Page 49

Forty-Eight

The next morning, Lira had already finished shopping in the marketplace when she met Sass at the stone monument centering the town square.

“Tin’s in!” Sass’s voice carried in the fresh morning air as she hurried toward Lira, who’d hooked the basket filled with her purchases in the crook of her arm. “He was opening his shop as I walked by, so I popped in. He’d never heard of a Night Faire, but he’s delighted at the thought. Delighted.”

Lira grinned at the dwarf’s spot-on impersonation of the gnome. “One down. You ready to talk to Pip and Fenni?”

“If you’re done with your shopping.”

Lira told her she was, cutting her gaze to the bag of apples the cider seller had sold her for a song. “I have everything I need.”

Sass cocked an eyebrow as they walked side-by-side toward the bakery. “That goes in a cake?”

“It’s for something special to sell at the Night Faire, and I’m almost certain I remember the recipe.”

“When we get the book, you’ll have all the recipes you’ve been trying to remember.”

“Even before I knew the book was…” Lira swung a furtive glance around them, but the village was still rousing itself and there was no one to hear her, “…special, I wanted to get it back because it’s the only thing I kept that really reminds me of her. Besides, it would be nice not to guess on the measurements. I’m almost certain I didn’t put enough spice in the apple cider cake.”

Sass gave her a nudge with one shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll get the book.”

The bakery had been closed when Lira walked by earlier in the morning, even though all the lights had been blazing, and she knew Pip had been baking away in the back. She was also aware that the halfling baker often got so caught up in his baking that he forgot to open his doors. That was when Fenni would open them for him, bustling about scolding his brother and laughing in equal measure.

But the door was open now, as evidenced by the hypnotic scent of sugar and yeast that hit Lira and made her eyelids flutter.

“Sweet simmering cauldrons,” Sass said the curse like a prayer. “You might have to do all the talking. I’m going to be too busy eating.”

“A fine morning to you both,” Pip called from behind the counter as they walked inside the warm shop.

As was usually the case, his hair stood on end and was dusted with so much flour it looked white. Today, he even had a glob of glaze trailing down his cheek.

Sass wasted no time walking to the counter, her eyes locked onto the sticky sweet rolls stacked high under a glass, domed stand. “It’s getting better by the second. ”

“Sweet rolls for you both?” Pip lifted the dome and grabbed his tongs.

“Two for me,” Sass said, her tone dreamy.

Lira nodded at the baker. “The same for me.”

“Up early to do your shopping?”

Lira turned at the sound of Fenni stepping inside from the interior door separating the two shops. The cooler air, pungent with the tangy aroma of cheese, wafted in, but was soon overwhelmed by both the warmth of the bakery and the scent of the breads.

“Yes, but we mostly came to see you two.”

“Two?” Fenni’s neat brows popped high. “Both of us?”

“Both of you,” Lira said with a smile to the halfling brother with not a smudge on his three-piece suit or a hair out of place.

Fenni tugged at his spotless, white apron. “Usually, it’s Pip who gets the callers in the morning and me in the afternoon.”

“Mmm,” Sass mumbled through a mouthful of sweet roll. “There’s nothing like some soft cheese with supper.”

Lira shook her head at the dwarf, although her stomach was growling in protest. “Do you remember the Night Faires?”

Pip’s eyes sparkled as he bounced on his heels. “Oh, they were wonderful. All those lanterns floating into the air.”

Fenni nodded. “Good for business too. I used to invite the beekeeper to set up with me outside the shop. Honey and cheese are the perfect combination.”

Another moan from Sass, but this time there were no words.

“What would you say to another Night Faire?” Lira asked, looking from one brother to the other. “This Saturni.”

Pip clapped his hands together and a cloud of flour billowed over his head. “I think it’s a marvelous idea.”

Fenni worked the edge of his apron with his hands. “Do you think it can be planned so quickly?”

“Tin has already signed on,” Sass said with a swipe of her hand across her sticky mouth .

“Not to mention the tavern and Iris,” Lira added, hoping her smile was bright enough to mask her worry that they would say no.

“Count us in!” Pip thrust one arm into the air with his thumb up. “A Night Faire is just the thing Wayside needs.”

Fenni muttered some mild protests about the time he typically needed to arrange the perfect pairings but they were drowned out by his brother’s exuberance.

Pip was hurrying back and forth behind the counter waving his hands. “I must come up with something new and exclusive for the Night Faire.”

“New?” Sass had already started on her second sweet roll and almost choked at this proclamation. “No sweet rolls?”

Pip stopped and spun toward them, pointing a dough-stained finger at first one and then the other. His eyes were wide as he dropped his voice to a whisper. “Better than sweet rolls.”

When the women left the bakery, with Pip exclaiming about his Night Faire creation and Fenni muttering about his cheese and honey pairings, Lira opened the paper bag Pip had given her and inhaled deeply. Better then sweet rolls?

The Night Faire could not arrive soon enough.