“I can see how pleased you are,” I said. I stood up. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to the shop. As I said, I’ll be out until rather late this evening. But I’ll be home all day tomorrow, if you’d like to look at the letters and decide which ones the library should copy for you.” Roz stood up too. “Thank you,” she said. She seemed to be holding herself together with a great effort. I went back to the shop. Ruby was signing the delivery ticket for the herb order that had just come in. I checked the register total to see what the sales had been like while I’d been gone. “It looks like we didn’t have a thundering herd of customers.” Ruby ticked off the sales on her fingers. “Two books, some rose-scented soap, and the last of that basil vinegar, over there on the corner shelf.” She pointed. I took note of the empty spot. “Guess it’s time to make some more vinegar.” Making and bottling herb vinegars is one of my favorite evening tasks, and I love looking at the rows of sparkling bottles on the shelves.
