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He creased his brow. “What do you mean?”
“I thought you were looking at shelter dogs. Haven’t you done your research? Labs—well, any dog really—do that thing where they sit and watch you eat, sometimes every bite, in the hope you’ll cave and give them some.”
“Well, that’s one way of going on a diet I suppose.”
“You still thinking about it?”
He wasn’t quite sure what to say. “I’m weighing up my options. Dog, cat. And whether I would be able to give it a good home.” He took a steady breath. “But you’re absolutely right; I have to do more research. If I’m going in”—he made a signal with his hands as if he were diving—“then I’m going all-in.”
“My friend adopted a shelter cat. It had been neglected and was quite scared and needy to begin with. It took a lot of work before Albert actually started to trust her.”
“Albert? She called her cat Albert?”
“No, he came with the name, and she didn’t change it. They encourage you not to do that. But anyhow. We all laugh at her now and tell her she’s lucky she’s allowed to stay in Albert’s house, because it’s clear who rules the roost. I sat on his chair one day by mistake and he gave me such a look of disgust I instantly jumped back up.”
She finished her cake and Dawson’s coffee. “Ready to solve this clue?” She slid her arms into her bright red coat and waved for the check which she insisted on settling.
“Do you have a coat of every color?” he asked as they walked back outside.
She looked thoughtful for a moment. “I might have. It’s like that song from the musical. I should really be in it.”
“Looks good.”
She seemed much more relaxed than she had been when they’d first met earlier. She’d been annoyed about the intrusion into their lives, and Dawson truly hadn’t considered it.
They walked slowly toward Beechwood Park, a small park in the center of the whole area. It had benches, a wide green flat area, and a children’s playground. But right in the center, there was a fountain. It was popular in the warm summers. All the local children would play and splash in the fountain, ignoring the signs that told them not to do this.
“Isn’t it funny,” mused Piper, “that Buckingham Fountain isn’t anything to do with the British royal family. It’s named after someone completely different.”
“The Crown Fountain doesn’t look anything like a crown,” countered Dawson.
“And Victoria Fountain isn’t named after the British Queen either.” Piper pushed her hands deep in her pockets. “It’s named in memory of the Darcys’ daughter who died.”
“I’d forgotten that story,” said Dawson. “What did their little girl die of?”
“I think they now suspect it was measles. But it was the 1800s and the records weren’t very clear.”
“You must like it,” he said. “It’s a few years since I’ve been here. But the fountain is shaped like sunflowers, isn’t it?”
Piper nodded. “They were apparently Victoria’s favorite flower. The water spouts from the three large sunflowers at the top.” Piper looked around. “I used to play here in the summer with my sister. We loved it. But this whole place looks entirely different in the winter. Like some kind of ice world.”
Dawson scanned across the park. Snow was as far as the eye could see, all over the grass and weighing down the branches of the trees. It coated the slide and swings in the play park and all the surrounding park benches. As they approached the Victoria Fountain, their steps slowed.
“Look.” Piper pointed in quiet wonder. “It looks frozen.”
“Is that my cue for song? I promise you; you really don’t want that.”
She smiled as they walked up to the fountain. Sure enough, the water across the bottom of the fountain was frozen. Coins glittered underneath. The water from the sunflowers had partly frozen too, with only a tiny trickle still winding its way down and leaving a thin coating of water above the ice.
“What do we do now?” asked Dawson.
He walked one way around the circular fountain, while Piper walked the other, looking for any plaque or message they might be meant to find. They met at the other side, and she gave him a wide smile. “Maybe we just make up the next part.”
Dawson could make up a whole new part—one that would involve leaning forward, pulling Piper toward him, and kissing her. But he wasn’t entirely sure how she would feel about it.
Instead, he dug deep into his pocket and brought out some silver coins. “So, I’ve also thought the tradition was to toss a coin into the fountain and make a wish. How about you?”
Piper leaned forward. “Do you think that’s what the rest of the clue means about—following the local tradition?”
