inStevie’s face. “This is not what I specified! I wanted
loose
tea!
Loose
tea! Do you know what that is?”
“Uh, I guess not,” Stevie said.
“Aunt Genie, calm down,” Deborah scolded. “There’s nothing you can do about it now. Anyway, tea is tea. I’m sure your friends won’t even notice the difference.”
Eugenia tipped her nose into the air. “Perhaps not,” she huffed. “But
I
will notice.”
“What is loose tea, anyway?” Stevie asked Deborah.
Deborah rolled her eyes. “It’s just a different way of making it,” she explained. “Instead of putting a tea bag in the pot, you put in loose tea leaves.”
“Ugh,” Stevie said. “You drink your tea with little things floating in it?”
Deborah laughed. “Well, no. You pour it through a strainer first.” She held up a little silver object with holes in the bottom. “It all becomes part of the ceremony of serving the tea.”
“Oh, is that all loose tea is?” Stevie said. “Why didn’t you say so?” She ripped open the nearest box, pulled out a few tea bags, and looked around for a pair of scissors. Then she cut open the bags and poured the tea leaves out into a bowl. “Voilà! Loose tea!”
Eugenia frowned, but she didn’t say anything. Stevie took that to mean she was satisfied with her solution. She was still cutting open tea bags when Carole and Lisa entered.
“Here we are,” Lisa announced. “What do you want us to do?”
“Well, first of all, take off those filthy boots,” Eugenia said,pointing to Carole’s feet. Carole had wiped them on the mat before coming inside, but a few pieces of straw still clung to the sides.
“Aunt Genie, I think we can handle things from here,” Deborah said tactfully, taking a pile of plates from the old woman and setting them on the counter. “Why don’t you run down and see how Max and Red are getting along? Red must have finished mowing the lawn by now. They’ll want you to advise them on where to place the table.”
Stevie tried to hide a grin as she snipped the end off another bag. She had the funniest feeling that the last thing Max and Red wanted was to have Eugenia directing them.
“What do you mean,
we
?” Eugenia said. “You shouldn’t be helping these girls at all, Deborah. They are getting paid for this, you know.”
“I know,” Deborah said. “But I don’t mind. Besides, they need me here to show them where everything is in the kitchen.”
“Hmmph,” Eugenia replied. But she allowed Deborah to guide her to the door.
When she was gone, Carole let out a sigh of relief. She grabbed a paper towel and carefully wiped off her boots. “All right, tell me what to do,” she said.
Under Deborah’s direction, The Saddle Club put together cucumber and butter sandwiches, arranged the scones and other pastries on trays, and set several kettles of water on the stove, ready for boiling.
“Don’t forget, once this is done we still have to get Honeybee ready for her grand entrance,” Carole reminded her friends.
Lisa nodded. “We’ll do it after we carry everything down and arrange the table,” she said. She turned to Deborah. “You don’t think she’ll want to show her to her friends right away, do you?”
“No way,” Deborah replied with a smile. “If I know Aunt Genie, she’ll want a dramatic entrance. I’m sure she’ll wait until they’re all settled and a few cups of tea have been had.”
“Good,” Stevie said. She picked up a plate full of sandwiches in one hand and a pile of napkins in the other. “I guess I’m ready to make the first trip down there.”
Deborah picked up a folded tablecloth and tucked it under Stevie’s arm. “There. Now you’re ready.”
While Carole and Deborah finished the last of the preparations in the kitchen, Stevie and Lisa started carrying things to the shady spot behind the stable, where Max and Red had set up a folding table and chairs. As soon as the girls appeared Red made his escape, saying something about a
loose
tea!
Loose
tea! Do you know what that is?”
“Uh, I guess not,” Stevie said.
“Aunt Genie, calm down,” Deborah scolded. “There’s nothing you can do about it now. Anyway, tea is tea. I’m sure your friends won’t even notice the difference.”
Eugenia tipped her nose into the air. “Perhaps not,” she huffed. “But
I
will notice.”
“What is loose tea, anyway?” Stevie asked Deborah.
Deborah rolled her eyes. “It’s just a different way of making it,” she explained. “Instead of putting a tea bag in the pot, you put in loose tea leaves.”
“Ugh,” Stevie said. “You drink your tea with little things floating in it?”
Deborah laughed. “Well, no. You pour it through a strainer first.” She held up a little silver object with holes in the bottom. “It all becomes part of the ceremony of serving the tea.”
“Oh, is that all loose tea is?” Stevie said. “Why didn’t you say so?” She ripped open the nearest box, pulled out a few tea bags, and looked around for a pair of scissors. Then she cut open the bags and poured the tea leaves out into a bowl. “Voilà! Loose tea!”
Eugenia frowned, but she didn’t say anything. Stevie took that to mean she was satisfied with her solution. She was still cutting open tea bags when Carole and Lisa entered.
“Here we are,” Lisa announced. “What do you want us to do?”
“Well, first of all, take off those filthy boots,” Eugenia said,pointing to Carole’s feet. Carole had wiped them on the mat before coming inside, but a few pieces of straw still clung to the sides.
“Aunt Genie, I think we can handle things from here,” Deborah said tactfully, taking a pile of plates from the old woman and setting them on the counter. “Why don’t you run down and see how Max and Red are getting along? Red must have finished mowing the lawn by now. They’ll want you to advise them on where to place the table.”
Stevie tried to hide a grin as she snipped the end off another bag. She had the funniest feeling that the last thing Max and Red wanted was to have Eugenia directing them.
“What do you mean,
we
?” Eugenia said. “You shouldn’t be helping these girls at all, Deborah. They are getting paid for this, you know.”
“I know,” Deborah said. “But I don’t mind. Besides, they need me here to show them where everything is in the kitchen.”
“Hmmph,” Eugenia replied. But she allowed Deborah to guide her to the door.
When she was gone, Carole let out a sigh of relief. She grabbed a paper towel and carefully wiped off her boots. “All right, tell me what to do,” she said.
Under Deborah’s direction, The Saddle Club put together cucumber and butter sandwiches, arranged the scones and other pastries on trays, and set several kettles of water on the stove, ready for boiling.
“Don’t forget, once this is done we still have to get Honeybee ready for her grand entrance,” Carole reminded her friends.
Lisa nodded. “We’ll do it after we carry everything down and arrange the table,” she said. She turned to Deborah. “You don’t think she’ll want to show her to her friends right away, do you?”
“No way,” Deborah replied with a smile. “If I know Aunt Genie, she’ll want a dramatic entrance. I’m sure she’ll wait until they’re all settled and a few cups of tea have been had.”
“Good,” Stevie said. She picked up a plate full of sandwiches in one hand and a pile of napkins in the other. “I guess I’m ready to make the first trip down there.”
Deborah picked up a folded tablecloth and tucked it under Stevie’s arm. “There. Now you’re ready.”
While Carole and Deborah finished the last of the preparations in the kitchen, Stevie and Lisa started carrying things to the shady spot behind the stable, where Max and Red had set up a folding table and chairs. As soon as the girls appeared Red made his escape, saying something about a
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