of sweet-talking,” I said. “What’s up?”
“Ah, yes. I forgot that you’re quite the detective yourself, Inch-High. I can’t make it to dinner tonight. We’re shorthanded at the station, so I volunteered to go to the fairgrounds with Officer Moore to oversee some of the festival preparations. He and I need to make sure that everything is up to code, see that no fights break out, that sort of thing.”
“Since I have a class, there’s one fight you won’t have to worry about.” I explained to Ted that Julie had overheard Nellie and Clara planning to set up their booths this evening, while I was waiting until tomorrow morning to do mine.
“Oh, joy. If I see the sisters of light, I’ll be sure and pass along your tender regards.”
I giggled. “Do that, won’t you?”
“If it doesn’t go too late, mayhap I will come to yon window and offer up a sonnet, fair maiden,” he said.
“I’d rather thee come on inside and smother me with thy passionate kisses.”
“Prithee . . . is that a word?
Prithee?
” he asked.
“Yes, I believe it is. I think it means
pray thee
. But thou veered off course, my love. What intendeth thou to say?”
“Only that thy boldness has stirred me and that I shall be there anon,” he said. “Or, well, after work.”
“I’ll look forward to it. . . . Sorry, I can’t think of any Old English to come back with. Oh, I’ve got it—huzzah!”
He laughed. “Right back at you, babe.”
After talking with Ted, I went ahead and called Mom. The film set she was on was a western, and she answered the phone with “Howdy.”
“Howdy?”
I asked. “That sounds as strange coming from you as
prithee
did from Ted.”
“Is he getting into the Ren Faire spirit, then?”
“Not really,” I said. “He just called to tell me he’s going to the fairgrounds this evening to oversee some of the setup to make sure it all goes smoothly.”
“Will you be joining him there?” she asked.
“No. I have a class.”
“You could go afterward,” she said. “I know you said you wouldn’t be setting up until in the morning, but swinging by to see Ted will give you a chance to get a real feel for the festival.”
“Actually, Julie came by the Stitch earlier and told me that some of the merchants had been granted permission to go ahead and set up their booths this evening.”
“Then why don’t you go?”
I explained about Nellie and Clara going tonight and that I didn’t want to be there at the same time.
“That’s even better, then,” said Mom. “You cansee Clara’s booth tonight and then make doubly sure that your own booth is nothing like hers and that it’s better in every way.”
“That’s not a bad idea. And it reminds me of something weird I learned yesterday.” I described Clara’s shop to Mom. “What is
up
with that, Mom? Why would she copy the design of my shop?”
“Well, darling, you
do
have a charming boutique . . . and I imagine that heifer has never had an original thought in her entire life.” She huffed. “Imitation runs rampant in my business, so I know how frustrating it can be. But know this: everyone realizes the original is the best.
Always
. These days almost every designer has a wrap dress in his or her collection, but who did it first?”
“Diane von Furstenberg,” I answered.
“Exactly,” she said. “Now, be sure and go to the fairgrounds tonight and get a look at that old biddy’s booth. Then go in tomorrow and blow everyone’s socks off with yours! And be sure and send me a photo.”
Chapter Seven
A fter my class was over, I took Mom’s advice, and Angus and I headed to the Tallulah Falls fairgrounds. It wasn’t that far out of town, and it would be fun to surprise Ted. Besides, I could hardly wait to get a look at the medieval village being set up.
The first thing I saw when I pulled into the fairgrounds was a large castle. I knew it was merely a facade, but it appeared so realistic that I could’ve almost been
“Ah, yes. I forgot that you’re quite the detective yourself, Inch-High. I can’t make it to dinner tonight. We’re shorthanded at the station, so I volunteered to go to the fairgrounds with Officer Moore to oversee some of the festival preparations. He and I need to make sure that everything is up to code, see that no fights break out, that sort of thing.”
“Since I have a class, there’s one fight you won’t have to worry about.” I explained to Ted that Julie had overheard Nellie and Clara planning to set up their booths this evening, while I was waiting until tomorrow morning to do mine.
“Oh, joy. If I see the sisters of light, I’ll be sure and pass along your tender regards.”
I giggled. “Do that, won’t you?”
“If it doesn’t go too late, mayhap I will come to yon window and offer up a sonnet, fair maiden,” he said.
“I’d rather thee come on inside and smother me with thy passionate kisses.”
“Prithee . . . is that a word?
Prithee?
” he asked.
“Yes, I believe it is. I think it means
pray thee
. But thou veered off course, my love. What intendeth thou to say?”
“Only that thy boldness has stirred me and that I shall be there anon,” he said. “Or, well, after work.”
“I’ll look forward to it. . . . Sorry, I can’t think of any Old English to come back with. Oh, I’ve got it—huzzah!”
He laughed. “Right back at you, babe.”
After talking with Ted, I went ahead and called Mom. The film set she was on was a western, and she answered the phone with “Howdy.”
“Howdy?”
I asked. “That sounds as strange coming from you as
prithee
did from Ted.”
“Is he getting into the Ren Faire spirit, then?”
“Not really,” I said. “He just called to tell me he’s going to the fairgrounds this evening to oversee some of the setup to make sure it all goes smoothly.”
“Will you be joining him there?” she asked.
“No. I have a class.”
“You could go afterward,” she said. “I know you said you wouldn’t be setting up until in the morning, but swinging by to see Ted will give you a chance to get a real feel for the festival.”
“Actually, Julie came by the Stitch earlier and told me that some of the merchants had been granted permission to go ahead and set up their booths this evening.”
“Then why don’t you go?”
I explained about Nellie and Clara going tonight and that I didn’t want to be there at the same time.
“That’s even better, then,” said Mom. “You cansee Clara’s booth tonight and then make doubly sure that your own booth is nothing like hers and that it’s better in every way.”
“That’s not a bad idea. And it reminds me of something weird I learned yesterday.” I described Clara’s shop to Mom. “What is
up
with that, Mom? Why would she copy the design of my shop?”
“Well, darling, you
do
have a charming boutique . . . and I imagine that heifer has never had an original thought in her entire life.” She huffed. “Imitation runs rampant in my business, so I know how frustrating it can be. But know this: everyone realizes the original is the best.
Always
. These days almost every designer has a wrap dress in his or her collection, but who did it first?”
“Diane von Furstenberg,” I answered.
“Exactly,” she said. “Now, be sure and go to the fairgrounds tonight and get a look at that old biddy’s booth. Then go in tomorrow and blow everyone’s socks off with yours! And be sure and send me a photo.”
Chapter Seven
A fter my class was over, I took Mom’s advice, and Angus and I headed to the Tallulah Falls fairgrounds. It wasn’t that far out of town, and it would be fun to surprise Ted. Besides, I could hardly wait to get a look at the medieval village being set up.
The first thing I saw when I pulled into the fairgrounds was a large castle. I knew it was merely a facade, but it appeared so realistic that I could’ve almost been
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