always an introduction to be made.
“Jeremy, I’d like you to meet my friend, Periwinkle Lattimore,” Maura Beth began, just as they had grown slightly uncomfortable from the warmth of the fireplace and claimed a couple of chairs farther away. “She runs the most successful restaurant in town, and if you haven’t already, you must try her tomato aspic next time you go to the buffet table. They’re those round red things that jiggle when you put them on your plate. But believe me, they’re beyond delicious.”
After a firm handshake, Periwinkle said, “Your Aunt Connie was thoughtful enough to throw this shindig on a Sunday. That’s my only day off from The Twinkle.” Then she leaned in to Maura Beth. “Oh, by the way, I’ve come up with the catchiest new slogan for my advertising, and I’m having it printed on the next batch of flyers, along with announcing Mr. Place as my pastry chef. How does, ‘Eat at The Twinkle—The Restaurant of the Stars,’ sound to you?”
“Love it. Ties everything up neatly!” Maura Beth exclaimed. “Your decorations, the star quality of your food. It’s a winner!”
“Next time I’m down, I’ll have to give your restaurant a try,” Jeremy added. “Maybe the weekend of the Mockingbird review.”
Maura Beth’s delight was unrestrained. “You’d come all the way from Nashville for that? Of course, I’m sure you’d be a wonderful addition to the discussion with your teaching skills and knowledge of literature.”
“Wouldn’t miss it, especially now that I’ve met the moderator.”
Periwinkle gave him a thumbs-up and Maura Beth a wink on the sly. “Well, if you kids will excuse me, I’m starving. So I’m headed over to that seafood spread to see what kind of damage I can do.”
No sooner had she left, however, than Connie began ushering over some of her neighbors for an introductory chat. Predictably, Maura Beth put the opportunities to good use.
“You and your husband must come and visit me at the library sometime, Mrs. Milner,” she advised one couple, mustering every ounce of her charm. “I’m sure we can find you something of interest to put on your card. You do have one, don’t you?”
The stylish matron hemmed and hawed. “You know, I—well, I believe I let mine expire. I’ll have to check.”
Maura Beth continued to press. “No problem, if it did. We’ll get you a new one, and you’ll show it next time you go to The Twinkle—oh, you do enjoy The Twinkle, don’t you?”
“Why, yes, I think it’s marvelous. I especially like all those stars spinning around and dangling from the ceiling. And the food is delicious.”
“Those mobiles are creative, aren’t they? You know, the owner, Periwinkle Lattimore, is here tonight,” Maura Beth continued. “Anyway, next time you go there, you can present your library card and get two-for-one drinks or half off your dessert. And with the new pastry chef Periwinkle just hired, you’ll have at least a dozen new scrumptious selections to choose from.”
Mrs. Milner’s eyes widened as she turned to her husband and smiled. “What a clever idea, George. We must take advantage of it!”
When the next couple confessed that they had seen To Kill a Mockingbird at the theater many years ago but had never bothered to read the book, Maura Beth was prepared. “Mr. Brimley, I don’t know if I’d say that the movie was just as good as Harper Lee’s novel, but it did take top honors in Hollywood. And I have several posters of Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch to remind myself of that illustrious fact. Meanwhile, I’d love to have you and your wife attend our review at the library, have something delicious to eat, and give us your opinions on the subject in general. Connie’s left a stack of flyers over by the buffet table with all the information.”
During the lull that followed, Jeremy excused himself when he spotted his mother energetically motioning to join her across the way. Meanwhile, Miss Voncille and Locke Linwood showed up, spilling the good news about the Crumpton sisters and the bumbling bridge game that had won them over.
“As Locke has been reminding me constantly,” Miss Voncille explained, “I was completely, but I trust not transparently, incompetent in my play. I’ve never had such a good time losing.”
“Excellent work,” Maura Beth said, shaking her hand vigorously. “As I keep telling my clerks, nothing less than standing room only will do for The Cherry Cola Book Club this time around.”
“Locke and I are getting an awfully good feeling about this,” Miss Voncille