Royal Icing (4 page)

When the flight landed at Heathrow Airport, Delaney could barely stay in her seat until the pilot turned off the seat-belt sign. She practically leaped over Kylie to grab her bag and get off the plane.

“I've never been anywhere out of the country before,” she told the airline attendant opening the overhead bins. “Do they have horses and carriages? Chimney sweeps?”

“I think you'll find London is a lot like any major city,” the attendant assured her. “And there are most definitely cars.”

“You've been watching way too much
Mary
Poppins
,” Jenna told her friend. She and Sadie were seated behind her and Kylie. “Chill, girl.”

“It's just so awesome. I mean, ‘ace.' That's how Londoners say it.” Delaney held up a small book titled
The
Best
of
British
Slang
.

“Seriously? You're studying the native language?” Sadie asked.

“I fancy trying to fit in at the opening-night do,” she said. “And there's no need to be so cheeky about it.”

“You sound silly.” Lexi giggled. She and Juliette had napped most of the flight. “I doubt that's how people really talk in London.”

“It sure is, mate,” Delaney replied. “How's about we go get us some grub? Bangers and mash? Toad in a hole? A spot of tea?”

“This is worse than my Spanish class,” Sadie said. “I don't understand a thing she's saying! I'm gonna be totally lost here.”

“I'm already lost.” Juliette sighed as they left the plane and headed into the airport terminal. There were five terminals and a train that ran between them. “Do you suppose we go right or left?” A large sign read, “Terminal B,” which is where she supposed they were. She was trying to keep track of all the girls and their carry-on bags, and find the way to baggage claim.

“Jenna! We'll have plenty of time to buy souvenirs later!” she called as Jenna made a beeline for a newsstand.

“Have you ever seen so many cool candies?” she asked her fellow cupcakers. “
Dios
mío!
This one's flakey and this one has bubbles!” She held up two colorfully wrapped chocolate bars, one that read “Flake” and another that read “Aero.”

“Please, Jenna,” Juliette pleaded with her. “Leave the candy, and let's try and figure out where we're going.”

It took nearly an hour to go through immigration and retrieve all their bags off the luggage carousel. Juliette was counting them for the third time. “One, two, three, four…”

“Might I be of some service, madame?” a voice sang out behind them.

“Rodney!” Juliette exclaimed, dropping her luggage and racing to give her fiancé a hug and a kiss.

“Eww, gross,” Delaney said, watching the pair smooch. “I mean, ‘That's grotty!'”

“We're so excited for your big opening night,” Kylie added.

“I'm excited you're all here,” Mr. Higgins replied. “Allow me to escort you.”

“My hero,” Juliette said.

After they retrieved their luggage, he walked them outside to a taxi stand and held open the door of a cab. “Your chariot awaits,” he said, ushering the girls inside.

Delaney looked curiously at the car. It seemed like an ordinary black cab. “What chariot? I don't see any horses.”

“And how come his steering wheel is on the left side of the car?” Sadie asked, piling in. “That's weird.”

“Because in London we drive on the left side of the street instead of the right,” Rodney explained. “I know it's quite backwards for you but it's normal for us.”

“I think you'll find many things are different and many other things are the same here,” Juliette told the club. “That's the fun of exploring a new city.”

“Sit back, enjoy the sights, and I'll see you later at the hotel,” Rodney told her, slamming the car door closed. “I've got rehearsal till three.”

“Perfect! We'll meet at the hotel for tea,” Juliette replied. “I'm sure the girls would love to see what a proper afternoon tea is like.”

• • •

The girls had never seen a hotel as elegant and ornate as the Convoy. “Do you think that's real gold all over the ceiling?” Sadie asked as they walked into the lobby. There were several twinkly crystal chandeliers suspended from above.

“Never mind the ceiling! Have you checked out the furniture?” Kylie asked, flopping into a red velvet chair. “I feel like I'm sitting on a throne.”

“It's quite posh,” Delaney agreed. “That means fancy.”

“There's fancy, and then there's
fancy
,” Juliette exclaimed. “How wonderful of Rodney to treat us to a suite here.”

“Welcome to the Convoy,” a concierge greeted them. “If there is anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable…”

Jenna tapped the gentleman on the shoulder. “Can you put some of those little chocolates on my pillow at night?”

