Promoting her latest blend from within her Charleston tea shop throughout a blooming southern spring season, Theodosia Browning suspects foul play when broker Mark Congdon promptly dies after winning a bid for a rare monkey-face orchid.
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It's spring in Charleston and just about every species of South Carolina's flora is in full and glorious bloom at the Spring Plantation Ramble. Once a year the upper crust opens to the public their sprawling gardens, the site of flower shows, rare plant auctions, and a contagious spring fever. Although Theodosia Browning barely knows a Phalaenopsis from a bog rose, she still enjoys the Ramble, especially since she can pour tea and promote her Indigo Tea Shop - and her latest concoction, Dragonwell Sweet Tea.The festivities come to a screeching halt though, when commodities broker Mark Congdom wins a bid for a rare monkey-face orchid - and promptly dies. It looks like a simple heart attack but both Theo and his widow suspect that someone purposely turned his green thumb blue. There's Fayne Hamilton, his scorned assistant, whose treasure chest holds suspicious mementos. And there's the Orchid Society member who openly envied Mark's collection. Some eyes even turn to Theo herself, who poured Mark's possibly poisoned tea. But someone thinks Theo should mind her own beeswax.
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