Swan for the Money: A Meg Langslow Mystery

shade darker than any of the others— maybe two shades. Hard to believe it hadn’t won.
    Rose Noire came running up.
    “Meg! One of my roses was a runner up! Well, Mrs. Sechrest’s roses, but I groomed it! And your Mother won Queen of the Show!”
    “Splendid,” I said. “Not Dowager Queen?”
    “No, Mrs. Burke won that. Even the chief’s in a good mood. And Uncle James! Your Cordelia rose won the black swan!”
    “Wonderful!” Dad exclaimed. “But why did the judges disqualify Matilda? She’s just as good as Cordelia any day.”
    I reached down to Mrs. Winkleson’s stolen entry and lifted up the tag so we could see it better.
    “Ooh,” I said. “The judges have sharp eyes.”
    Written beneath the DQ were the words, “This is NOT a Black Magic rose!!!!”
    “No,” Dad said softly. “It’s a Matilda Hollingsworth. And now that I’ve got her back, she’ll be winning a few shows herself.”
    With a broad smile on his face, Dad marched to the other end of the barn to inspect his trophy.