learn like I said before. And I'm a quick study."
"And do you drink tea?"
"A bit, although nothing like the stuff you have here. My dad's actually a Brit, from London, but I've spent most of my life living with my mom in the US. I decided to apply to college here and was accepted. It'll give me a chance to get to know my dad better."
Lilly smiled and nodded but remained silent. She'd learned that if you kept quiet, people were inclined to fill the silence. It was a good way to get to know more, and Stacey obliged.
"My parents divorced when I was five," she continued. "Mom's old job meant she travelled a lot, it's how she met my dad. They lived in London for a while, but after the divorce she took me with her back to the States. Dad is pretty much a once a year call on my birthday kind of parent."
"I'm sorry, Stacey."
"Hey, it's no problem. We're cool. He was pretty pleased to have me move over here to go to school."
"Divorces can be nasty, though. I went through one myself a few years ago. It was fairly civil, but of course there were no children involved."
"Nah," Stacey said, waving Lilly's comments away. "As far as I know, they get along fine. Better now they aren't living together, actually."
"Well, that's positive at least," Lilly said just as Earl made an appearance and jumped straight into Stacey's lap.
"Hey there," she exclaimed, scratching his ears. "What's his name?"
"Earl."
"Earl, and he's grey. So, Earl Grey like the tea, right?"
Lilly nodded, pleased she had picked up on the intended pun.
"Cute. So, um... do you have any questions for me?"
"No, I don't think so. But you really were a great help today and Earl seems to like you."
Stacey grinned expectantly. "I love animals. So, you're considering me?"
"How about a trial run?"
"Awesome!"
"All right. I'll get some leaflets together for you to study on the types of tea I offer and their health benefits. We can discuss your hours once you've been through them. Do you have any other questions?"
"Only about that little letterbox out the front. I saw some of your customers using it and wondered what it was for?"
Lilly explained her former job as an agony aunt with the paper. That even though she no longer worked there, many people still wanted her advice and had taken to coming to the shop instead.
"Sometimes they come in to chat over tea, but others have problems which are more private, so I installed a letterbox outside. The letters drop into the basket inside and I collect them each day and take them home to answer them."
"Cool!" Stacey said. "I just love this place. I think I'm really going to enjoy working here."