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“There’s a good chance Baldwin could win that seat in the legislature, considering he was one of Claxton’s right-hand men,” Glass said.
“Knowing what I do about Claxton’s dirty tricks, that doesn’t come as a glowing endorsement,” Theodosia said. She was suddenly wondering about Buck Baldwin. Could he have had a hand in Claxton’s murder? It wouldn’t be the first time a nefarious politician had bulldozed a path for himself.
Glass pointed a finger at her. “You know what? You’re starting to come across as a very negative person, always looking for the flyspecks in the pepper.”
“Flyspecks?” Drayton said, turning toward him. “Not in this tea shop.”
***
By eleven o’clock, only two tables of customers remained sipping their tea, while the makeup, manicure, and wig ladies had already arrived to set up their stations. Ten minutes later, Miss Dimple sprinted in, a big smile on her face as she boomed out her morning greeting. Then she stopped dead in her tracks.
“Mercy. It looks like a beauty parlor in here,” Miss Dimple said. “Or one of those fancy spas where they wrap your toes in seaweed.”
“Welcome to our Glam Girl Tea,” Drayton said from behind the front counter.
“Glam and glitz,” Miss Dimple said. “I’m amazed at all the great stuff you’ve got going on here.”
Theodosia came over and helped Miss Dimple out of her coat, hung it on the coatrack, and led her to a table that held a display of fancy makeup along with a lighted mirror. “This is Donna, makeup artist extraordinaire, who’s going to be doing makeovers for our tea guests today. She’s a complete whiz when it comes to eyebrows and contouring cheekbones.”
“My bones could use a little contouring,” Miss Dimple laughed. “What’s left of them anyway.”
“And over here, Sammy will be showing our guests the latest in nail lacquers and nail art.”
“Wow,” Miss Dimple said.
“And at this station we have Camilla, who’s brought in a whole bunch of fun wigs to try on.”
Camilla, who was sporting a spiky blond wig, pulled it off, then popped on a dark brown bob. “Change your look, change your outlook,” she enthused.
“When you said Glam Girl Tea, you really meant glam,” Miss Dimple said. She nodded, looked around again, and said, “So how do you want the tables?”
“Pink tablecloths and pink dishes,” Theodosia said. “Either the Rose Chintz Pink by Johnson Brothers or the Apple Blossom by Haviland.”
“Sounds right to me,” Miss Dimple said. “But my vote would be for the Haviland.”
“You have my blessing. And when you’re done setting tables, there’s a bucket of pink tea roses in my office that needs to be arranged in crystal vases.”
“Got it.”
“And we’ll have swag bags filled with makeup and perfume samples for all our guests.”
From across the room, Drayton cleared his throat. “Though I don’t see the swag actually bagged yet.”
“I’m jumping on that right now,” Theodosia said. “Oh, and Miss Dimple, Haley told me she didn’t need any help in the kitchen. But maybe you could sort of pop in now and then to lend a hand?”
“Will do,” Miss Dimple said.
Theodosia rushed into her office, set up a dozen pink bags on her desk, and placed another two dozen on the floor. Then she started filling them with goodies, assembly-line style. It was great to see how many samples they’d been gifted by both local retailers and wholesalers. There were little packets of moisturizer, mini lip glosses and mascaras, tiny vials of perfume, and even eyebrow pencils, false eye lashes, and cleansing tissues. All she’d had to do was make a few phone calls and ask, all pretty-please-like. And her donors had been happy to help out because they knew it was smart product placement.
Once Theodosia had finished, she made a half dozen trips carrying the swag bags out into the tea room and putting one at each place setting. While she did that, Miss Dimple arranged the pink tea roses and set the bouquets on the table.
When everything seemed ready, barely ten minutes before their guests were scheduled to arrive, Theodosia stepped back and took a careful look at the tea room.
It looked fabulous. Warm, inviting, sparkling like a little jewel box. And Miss Dimple was right! The place did look like an upscale spa. Theodosia beamed at the idea. With Haley’s food, Drayton’s special tea blend, and the three makeover stations, this should—knock on wood—turn out to be a fabulous tea luncheon.
Miss Dimple strolled over to Theodosia carrying the last of the tea rose arrangements.
“Tables look okay?” she asked.