“We have a sweets shop down the block,” he replied with a wink. “I'll see what I can do.”

“Okay, PLC, let's freshen up and unpack,” Juliette called out.

“Did you say ‘PLC'?” the concierge asked.

“Yup, that's us,” Kylie replied. “You've heard of us here in England?”

The concierge pulled a large envelope from his desk and handed it to Kylie.

“For you, miss,” he said. “It was just delivered.”

Juliette raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? Kylie, who would send you a letter all the way here in London?”

Kylie held the large cream-colored envelope up toward one of the chandeliers, trying to see inside. “I have no idea.”

Sadie peered over her shoulder. “It looks official,” she said. There was a gold wax seal on the back, stamped with some sort of coat of arms. And it was addressed in swirly calligraphy script to “PLC.”

“OMG, do you think it's from Buckingham Palace?” Lexi asked. “That would be so…how do they say ‘awesome' again here in London?”

“Brill!” Delaney exclaimed. “As in brilliant.”

“Right! That would be brill!” Lexi replied. “Maybe Prince William and Princess Kate need some cupcakes. Or maybe the Queen has a craving for our
royal
icing!”

Jenna shook her head. “All the way here in England?
No
es
posible
!
”

Kylie smiled. “If there's one thing I've learned after all our cupcake adventures so far, it's that
anything
is possible!”

Kylie took a deep breath before tearing into the envelope and pulling out the card inside.

“What does it say?” Lexi asked excitedly. “Is it from the Queen?”

“Or Prince Wills?” Sadie asked. “Maybe he needs cupcakes for his polo match.”

Kylie wasn't listening. She was too engrossed in the letter.

“Kylie, we're dying of suspense,” Delaney pleaded with her. “Who's it from? What does it say?”

Kylie cleared her throat and read aloud in her most proper British accent:

“The honour of your presence is hereby requested at a birthday party hosted by Lord and Lady Wakefield of Wilshire.”

Jenna grabbed the card out of her hand. “It's gotta be a practical joke. Someone's pulling our leg.”

Juliette nodded. “I'm afraid I've never hear of a Lord or Lady Wakefield,” she said. “Maybe it was meant for someone else.”

“I assure you it was intended for you,” said a man sitting on a sofa in the lobby. He was tall and wearing a long black coat. “I am the attaché to Lord Wakefield.”

“What's an attaché?” Delaney whispered.

Kylie shrugged. “I thought it was a briefcase my dad carried to work.”

“Archibald Thomas Watson, at your service,” he said, formally extending his hand to Kylie. “I believe you call it a personal assistant in the States?”

“Oh, yeah!” Delaney interrupted. “All the celebs have personal assistants. The Lord and Lady must be VIPs.”

“Indeed,” he replied. “And they are planning a very important party that they would like you to bake for. You come highly recommended.”

Juliette was suspicious. “Really? By whom? We don't know anyone here in London.”

“Oh, but you do,” he insisted. “You see, my mate from university told me all about you.”

Juliette's eyes grew wide. “Wait a minute…Are you…
Archie
?”

The man bowed deeply. “None other.”

Juliette threw her arms around him. “It's so wonderful to finally meet you! Rodney said you'd be coming!”

“Okay…you lost me.” Jenna sighed. “Who's Archie, and why is Juliette hugging him?”

“Girls, I'd like you to meet Rodney's college BFF, Archie,” Juliette said, smiling. “Oh, I've heard so much about you!”

Archie blushed. “Only good things, I hope. Rodney didn't tell you the fish-and-chips story, did he? I swear, I didn't mean to get one stuck in his ear. It was all in good fun!”

Suddenly the pieces started to come together. Rodney had recommended them!

“Excuse me?” Kylie said, raising her hand. “It's very nice to meet you, Archie. But you still haven't told us what you want PLC to do.”

“Of course.” Archie smiled. “His Lordship is throwing a tenth birthday party this Thursday for his daughter and would like you to bake cupcakes for it. Since today's only Tuesday, I assume it's not a problem.”

Kylie pulled her notebook out of her backpack. It wasn't like PLC to turn down business, but there was so much they wanted to see and do—not to mention opening night for
Pygmalion
on Sunday.

“Let's see,” she said, making some notes. “How many cupcakes are we talking?”

