Spirit Magic

by Olivia Swift

  “Merle would love to know that. She can sense things herself but I bet she hasn’t a clue about a ghost cottage,” Magda said. “Can we tell her?”

  “I don’t mind friends knowing that it happens to me.”

  “What did you see just now?” Rula went back to the original question.

  “I saw,” he hesitated and closed his eyes to remember, “a sort of ancient warrior, but not native American.”

  “Describe him,” Katie said and picked up a pencil and paper.

  “Big man with long, untidy, fair hair, leather trousers, bare arms, and rings or some kind of jewelry encircling them.” Katie bent over her quick sketch, and they saw a figure come to life under her hands.

  “That’s him, Katie,” Declan said as he took the paper from her. “Leather boots with straps wound around his legs I think as well.” She took the paper back and added the suggestion of the leather ties around his legs.

  “Katie, you are a genius,” Magda told her. Katie handed it over.

  “Gift for you,” she smiled. “I’ll try a rose truffle on my way out.”

  “You think this figure came with the things from Scotland?” Sam asked Declan who said he didn’t know, but he had never seen the shape before.

  “We got that cold breeze both times we opened the box,” Magda observed.

  “Let’s do it again then,” Rula suggested, closed the box, and looked around. “Here goes.”

  She flicked open the box and the cool wind whipped at their faces before dying away with a sort of sigh.

  “Didn’t see him,” Declan said.

  “Well we bought a breath of Scottish air by the feel of it,” Magda said and packed the box away. “We should have a get-together with your cousin and his boss at the dude ranch. Merle has keen insight into these things.”

  “That sounds like a good idea,” Rula answered. “We haven’t seen Branston in a while, and we have never stopped since this place opened. We need a night off.”

  “The new extension is sort of furnished now,” Sam said and glanced at Magda. “We could give it a first use.” Magda said it was a brilliant idea and told them she would get in touch with Branston and see when they were free.

  “We need a couple of days in the woods to set up the tree house,” Declan added for Sam’s benefit.

  “This week the get-together, and next week the camping trip,” Sam answered as they locked up and went their separate ways.

  “Pizza calls,” Magda said as she put the box of Scottish things in the trunk. “Let’s go.”

  The cats were delighted to see them back and tried to look as if a pizza was just what they needed. Magda found them some cat treats instead. The pizza was quickly eaten, along with a beer each and some ice cream from the freezer.

  “Well what did you think about asking everyone to the newly furnished extension?” Sam asked as he draped an arm over her shoulders and let Crystal climb onto his knee.

  “One of your good ideas. It looks really good.”

  “What about us moving in there instead of running two houses?” Sam queried tentatively.

  “I know we said that we would wait till the wedding, but there is so much to organize.” She wrapped her arms around his waist. “What would you like to do?”

  “This is a whole new Magda,” he smiled. “I am thrown off balance.” She sat up and looked at him.

  “We don’t have to get married if it scares you to death,” she protested, and he pulled her close and stopped the talking with a kiss.

  “Stop being the old Magda,” he said when he came up for air. “I would have the wedding next week. I have been waiting since you were fifteen.” He took a breath. “But women and weddings, it’s a whole new world for me.”

  Magda laughed. “Let’s name a day and work toward it.”

  “Really?” he asked. “Really? Sounds good to me.”

  “What about late August? The tourist season is winding down. I am thinking a fancy meal at Michele’s restaurant and the service at the chapel.”

  “Wow,” Sam said. “I never expected that. You have been thinking about it.”

  “Of course, I have, you idiot. I can be a soppy romantic on occasion.” She kissed his cheek, “And I do love you, Sam.”

  “That is a good decision. Love you too. Let’s go for it,” he told her and stood up. “I’ll go and get that box from the trunk.”

  He came back with the box and set it on the floor. Crystal and little Pushkin reacted as one, arched their backs and hissed violently at the box on the floor. Abigail and Irina retreated behind the couch, and Crystal stalked around the new object in the room on stiff legs and with her fur on end.

  “I have never seen her do that before,” Magda said and tried to pick the cat up. Crystal hissed at Magda, and that had never happened before either. Sam did the obvious thing and picked up the box. He put it on the coffee table and the cats calmed down a little bit. He called for Crystal, and she came to hide under his legs as he sat on the couch. Magda picked up Pushkin and stroked him gently.

  “His heart is beating really fast,” she said to Sam. “What a strange reaction to a box.”

  Sam reached over and opened the box. He heard a hiss from Crystal and lifted out the piece of wood. Crystal was not angry anymore. She was definitely frightened, and both she and Pushkin raced to join the other two behind the seat.

  “There is something very strange about this box and this wood,” Magda said. “I’ll put it back in the car. The cats are scared.” Sam nodded and they packed the box up and he took it back to the trunk. As soon as the box was out of the room, all the cats came cautiously out of their hiding place and Magda called for them to come and sit on the couch.

  It took a good half hour before they had returned to normal.

  “That box can stay at the café or somewhere else,” Magda decided. “I can’t have the cats reacting like that.”

