A Fair to Die For Read Online Free Page B

Edie to spend the night, then immediately discarded that idea. Instead, she asked “Do you plan to drive back to Tulsa this evening?
    “No, I have a motel reservation in town,” Edie said, “but I would like to take you two to dinner. Any suggestions?
    Henry asked Edie the name of her motel, then suggested a restaurant near there.
    “Before we go,” Carrie said, “let me bring some of my scarves to show you. I think a scarf would look very nice with your outfit, and they’re so easy to pack. I’d love to give you one of mine to remember me by.”
     
    As they left the restaurant, Carrie said, “Edie, would you enjoy seeing more of this area? We can pick you up at your motel in the morning and give you a tour if you like.”
    “Yes, I would like that. I’m in no rush to move on.”
    “Great. Shall we pick you up at nine?”
    “Make it ten, if you don’t mind,” Edie said. “I wake up slowly, and I need to take care of some e-mail and a phone call to Mom in the morning. I do look forward to seeing the sights in your area, though. Isn’t War Eagle an attraction in this part of Arkansas? I’ve heard of it. Can we go there, or is it too far?”
    “I bet you mean War Eagle Mill, though there are several attractions in the area named War Eagle, including a lovely river and a cave. Nice to learn their reputation has reached the East Coast. They deserve it. We’ll plan on visiting the mill tomorrow. It’s not terribly far from here, thirty miles or so, and we go there several times a year. They sell stone ground flours and grains, and quite a few flour-based mixes. It’s a working mill, begun around 1830’s, and you can watch them at work while you’re there. It’s fun. When the mill is grinding, the whole building rumbles.
    “I’m out of their biscuit mix, so a visit tomorrow would suit me fine. We can have lunch in the Bean Palace Restaurant on the top floor of the mill. Henry and I always enjoy that.”
    “I heard they have an extensive crafts display. Hundreds of crafters there?”
    “No, not unless you mean the War Eagle Craft Fair. It’s held on grounds across the river from the mill in October. War Eagle Mill has its own fair next to the mill at the same time. If it’s crafts you want, you’re lucky. Fall Craft Fair weekend begins next Thursday.”
    “Oh. So we won’t see crafts tomorrow?”
    “They do sell some in the mill’s gift shop, but you’ll have to wait a few more days to see hundreds of crafts around the mill; at the main fair area across the river and, in fact, all over Northwest Arkansas. The War Eagle Fair itself has been increasing in importance every year since it began around sixty years ago. Now it, plus many of the other fairs in Northwest Arkansas, are absolutely huge. Fair weekend here has become a Mecca for crafters, and Henry says the Arkansas Ozarks must sink several inches during craft fair weekends since so many people come to the state. Matter of fact, we have a friend displaying at the War Eagle Fair this year, and I’ll be working there with her.” Carrie paused, glanced at Henry, and said, “Edie, if you plan to be here awhile, would you like to move to our guest bedroom?”
    “Thanks, but no. I’m a pretty independent person.”
    “Okay, I can understand that. So, we’ll pick you up at the motel tomorrow morning.”
    “Good. Ten o’clock. And thank you again for the lovely scarf. I think the rusty fall leaf print goes well with my suit.”
    “Yes, it does, and you are most welcome.” The two women hugged, and, with a wave at Henry, Edie headed toward her rental car.
     
    “What do you think?” Carrie asked as they drove out of the restaurant parking lot. “I’m in a muddle over all this. What was her main reason for coming here? Was it really to find us, or, more accurately, find me? I’d sure like to think finding me was at least part of her reason, but what’s the rest of the story? Why the great interest in crafts and War Eagle? My usual