Archie shuffled his feet. “Oh, not all that many. Two thousand…”

Kylie gasped. “Two thousand? How many kids are coming to this party?”

“Oh, it's not just a children's party,” Archie explained. “It's quite a large gathering of family, business associates, and fellow noblemen near the Tower of London.”

Well, Kylie, thought, the Tower was after all at the top of their sightseeing list… Maybe they could squeeze in the cupcake order.

“Kylie,” Jenna reminded her. “We said we were going to the Harrods Food Halls tomorrow. I have an entire list of truffles I need to try.”

“And to the National Gallery Thursday,” Lexi added. “Remember? Van Gogh's two sunflower paintings are there together for the first time in sixty-five years.”

“We have use of a small kitchen in the Culinary, but that doesn't sound like it will be enough for that large an order,” Juliette said, trying to be practical. “I think we'd need an industrial mixer and oven.”

“You are welcome to use the kitchen at the Wakefield estate,” Archie replied. “It's extremely large with all the equipment you'll need. We've catered parties for five hundred people there.”

Kylie chewed her pencil eraser. “Chocolate frosting? Or vanilla?”

“I believe Lady Lillianne is partial to Curly Wurly,” Archie replied.

“Who exactly is Lady Lillianne?” Sadie asked.

“And more importantly—what the heck is a Curly Wurly?” Delaney added.

“Lady Lillianne is Lord and Lady Wakefield's daughter.”

“And a Curly Wurly is a candy bar here in London,” Jenna piped up. “I saw someone eating one in the airport. Chocolate-covered caramel in this twisty shape. It kinda looks like a ladder.”

“Precisely!” Archie replied. “Which should be perfect for the architectural structure.”

This time it was Lexi's turn to raise her hand. “Excuse me, I'm the artist. What architectural structure?” She tore a sheet out of Kylie's notebook, preparing to sketch.

“Ah, yes, sorry. I forgot to mention the display for your cupcakes,” Archie apologized. “It's a bit complicated…”

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Lexi said nervously.

“You see, her ladyship would like a London Bridge…made out of cupcakes.”

Lexi gasped. “As in ‘London Bridge is falling down'?”

“Precisely,” Archie smiled. “The party is to be held in the North Tower Lounge of the Bridge.”

Kylie grabbed Delaney's
Guide
Book
to
London
and started flipping through it for information. “The London Tower Bridge spans the Thames River,” she read aloud. “It's a bascule bridge—which is French for the word ‘seesaw.'”

Lexi nodded. “As in up and down, since the bottom of the bridge goes up and down.” She quickly drew a picture of a bridge opened up and a boat sailing under it on the river. “I could do blue gel icing for the water.”

“There are two towers on either side and a huge walkway between them,” Kylie continued.

“How huge are we talking?” Sadie asked. “Because my dad's contracting shop is all the way back home in New Fairfield.” She turned to Archie. “We're bakers, not builders.”

“Hey, you're talking to the Queen of Legos,” Jenna volunteered. “My little brothers Ricky and Manny are always building bridges. I got this.”

“Are we sure, guys?” Kylie cautioned them. “It sounds like a lot of work.”

“It sounds kind of awesome,” Lexi replied. “I mean, how often do we get to build a bridge made out of two thousand cupcakes?”

“Whatever you need, I'm at your service,” Archie replied. “Flour, sugar, baking tins.”

Kylie did some quick math and handed him a sheet of paper. “Let's start with this: five hundred Curly Wurly bars and fifty cans of meringue powder. That should be enough for a five-foot-long display, I think.”

Archie scratched his head. “What will you do with all that powder?”

Kylie smiled. “We're going to gum-paste glue you a London Bridge that will knock your socks off!”

Archie stared down at his socks. “Yes, well, it's rather chilly today so I like my socks where they are.”

Juliette laughed. “What Kylie means is please tell Lord and Lady Wakefield that we're going to make their daughter a wonderful cupcake bridge for her birthday.”

Archie looked relieved. “They'll be very pleased! I'll send a car tomorrow bright and early to take you to the Wakefield estate. It's slightly north of London in the countryside.” He handed Juliette his calling card.

“Pip, pip, cheerio!” Delaney said, waving good-bye as Archie strolled out of the hotel.