Robert ordered cream tea for himself and Bittersweet. It would come with real scones, clotted cream thick as butter, and fresh strawberry jam. They were famous for their cream teas at the Fael.
I almost ordered one, but scones don't go well with green tea. It just wasn't the same, and I suddenly didn't want anything else sweet. Protein sounded good. Was I starting to get cravings? I leaned to the table and laid the half-eaten cake on a napkin. The icing was totally unappealing now.
Robert said, "Go back to the officers, Alice. They need at least coffee."
Wright said, "We're on duty."
"So are we," Doyle said in that deep, thicker-than-molasses voice. "Are you implying that we hold our duty less dear than you hold yours, Officer Wright?"
They ordered coffee. O'Brian went first and ordered black, but Wright ordered frozen coffee with cream and chocolate - a coffee shake even sweeter than the Fear Dearg had ordered. O'Brian did that quick look at Wright, and the look was enough. If she'd known he was going to order something so girlie, she'd have ordered something besides black coffee. I watched the thought go over her face; could she change her order?
"Officer O'Brian, would you like to change your order?" I asked. I wiped my fingers on another napkin. I suddenly didn't even want the sticky residue of the icing.
She said, "I ... no, thank you, Princess Meredith."
Wright made a sound in his throat. She looked at him, confused. "You don't say that to the fey."
"Say what?" she asked.
"Thank you," I said. "Some of the older fey take thanks as a grave insult."
She blushed through her tan. "I'm sorry," she said, then she stopped in confusion and looked at Wright.
"It's okay," I said. "I'm not old enough to see 'thank you' as an insult, but it is a good general rule when dealing with us."
"I am old enough," Robert said, "but I've been running this place too long to be insulted about much of anything." He smiled, and it was a good smile, all white, perfect teeth and handsome face. I wondered how much all the work had cost. My grandmother had been half brownie, so I knew just how much he'd had changed.
Alice went to get our orders. The door shut behind her, and then there was a very firm, loud knock. It made Bittersweet jump and touch Robert's shirt with her icing-covered hands. Now that was the police. Lucy came through the door without waiting for an invitation.