Ink and Shadows(Secret, Book, & Scone Society #4)(4)

Nora gaped. “Comfort muffins? I wonder if Hester knows about this.”

“Knows about what?”

Hester Winthrop, owner of the Gingerbread House Bakery and a member of Nora’s book club, the Secret, Book, and Scone Society, came around the corner of the Fiction section carrying a large bakery box. Inside were puff pastries shaped like open books. The scent of buttery dough wafted through the air, mingling with the aroma of fresh coffee. Nora couldn’t imagine a more heavenly smell.

Sheldon took the box from Hester and carried it into the ticket agent’s office. “We were just reading about our new neighbor.”

Hester’s face lit up. “I saw movers at the purple awning. What kind of store is it?”

Nora pointed at the paper. “Read the article on the bottom of the front page.”

“I don’t have time. I—”

“You need to read it.”

Hester’s apple print apron was dusted with flour and cinnamon, so she grabbed the paper and read the article where she stood. When she reached the final sentence, her eyes widened in shock.

“Comfort muffins?” Her voice was shrill. “What the hell?”

Sheldon slung an arm around Hester’s shoulder. “Celeste probably doesn’t know about your comfort scones. She hasn’t even moved in, and we’re already getting mad at her.” He looked at Nora. “Why don’t we invite her over for coffee and a chat? We’ll tell her about Hester’s scones and suggest an alternative name for her baked goods. Mellow muffins?”

Hester smiled. “That’s pretty good. But are CBD muffins even legal?”

“Yep,” Sheldon replied. “I use CBD oil all the time. Lots of people do. I wouldn’t worry about a few muffins, sweet girl. Your food is enchanted. You have lines out the door every day.”

“You’re right. Besides, this town needs more female business owners. I should do what I can to support Celeste. Let me know when you ask her for coffee, Nora. I’d like to be there.”

As Nora hurried to finish her opening tasks before the clock struck ten, all thoughts of Celeste Leopold were pushed aside. After the shop was ready and Nora had greeted her first customer of the day, she began gathering titles for the new window display.

A woman picked up the copy of Alchemy and Meggy Swann from the top of Nora’s pile and examined the back cover.

“I love historical fiction,” she said to Nora. “Do you think my granddaughter would like it? She’s in the sixth grade.”

“She’s the perfect age for Karen Cushman. Does she like historical novels?”

The woman looked aggrieved. “Not really. She’s what you’d call a reluctant reader.”

“Hm. Maybe she just hasn’t met the right book. What are her interests?”

“Well, the last time I saw her, she told me about a paper she’d written on gender equality. Her teacher was very impressed. And she marched in a parade last year.”

Nora smiled and touched the cover of the book in the woman’s hand. “Meggy, the main character, travels to London to work for her alchemist father. However, she is turned down because she’s not male. This is a story of a young woman fighting for her future. I have a feeling your granddaughter will cheer on Meggy Swann.”

Though the woman thanked Nora, she didn’t look happy. “It’s hard to connect with my grandkids. I don’t get their technology. I don’t know what they’re talking about most of the time. Are there books that can explain these things to me?”

“Probably, but I don’t think you need them. Why don’t you and your granddaughter read this book at the same time? Maybe you could meet somewhere special to talk about it? That would be a pretty cool way to connect.”

The woman loved the idea. “I’m going to write a note on the title page. And buy us matching bookmarks too. I thought I saw some . . .”

Nora pointed her toward the bookmark spinner and returned to her stack. Now that she’d sold her only copies of Alchemy and Meggy Swann, she’d have to find a middle-grade replacement for the window. Luckily, she had another Cushman novel, The Midwife’s Apprentice, on the shelf. While she was in the children’s section, she also grabbed Ella Enchanted, Malala’s Magic Pencil, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Matilda, and Neil Gaiman’s Coraline.

After bagging the grandmother’s purchases and telling her to come back soon, Nora perused the stack of YA titles Sheldon had selected for the window display.

“Every book has a feisty female on the cover,” he said as Nora looked at copies of Throne of Glass, Labyrinth Lost, Children of Blood and Bone, and Uprooted.

Nora nodded in approval. “These books paint a picture of strong, determined, powerful women of all ages. Magical women. We can add Wicked to the pile, but not A Discovery of Witches or Practical Magic. There are no women on those covers. Let’s find a few more adult titles.”

In between helping customers, Nora pulled copies of The Mists of Avalon and Paulo Coelho’s The Witch of Portobello, and Sheldon added Alice Hoffman’s The Dovekeepers and Isabel Allende’s The House of Spirits to the pile.

Later, while Nora was reviewing their final selections, a young woman with pale skin, purple-tipped black hair, black clothing, and a sullen expression approached the counter.

“This is from my mom,” she said, dumping a paper bag on top of The House of Spirits. “For checking on her this morning.”