by Sheryl Berk
“OMG, do you think it’s from Buckingham Palace?” Delaney asked. “That would be so…how do they say ‘awesome’ again here in London?”
“Brill!” Kylie exclaimed. “As in brilliant.”
“Right! That would be brill!” Delaney 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!” She 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 tea 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 heard 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 voice behind them. It was a tall man in 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,” she 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. It was Juliette’s fiancé who 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 Peace, Love and Cupcakes to do.” They had arrived only a few days ago in the UK at Juliette’s invitation to see Rodney open in Macbeth on The West End. She knew her friends wanted to go on the Harry Potter tour of London and check out Hummingbird Bakery in Notting Hill today. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Sadie making the “time out” sign with her hands. But a party for a lord and lady was tough to turn down…
“Kylie, remember we have plans,” Sadie interrupted her. “I am not leaving London until I visit Wembley Stadium.”
Archie smiled. “The party is Sunday, and today’s only Tuesday. That leaves you plenty of time to make 500 cupcakes for their guests and get in your sightseeing.”
Kylie pulled out her notebook from her backpack and started jotting. “Okay, 500 cupcakes should be doable if we get started recipe testing tomorrow.”
“Kylie,” Jenna reminded her. “We said we were going to Harrods’s Food Hall 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 65 years?”
“I dunno,” Delaney shrugged. “A fancy tea party sounds like a lot more fun than some old art exhibit, a soccer stadium, or a department store.”
Kylie was glad to hear at least someone was on her side! “Look, guys. Let’s hear Archie out. I’m sure we can make time to do it all,” Kylie pleaded.
“Fine,” Lexi agreed. “Where’s this party? And do we even have a kitchen to bake in?”
“You are welcome to use the kitchen in the Wakefield estate. It’s large with all the equipment you’ll need.”
Kylie chewed her pencil eraser. “Chocolate frosting? Vanilla?”
“I believe Lady Lillianne is partial to Curly Wurly,” Archie replied.
“Who 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 the tea is in honor of her thirteenth birthday.”
“And a Curly Wurly is a candy bar here in London, “Jenna piped up. “I tried one the other day at The Tube station. 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 whispered.
“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 tea is to be held in the North Tower Lounge of the Bridge.”
Kylie was already flipping through her Fodor’s Guide Book to London. “The London Tower Bridge spans across the Thames River,” she read aloud. “It’s a bascule bridge—which is French for the word ‘see-saw.’”
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 and a boat sailing through 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.”
“Whatever you need, I’m at your service,” Archie replied. “Flour, sugar, baking tins.”
Lexi 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 gumpaste-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. “Very well, then. Here is the address of the Wakefield estate. You’re welcome to begin straight away.” He handed Juliette his calling card.
“Pip, pip, cheerio!” Delaney said, waving goodbye as Archie strolled out of the hotel.
“I think someone has seen Mary Poppins one too many times,” Jenna teased her.
“I’m just trying to speak the language,” Delaney insisted.
It was fun to hang out in the hotel lobby listening to the locals and lounging on the plush velvet couches, but Kylie didn’t want to waste another second. “I think we should decide on the cupcake flavors—something that would work for a British tea.”
“How about bangers and mash?” Delaney volunteered. “A sausage and mashed potato cupcake?”
Jenna wrinkled her nose. “Next!”
“Let’s do a Curly Wurly-inspired cupcake,” Sadie suggested. “Chocolate and caramel together.”
“Prestat is the Queen’s official chocolatier,” Jenna pointed out. “And they do this amazing milk chocolate with Earl Grey tea in it.”
“Did anyone ever tell you that you are an encyclopedia of sweets?” Sadie marveled.
“A chocolate Earl Grey tea cupcake it is,” Kylie said.
“And we can make a rich caramel frosting with dark brown sugar,” Lexi suggested. She looked at the picture of the bridge in Kylie’s tour book. “It’s kind of silvery-gray, light blue and white. I can do fondant circles in those three colors and give it a bit of metallic shimmer with edible glitter.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Kylie asked. “Let’s hit Covent Garden market first, then head to Prestat on Piccadilly for the chocolate. She marked all the points on her map of London with a red star. “Spit spot!”
To all our new friends, teachers, and advisors at Trevor: love you guys! You have embraced us with open arms and made us feel so welcome! Couldn’t ask for a more amazing school to inspire the next chapters in The Cupcake Club series—have fun with your “shout-outs” in this book! Skylar and Sophie, Carrie’s TDS besties: you guys are what great friends are all about! MWAH! Olivia, Yael, Harrison, Casey, Gabby, Rhiannon…you’re now officially in a book! Ms. Robine: thanks for being such a great advisor! Merci! Ms. Hutchin: thanks for inspiring kids to be great readers/writers! Maybe a Charlotte’s Web musical for next mini term?
Delaney and the Hannons: we miss you! Thanks for all the great times we had at PS 6. Delaney, your sparkle and fun truly inspired this character. This one’s for you!
Hugs and sprinkles to Emily/Terrence Noonan; the Goldstein Girls, Sadie and Lila, Jamie Ludwig, the BAE Level 4 and 5 friends (Julia I.: did you find your shout-out?). And of course, Darby Dutter—Carrie’s very first BFF. Your Jekyll and Hyde party this year was great inspiration for all of Delaney and Kylie’s monster mania scenes! And your friendship is always the model for the PLC girls sticking together through thick and thin!
Holly, Kathy, Stacy, Deb, Mish: as always, you are the best friends. When can we have a “Holly-day”?
To Mildred Goldberg, Sheryl’s second-grade teacher at PS 24, who told her she could be a great writer. Silly Milly is for you…
To the Berks, Kahns, and Saps: as always, you are our biggest fans! Daddy, we love you to the moon and stars! Maddie: big sloppy puppy kisses!
Katherine and Frank at Folio Lit: you rock! Thanks for always believing in us.
To our team at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky: thanks as always for being so sweet! Hugs and sprinkles to Steve, Derry, Leah, Jillian, and Cat.
A big thanks to Megan Seling for the awesome interview!
Photo credit: Jack Saperstone
Sheryl Berk is the New York Times bestselling co-author of Soul Surfer. An entertainment editor and journalist, she has written dozens of books with celebrities including Britney Spears, Jenna Ushkowitz, and Zendaya. Her ten-year-old daughter, Carrie Berk, a cupcake connoisseur and blogger (www.facebook.com/PLCCupcakeClub; www.carriescupcakecritique.shutterfly.com), cooked up the idea for The Cupcake Club series while in second grade. To date, they have written five books together (with many more in the works!). Peace, Love, and Cupcakes is also slated to be a delicious new musical from New York City’s Vital Theatre in 2014.