Yesterday’s trip to the market had resulted in enormous amount of strawberries, and far more than Melinda had an actual need for in the shop. But they were so incredibly sweet and perfectly shaped that she hadn’t been able to turn the offer down, and so she had spent a considerable amount of time coming up with new ideas of how to put them to use. Last night she had put a large batch of thinly sliced strawberries in the oven, which had resulted in a big bowl of deliciously sweet and brittle strawberry crisps. Those were great, since they were bound to take a while before going bad or even stale, and now that the lunch rush had quieted down, she was trying them out with a few of her dessert stables.
She had just layered them with a rhubarb and white chocolate truffle when the bell above the door announced the arrival of a new customer. Genuinely pleased with their presence, she sent them a smile before she greeted the other witch. “Hello,” but didn’t get further before the witch introduced herself.
“Oh, Bryony,” she beamed and quickly wiped her hands on a clean rag, before she offered her hand in greeting. “I’m so glad you came in. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”