  Magda reached across and took her tablet from the table. She was checking emails when Crystal stood on her hind paws, rested her front ones on Magda, and then swiped the screen.

  “Oh, no,” Magda cried. “Don’t start that nonsense.” Then she looked at the email that had appeared after the cat hit the screen. She pointed it out to Sam. It was the one from the people in Scotland saying that they hoped the box arrived safely.

  Then the phone rang.

  Chapter 3

  Sam answered his phone and heard Declan. There was a problem that he wanted to sort out with the construction and wondered if he could come over for a quick word. Sam said it was fine and hung up.

  “You know this camping trip?” Magda asked, and Sam looked at her with a smile.

  “You fancy coming along?”

  She nodded and smiled back.

  “I wouldn’t get in the way, and I would like to hunt for wild raspberries if the owner wouldn’t mind.”

  “Wild raspberries?” he queried, and she told him about another center she wanted to try, making brandy-raspberry syrup for another truffle.

  “If the raspberries are local, that is an added attraction for customers, and there is a local distillery for the brandy as well.”

  Sam said he would call the owner, a man called Jeff Carnoustie, and check. By the time he had finished the call and given her the thumbs-up, Declan was at the door and the cats all came out to rub against his legs.

  “What a big boy you are growing into,” he said to Pushkin and picked up the black-and-white cat. Pushkin purred really loudly.

  “Fancy a beer?” Sam asked, and fetched three bottles from the fridge. Magda left the two men to peer at the technicalities of the construction and sat looking up the recipe for raspberry brandy. A long time ago, someone had given her a glass of the homemade syrupy liquid and she could still remember how delicious it was. It looked fairly simple in that you added raspberries to brandy and left it to mature.

  “So, if we change the base construction,” Sam concluded, “the rest should be safe.” Declan agreed, and Magda joined in
to say that she wanted to come along.

  “Okay by me,” Declan told her. Sam then told him about the way the cats reacted to the box from Scotland.

  “Shall we try it again?” Magda asked. Sam went to get the box from the car. As soon as the box came into the living room, the cats did the same thing. Abigail and Irina went to hide, and Crystal along with Pushkin hissed at the box. As the box was opened, Crystal arched her back and stalked all around. Declan picked up the piece of wood and both cats ran to hide behind the couch. He put it back down and they closed the box and removed it to the kitchen.

  “You didn’t see the man this time?” Magda asked, but Declan shook his head.

  “There is something strange here though,” he said. “It is a beautiful piece of wood, and I am guessing very old.”

  “I’ll read the notes they sent. Maybe there is a clue there somewhere,” Magda added.

  “I can take it home and see if my cats have the same reaction,” Declan offered, and the offer was taken up immediately.

  “Talking of wood,” Magda said, “would you consider letting me put some of your sculptures in the café?”

  Declan protested that they were only his own hobby and not really made to sell, but Magda told him that they were beautiful and he should not be so modest.

  “Okay,” he answered with a shrug, “it can’t do any harm. Come over and choose what you would like.”

  “Okay, thanks. Tomorrow night maybe,” Magda told him and grinned, “and I can look at the cat exercise area as well.”

  “Oh Lord,” Sam groaned. “I thought you had forgotten about that.” Magda gave him a punch on the arm.

  “This is me, Sam Barnes. Would I forget something like that?” Sam held his hands out in a gesture of resignation and Declan told him to just give in and build it.

  “Thanks Declan,” Magda said. “And thanks for letting me have some of the sculptures.” The carpenter left carrying the piece of ancient Scottish wood, and when the door was closed, the cats finally came out of hiding. Crystal stalked around the box but didn’t hiss, and Pushkin went right up to the box and rubbed against it.

  “So, it wasn’t the box. It was the wood,” Sam observed. Magda picked up the tartan material and the notes from the distillery.

  “And it isn’t any of these things. At least I can review the history in peace.”

  She settled on the couch and started to look at what the distillery had sent. There were pictures of the area and the distillery and a brief outline that said the whisky had been made since 1826. Sam brought her a coffee and she handed the photos over to him.

  “Looks like lovely and wild country. Lots of moors and small lakes.”

  “I think they would say lochs,” Sam added.

  “They have stuck to the old way of making whisky and kept it unique,” she added and settled down against Sam. “Enough for tonight. What about this camping trip?”

  “You can sleep in the truck, and I’ll get a tent from Mikey for Declan and myself,” Sam told her. “It’s ages since I’ve been out in the wilderness—although technically it will be private land.”

  In the end, Sam decided it was not worth going home to a cold house. They started the day together over a shared breakfast and then he drove off to oversee the building work that was currently being done.

  “I’ll drive you over to Declan’s when you close up if you like,” he offered as he stepped out the door and then came back to give her a kiss that still sent her heart doing somersaults in her ribcage.

  “Lovely,” she said and collected her things together for the café.

  It still gave Magda a thrill to open up her very own chocolate café and step inside the gleaming kitchen. At the same time, she did have a slight apprehension that the warrior that Declan had seen might still be lurking around somewhere. But all was quiet, and Rula arrived hot on her heels, followed by Katie. The girls were a good, close team who worked well together.

