Liz Marvin - Betty Crawford 03 - Too Long at the Fair by Liz Marvin Read Free Book Online Page B

Clarise could handle it anyway.
     
    ~
     
    The plates of food were being passed out as fast as they were being delivered by the time Betty reached Bill.  He and Wes had the crowd organized into a line and they were making sure no one tried anything funny like cutting to the front or snatching a purse. 
     
    The people were pleased with the food and she heard nothing but raves from everyone.
     
    “Amazing what a good meal can do for an angry crowd’s mood.” Bill quipped.  He was alert as ever but he was smiling and relaxed for the first time all day.  Betty hated to ruin his mood.
     
    “We have another problem.  Someone vandalized the cooking competition tent and destroyed all the food.  On the plus side that’s what they’re eating.  On the down side, there goes the evidence and the cooking competition.”
     
    “Lofton is indeed blessed with a bountiful supply of good cooks” He squeezed her hand.
     
    Betty sighed.  For her that was as much a curse as a blessing.  “I sure as heck don’t know what we’re going to do about the cooking competition.”
     
    “That makes two of us but on the bright side I’m not worried a bit.”  He grinned as he leaned over and kissed her on her forehead.  “Because I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
     
    Betty wanted to punch him but she adored him and anyway he was way over her weight class.
     
    “Oh Betty! What have you done?!”
     
    Thelma was back with Marlee May in tow. Marlee May’s right hand was heavily bandaged and Thelma was looking positively theatrical in her distress.
     
    Betty’s face darkened enough for Bill to step between her and Thelma but a battle royal was averted or at least postponed by chef Achmed O’Rielly popping out from the front of the cooking competition tent and proclaiming “Don’t worry I have everything under control!”
     
    ~
     
    Achmed wisely sat between Betty and Thelma.  Thelma took down each contestant’s name, the recipe they would be making and assigned them a number.  Achmed kept the list of ingredients each would need and Betty assigned a work station and time. 
     
    Somehow Achmed had arranged for restaurant equipment suppliers to loan equipment and food suppliers to donate food.  The deliveries would happen late in the afternoon and he promised the tent would be set up for cooking by morning.
     
    “This will be the best cooking competition the Lofton Fair has ever had!  I’ll be talking to radio stations later and I’m sure we’ll have a live broadcast here and a lot of reporters.”
     
    Betty was impressed not only by his energy and organizational skills but by his unflagging good humor and generosity.  How did he do it?  And he never seemed to acknowledge anything as a problem and never lost his temper.    She decided then and there that she could be jealous of him or she could try and learn from him and she would choose the latter.
     
    Clarise and Addie approached the table together.  Addie spoke so softly that Betty couldn’t hear her talking to Thelma but Thelma leaned back and sat bolt upright. “Absolutely not!”
     
    Achmed and Betty stopped what they were doing.  The contestants they were helping stopped talking too. 
     
    “What seems to be the problem?” Achmed asked in his most bored, amused voice.
     
    “This woman wants to make two recipes.”
     
    “But it’s not really - “Clarise interjected.
     
    “Let her speak for herself!” demanded Thelma.
     
    “All right that’s enough.  Clarise what is going on?”  Betty was standing, leaning on the table glaring at Thelma.
     
    “Addie has a recipe for berry topped cornbread.”
     
    “It’s corn bread and jelly!” Thelma nearly exploded. 
     
    Achmed leaned back in his chair.  “You made that exquisite pie?”
     
    Addie was practically hiding behind Clarise.  She peeked out and nodded. 
     
    “Don’t worry.  I’m not going to bite although I make no promises for these two.”
     
    That