Shimmer much?

“Uncle Paul!”  Magnolia screeched, bursting through the doorway.  ”Uncle Paul!”  She skidded to a stop in front of his desk, panting.  He peered up at her mildly, his calm fingers carefully lowering a diamond in a microscopic gold setting.  ”I need your help.”

“With what?”  The long tweezers reached for another needle, carefully monitored by his red-rimmed eyes through comically large lenses.

“Melantha is back.”

The tweezers clattered to the desk, the microscopic diamond lost in a shuffle of papers.  Cursing, Magnolia’s uncle grabbed a magnifying glass.  ”Are you sure?”  He peered through the glass, carefully peeling up a receipt and peeking under it.

“She’s at Amaryllis’ shop right now.  She says she’s going to sell it by Midsummer’s Night.”

The magnifying glass smacked against the desk.  Her uncle leaned on his trembling hands, his red-face nearly puce.

“That doesn’t give us much time.”  Reaching into his drawer, he pulled out a velvet bag.  ”I had told your aunt to send you–I found these in our storage box.”

Magnolia peeked inside, sucking in her breath.  ”How did you get these?  They’re exactly like the ones Amaryllis gave us!”

Her uncle smiled, a wary curl of his lips.  ”You’ll see soon enough.”  He glanced at the book she had set on his leather chair in her hurry.  ”What’s that?”

“Oh, a delivery I’m supposed to make.”  Magnolia flushed, reaching for it.  ”Bridget and Cici are waiting for me in the lobby, anyway.  Your dragon of a secretary wouldn’t let them in.”

“Leave it.”  Her uncle brushed her hand away, as well as her protests.  ”I’ll have the dragon deliver it.”  A full smile beamed across the desk at her, fading as the worry crept into his words.  ”You should go.  The jewels will help you help Amaryllis.  If you don’t…”  He shuddered.  ”This whole town will fall apart.”

Magnolia leaned forward, the bag swinging from her hand.  ”Uncle Paul, what is Amaryllis?”

His eyes shone more than the lenses he sat behind, gleaming under the flickering florescent light.  ”Magic, my dear.  Magic.  And without her…”  He trailed off, raising his arms.  ”This shop wouldn’t exist.  This town wouldn’t exist.”  Picking up his tweezers, he resumed his hunt for the diamond hidden in his papers.  ”Towns are more than streets and shops.  They need something to pull them together, and Amaryllis is that thread.  Without her, everything will fall apart.”

“How do you know about her sister?” Magnolia asked, tucking the jewels into her handbag.

His face soured as he peeked under a folder.  ”Because as good as Amaryllis has been to us, her sister…”  He shook his head.  ”The best place for you to start is at the Grill.”

“The Grill?”  Magnolia glanced at the clock.  ”It’s four in the afternoon!  Way too late for lunch or breakfast.”

“I’m not sending you to eat there.”  Her uncle snorted.  ”Ask for Ruby, the manger.  She has something you might find helpful…espiecially with those jewels.”  He pointed.  ”Send the dragon in behind you, would you?”

Magnolia nodded, heading for the door.  ”And Magnolia?”  She turned, waiting.  Her uncle’s fear made her tremble in her pumps.

“Hurry,” he whispered.  ”Midsummer’s Night is only two weeks away.  And if things aren’t fixed by then…”  He trailed off.  ”We’re all in trouble.”

Magnolia nodded.  Running into the lobby, she bolted toward the door.  ”Come on!” she yelled to Cici and Bridget, holding it open for him.  ”We’ve got to get to the Grill!”

Much to their dismay, they found themselves trailing after Magnolia once again.

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends!  We have a delectable review of delightful dishes tomorrow!  And Monday we have our Labor Day burger party!  Please e-mail me whatever recipes you’d like to share!

More