Greetings! Thoughts of my late sister Marcella are with me today on her birthday. She passed from the earth eighteen years ago, and I miss her terribly. Purple was her favorite color and, after completing this snippet, I was surprised and pleased to realize that I intuitively featured a purple flower. I hope our weekly excerpts provide some moments of relaxation for you.
Tuesday Tales authors write weekly excerpts based on word or picture prompts. The word prompt this week is hair. Again, this snippet is from my current Highlander Time Travel romance. When you finish reading it, make sure to visit all the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
Elaine returned to the table carrying an oval tray laden with a tea service and saucers of goodies. She placed it on the tartan cloth and then sat across from Lana with a smile. A wisp of hair floated from the upswept section of her coiffure. With a graceful motion she furled it behind an ear and reached for the tea strainer. “This is an afternoon blend from the tea shop at the end of the Square. You may have noticed it during the ceremonial catwalk?”
Lana’s eyes lit up. “With the white curlicue chairs. Yes, I did! I told my cousin I’d like to visit it. What a lovely service you have.” Lana pointed to the round bellied pot. “Would that purple flower be Scottish thistle?”
“Yes, and this, in fact, is thistle tea nestled into black leaves, with lemon balm with a touch of honey. It’s light, earthy but not terribly hearty. However, you may like a dribble of cream and perhaps a thimbleful of sweetener. Would you give it a taste and see what you might prefer?”
Lana complied by taking a sip. “Oh, it’s delicious. It has some sweetness to it already. A spot of cream, please, and—oh, you have honey—I’d like just a drop!”
Elaine expertly added the cream but passed the small honey jar along to Lana. “I’ll let you sweeten it up.” She chuckled. “I tend to get a bit lavish with it. Help yourself to biscuits. I have shortbread and the chocolate ones are bourbon creams. Make sure to try at least one of each.”
Lana reached for a chocolate cookie and bit into a cream filling sandwiched between buttery wafers. Her eyes closed as she chewed and swallowed. “Mmm, I need some of these to take back home to Gran. Thanks so much, Elaine. You sure know how to spoil a stranger who shows up on your doorstep.”
Elaine shook her head. “Once strangers share tea, they are strangers no more.”
Lana ran a finger over the tartan. “This is a lovely cloth. Rich and lustrous.”
“The Gunn tartan. Blues and greens primarily.”
“And the occasional thin red line crisscrossing across.”
“Symbolizing the Gunn clan and all their allies.” Elaine’s voice lowered. “The red thread running across is the bloodline.”
I hope you enjoyed the snippet based on the word prompt, hair. Thanks for stopping by. Check out the other authors at Tuesday Tales.
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Spirited Stories
All rights reserved, copyright @ 2022 Flossie Benton Rogers
Great scene. Love tartans. I bought a blanket woven in the Columbia Icefield tartan, registered in Scotland. It’s turquoise, light gray, and ivory.
That has to be a beautiful tartan, Susanne!
There’s so much to love about this snippet. I would so enjoy being at that tea! It sounds wonderful!
I really liked this line: “Once strangers share tea, they are strangers no more.” Also, the red thread in the tartan representing the bloodline. So well done, Flossie.
I know your sister is smiling down on you and appreciating the appearance of that purple flower. 🙂💕
Hope we can share a cuppa sometime!
I love this! The tartan is evocative, I can picture it and the tea service. I’m a tea drinker, too, and I love the idea that once you have tea with a stranger, they are no longer a stranger. What a lovely concept. This is a great snippet.
Thank you!
Great excerpt with so much detail about the tartan!
Glad you liked the tartan details.
Good gracious- now I’m hungry!! LOL! Sounds like a yummy spread. And I wore my scarf with thistles yesterday. I love them. Jillian
I bet that scarf is beautiful!
Sending you hugs as you remember your sister and celebrate her life. In August it will be 27 years since I lost my brother. I still miss him so much.
As much as I know he’s still with me in spirit…sometimes I just want to yell out – But dammit, I want him here in PERSON, sitting across the table from me drinking his cup of coffee.
Great snippet this week! I adore your writing. (And speaking of tartans….GO CLAN LOGAN!)
Thank you so much, Trisha. I know– I’d love to have my lost loved ones here in person.
Those treats sounds yummy. And I love the description you gave of the tea. Great job!
Glad your taste buds were activated!