Watchin' The Detective: A Mystery Dinner Romance (16 page)

“We’d love to try it,” Isabella says.

Madeline pours their coffee and says,
“Louisiana began to add chicory root to their coffee during the
Civil War when Union blockades cut off the port of New Orleans.
Y’all must come back for tea later this afternoon. We’ll be having
king cake--a New Orleans tradition. Are y’all familiar with the
Feast of the Epiphany?”

Isabella says, “It has something to do with
the Wise Men coming to visit the Baby Jesus.”

“Right you are. We think of them as ‘the
three kings’.”

One of the diners chimes in, “We don’t have a
feast that day. Do you eat a lot of food?”

Madeline says, “We give out presents and have
king cake. The cake has a little plastic Baby Jesus inside. And
whoever gets the slice with Baby Jesus inside has to provide the
king cake next time.”

Don says that New Orleans has some great
traditions.

Madeline asks him, “So where are y’all
planning to have dinner?”

Isabella says, “We were thinking of going to
Brennan’s.”

“Don’t go there--that’s where all of the
tourists go,” Madeline says.

“But we
are
tourists,” Don replies.

“Well, I’m just saying that you can go to the
Gumbo Shop and have the same wonderful dishes for half the
price.”

“Thank you for the tip,” Don says.

Madeline asks, “What are your plans for
today?”

Isabella says, “We are planning to go see Oak
Alley.”

“Oh, you’ll just love it. The tunnel of oak
trees that lead up to the plantation is a sight you won’t
forget.”

Isabella says, “I heard that the tour guides
dress up like Scarlett O’Hara—hoop skirts and all.”

“They do dress like that. You will love it,”
Madeline says and everyone around the table agrees.

Isabella says, “Well, I guess we better be
taking off if we hope to make the tour bus to Oak Alley. It was
nice meeting y’all.”

“Bye, everybody,” Don says.

Other Books by Louise Hathaway:

Death among the Stacks: The Body in the Law
Library

The Tustin Chronicles: A Detective Santy
Mystery

The Murder at the Abbey: A Detective Santy
Mystery

Honeymoon in Savannah: A Detective Santy
Mystery

The Body on Ortega Highway: A Detective
Santy Mystery

England in the Footsteps of its Literary
Giants

Chasing My Roots: New World Finally Meets
Old World

The Summer of Love: A Trip Back to 1968

The Missing Bachelor Farmer: A Nancy Keene
Mystery

The Ghost in the Plantation: A Nancy Keene
Mystery

The Buried Treasure on Route 66: A Nancy
Keene Mystery

The Stolen Mask: A Nancy Keene Mystery

The Forgotten Sister: A Sequel to Pride and
Prejudice

I have also written three literary
essays:

Nags, Sluts, and a Deep-Breasted Soulmate
from the Shining City: Thomas Wolfe’s Women in “The Web and the
Rock”

Marriage in Pride and Prejudice

The Oedipus Complex in D. H. Lawrence’s Sons
and Lovers

Please visit our blog at:
http://louisehathaway.blogspot.com

About Louise Hathaway:

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/lhathaway