  Magda told them about the cats and the piece of wood.

  “Declan took the wood away to see if it affected his cats, and mercifully, ours settled down and actually sniffed the box and forgot about it.”

  She added that they were going over to see the wood sculptures after work.

  “I was wondering,” she said, “if you would be okay if I went on that two-day trip to the forest with Sam and Declan?”

  “As long as there is stock we should be okay. Maybe Branston would come and help,” Rula answered, and that reminded Magda to call him anyway and ask if they could come for a night at Sam’s new extension. Then the man in question strolled into the café wearing his outrageous cowboy costume and enormous Stetson.

  “Well that saves me a phone call,” Magda said, “but I have to look at you in that hat.”

  Her cousin swept off the offending hat and made a very exaggerated sweeping bow.

  “This outfit is essential for my work on the dude ranch. The clients love it. Why were you calling?” he held up a hand, “Don’t answer that. Merle says to ask if you had a weird ghostly experience?”

  “What?” the three girls all gasped together.

  “How on earth did she know?” Rula queried and handed Branston his favorite flat white coffee. He found a chair and brought it into the kitchen.

  “She just said that she kept thinking of Magda and wondered if anything was wrong.”

  “Wait for it,” Rula said. “Tell him the story, Magda.”

  “Wow,” Branston exclaimed when he heard it all. “That cat is at it again as well.”

  “And Pushkin,” Magda added.

  “Has this warrior dude come back again?” Branston asked, and Magda said that it seemed to be the piece of wood that was the problem and that Declan had taken it home.

  “Can you and Merle make it tomorrow night for a get-together?” Magda asked him. Then Rula asked if he would be able to help out when Magda was away for a couple of days the following week.

  “Well I am much in demand this morning,” Branston grinned. “Yes, I can help out as long as I tell the boss first—but more to the point—she has a nephew looking for a part-time job.” He looked at Magda. “Any chance you would need somebody?”

  Magda looked at the other two girls and they both nodded vigorously.

  “We are shorthanded,” Rula said, and Magda told her cousin to send the boy around.

  “He’s eighteen and called Josh,” he said. “I’ll go back and tell Merle the story. Are the wood and box going to be there tomorrow?”

  “I guess so, and food contributions will be appreciated.”

  “See you tomorrow, ladies,” he said and swept out the door with a swagger, tipping his enormous hat to the customers arriving and making them giggle. Magda shook her head and started making cheesecake decorations.

  Every once in a while, she felt a draft as if someone opened a door, but the double doors were open anyway and nobody was doing anything unusual. It was a little bit annoying and she asked Katie if she felt it as well.

  “Yes. I wondered if a window was open but there is no reason and no wind outside,” Katie answered, and went on stirring chocolate to coat a batch of orange liqueur truffles.

  Magda gave a little shiver and pulled on a white chef’s jacket. She glanced around and wondered if she was letting her imagination run wild.

  “Ain’t afraid of no ghosts,” she muttered defiantly, quoting the famous film but looking over her shoulder just the same.

  Rita arrived to start the lunchtime preparations and they were so busy that Magda forgot about the possible ghost. After lunch, Josh arrived and introduced himself.

  “Come and sit at the back of the kitchen away from the noise,” Magda told him. He said he was Josh Wilson and lived in town.

  “I can walk from home to here. Aunt Merle would give me a job but I can’t get out there.” Magda asked him the usual questions and he was keen to work.

  “Have you got time to see what we do today?” she asked, and he nodded, so she handed him a
big white apron and introduced him to the others.

  “Don’t try to be as fast as Rita. We’ve all tried and it’s impossible.” Rita gave a cheerful grin and said that she wouldn’t be the newbie anymore. “You would need to help Rula or Katie or me and that would mean doing a bit of everything,” Magda added.

  “Sounds great,” Josh said enthusiastically. She told him to start in the morning.

  They finished a busy day and then Sam came to collect Magda to go to Declan’s. He met them at the door and said that his cats hated the wood as well.

  “Never ever happened before. This piece of wood must have some sort of scent or feeling attached to it.”

  Inside the living room, he brought out a big box that he had found in which to keep the wood, and opened it. As soon as the wood appeared, all four cats shot into the kitchen and huddled in the farthest corner they could reach. He closed the door to settle them down and asked if the wood could go in the car. Sam took it outside and when he came back, all four cats were peacefully on the furniture again.

  “That is so strange,” Magda said. “I guess we could always burn it and get rid of it completely.”

  “In the meantime, it can go back in a box at the café, and after tomorrow night, we can decide what to do with it,” Sam added.

  Declan showed Magda the sculptures and she ran her hands over the smooth curves.

  “I can tell you what sort of wood each one is,” he offered.

  “I love them all,” Magda told him, but she chose four to see what customers thought of them. She asked him for a price but he had no idea.

  “I’ll price them for the shop and halve it with you,” she suggested, and Declan said he was happy with that.

  “If that Scottish wood was normal, it would make a lovely curved shape,” he remarked.

  “We’ll not risk it,” Magda told him and asked if she could see the cat exercise area. Sam sighed and followed her onto the decking.

  Chapter 4