Shadows of the Redwood by Gillian Summers Page A

which had bits of purple satin poking through each cut. He extended a pink carnation. “A bloom that withers when compared to thy beauty.”
    Grandmother blushed. Keelie stared from one oldster to the other. What had gotten into her grandmother? Were people allowed to flirt when they were ancient? She wondered what the old dude would do it if she revealed that his “bloom” was hundreds of years old?
    Grandmother stood. “Keelie, I believe Lord Mortimer and I will take a stroll. Mind the shop.”
    The two drifted down the path, drawing admiring glances from the mundanes. Keelie sat there, thunderstruck. She’d just been ditched by her grandmother, she was starving, and she had no backup.
    Scott came out of his shop and leaned against the doorway. Keelie gestured frantically. He trotted over. “Something wrong?”
    “Yes. My grandmother’s gone bats. She just took off with some guy called Lord Mortimer.” She pointed down the road. “She’s abandoned me here with no lunch, no backup, and who knows when she’ll be back?” Keelie aimed a kick at the post, but stopped before she hurt her toe and made her day even worse than it was. “I’m starving, too.”
    “I’ll get us something.” Scott looked really good in the afternoon sun. “The meat pies are tasty. Want me to get you one?”
    She smiled at him. “And lemonade?”
    “You got it.” Scott raced off, abandoning his shop.
    Keelie stretched and grinned at the passersby. Life was suddenly looking good. She would never have guessed that Scott would turn out to be hot and nice. Maybe she had a little elven charm and didn’t know it. On the other hand, it could just be the power of womanhood.
    “Do you have a human stashed at every festival?” came Risa’s sarcastic voice from behind her. Keelie swore to herself. She’d totally forgotten the elf girl.
    “Gosh, Risa. Some folks got it, and others have to flaunt it to get attention.” The power of womanhood was still roaring through her when Sean walked by, Peascod trailing behind him. Keelie decided to try it out on him and sauntered out, swinging her hips. “Hello, Lord Sean. How goes your day?”
    Sean stared at her. She ran a hand over her shirt front. She noticed that Risa was watching from behind her cart, which gave her a taste of déjà vu. It was like her daydream, Keelie thought. Risa watching as she flirted with Sean. She shivered.
    “Keelie, they only had diet lemonade, so I got you an iced tea.” Scott’s arms were laden with bundles from the food court. His eyes grew tight as he saw Sean close to Keelie.
    Peascod, who had also stopped walking, pointed toward Scott. “See?” he said to Sean. “I told you he’s always around her.”
    Keelie’s face burned. Sean looked Scott up and down. “Gone for the groceries, lackey?”
    Scott dropped the wrapped packages as his fists came up and he assumed a martial arts stance. Knot dashed in, grabbed a mouthful of greasy paper, and started to haul a meat pie backwards to safety.
    “You two stop it,” Keelie said. “Scott, you dropped your stuff.”
    “That is not ‘stuff,’ Keelie,” he said, eyes on his rival. “That is the lunch that we were going to eat together.”
    “Oh, together.” Sean looked him up and down. “Like a lady and her dog.”
    They were acting like toddlers, but Keelie didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t make them madder. Peascod was grinning broadly from the sidelines.
    “Mind your shops, m’lords and m’ladies.” Master Oswald’s booming voice filled the clearing. He strode and stood, fists on his hips. He glared at Peascod. “You, jester. The fairies need you at the Globe.” Peascod slunk away without answering.
    Master Oswald glared at Scott. “I expected better from you, sirrah.” His head swiveled to include Keelie. He shook his head, as if he’d heard she was a troublemaker and expected no better. “Lady Keliel, a word with you in private, please.”
    Risa grinned and followed, clearly