“Lindsey, come on!” Beth cried as she hurried in from the side door. “Everyone is gone. We have to get going or there won’t be a seat left at the Anchor.”

Lindsey glanced from the rose to the stage where Sully had disappeared to the door where Beth was dancing from foot to foot. She had a feeling her life was about to get very complicated.

31

“Who chose Pride and Prejudice for this week’s crafternoon?” Lindsey asked. Although she had read the novel a million times, it had never struck her quite as poignantly as it had this time.

“I did,” Mary said. “What’s the matter? Didn’t you like it?”

“No, it was fine,” Lindsey said. “I suppose it was a good transition from Shakespeare.”

“It certainly was,” Violet La Rue agreed. “Although you must have noticed how they both used the classic love triangle to move their plots forward.”

“Yes, I noticed,” Lindsey said. Her tone was dry and she watched both Mary and Violet duck their heads back over the cards they were making so as to hide their laughter. The shaking of their shoulders gave them away, but Lindsey opted not to call them on it.

“What’s the matter, dear?” Nancy asked. “Is art reflecting life a little bit too closely for you?”

Lindsey could tell by the sparkle in Nancy’s blue eyes that she was teasing. Still, she didn’t have to enjoy it so much.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Lindsey lied.

“Oh, come on,” Beth said. “Everyone knows your life has become an isosceles.”

She entered the room, wearing different bright-colored sneakers on her hands and feet, cat ears and a long tail, and she had whiskers drawn on her cheeks.

“I Love My White Shoes for story time?” Lindsey asked.

“You just can’t beat Pete the Cat,” Beth said.

She shook the sneakers off of her hands and took off her ears and tail. She had a canvas tote with her card-making supplies, and she sat down next to Mary at the end of the table.

“So, what did I miss?” she asked. “Have we gotten to the part where we all agree that Colin Firth was the best Darcy ever?”

“We just started, and I thought we were discussing the book, not the film,” Lindsey said.

She reached over the card she was working on and took a finger sandwich off of the tray Nancy had brought. She had run with the tea idea, so it was finger sandwiches, hot tea and raspberry petit fours.

“Who do you think would make a better Darcy,” Charlene asked, “Sully or Robbie?”

Lindsey, in the middle of an inhale, began to hack and choke. Violet pounded her on the back while the others watched anxiously.