Vesta Mansion: Book One - The Power Inside

by P. A. Priddey

  * * *

  Halloween came and James thought it would be funny to buy all the women witches’ brooms, but not so funny when he found himself being chased by twenty-one of them waving the sticks at him.

  It didn’t stop him making jokes as he ran. ‘You might catch me if you ride the brooms instead of waving them around.’

  Even House got involved by giving Alex a running commentary on the pursuit when they disappeared out of view. The women have split up now and are trying to corner him on the top floor. No, he escaped, but it was close.

  James slid down the bannister grinning with the women not far behind, as he ran towards the gym.

  Alex shook his head. ‘Bad mistake.’

  ‘Why, Papa?’ said Adhara, also watching along with Sarin and Tia.

  ‘They have him now.’

  Half the women followed James into the gym, the other half ran into the room with the swimming pool, and a few minutes later they came back out laughing. James followed not long after dripping water all over the floor.

  ‘You had to go and fill the pool up didn’t you?’

  ‘It softened your fall.’ Alex laughed, and pointed at the water on the floor. ‘Look, Claire, he’s already getting his own back on you.’

  ‘James, just look at the mess you’re making,’ she said, and walked over to him.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he said, and wrapped his arms around her.

  * * *

  They had a fancy-dress party for Halloween. Adhara and Sarin dressed as werewolves, and Alex as Dracula. A few of the women were witches and carried the brooms James had bought. One of the witches was Summer, who stood staring at the front door. Tia, dressed as a werewolf, and near her, taller, was Rho.

  ‘She’s OK.’ Alex reassured Summer as she lifted her stick.

  Rho lay down, and Tia climbed on his back. The wolf stood before walking over to Alex. The twins ran over and hugged them.

  That was a nice touch, said Alex.

  Rho looked up. What has happened to everyone?

  How do you mean?

  You’ve gone pale, the girls are hairy, and everyone else looks weird.

  We’re having a fancy dress party, these are costumes.

  You humans are quite strange at times.

  Yeah, we are, so how’s Chi and the little ones?

  They’re well thank you.

  ‘Oooh, he’s a big one,’ said Carrie, dressed as a witch, her outfit stood out to most of the others, to Alex’s delight and dismay. It was a black dress which didn’t cover much, with plenty of cleavage and leg on show with her stocking tops visible.

  ‘This is Rho; he’s a friend.’

  ‘Hi, Rho,’ said Carrie, bending over slightly to stroke him, and Alex almost dropped his drink.

  * * *

  November the fifth came, and they attended a firework display. They would have had one at the mansion, but didn’t want to frighten the animals. Alex noticed the girls were shivering, and wondered why they didn’t have a coat, and why he hadn’t told them to put one on. He was holding Sarin so she could see above the people in front, while Blaze had picked up Adhara.

  ‘Where’s your coat?’ he asked Sarin.

  ‘What coat, Papa?’ she said, beaming at the fireworks.

  ‘Any coat, or at least one which will keep you warm when it’s cold.’

  ‘I don’t have one.’

  James drove them back on the coach where Alex stood. ‘Tomorrow we’re having a day off.’

  ‘Why are we?’ said Paige.

  ‘Clothes shopping, the girls don’t have any winter clothes, and I don’t have many.’

  ‘I thought Blaze was in charge,’ said Claire.

  Alex smiled, and looked at Blaze. ‘She is.’

  ‘If Alex is giving everyone a day off, paid for, I also get one.’

  Carrie grinned. ‘Will you buy me a coat?’

  Alex shrugged. ‘Choose what you want, I’ll pay for every one’s clothes, if that’s OK?’

  Paige raised an eyebrow. ‘Why would you buy our clothes?’

  ‘Well, I did say no uniforms, which means you have to wear your own clothes while working. So it’s only fair I buy you new ones.’

  Carrie winked. ‘Now that’s an offer, do you wanna come and help me choose what to buy in the lingerie department?’

  Alex’s face turned red, and the women laughed.

  * * *

  James took them to the same store where Alex first bought the girls clothes, only this time there was a lot more of them. He and Alex walked to the men’s section. The store manager was out watching as he remembered them from before and had all his staff out helping.

  Most of the women wanted to go to a more fashionable store, which wasn’t far. Carrie insisted on showing Alex every item she chose, she showed him one tight dress and the underwear she believed would go with it. He covered his eyes, and she smiled, before he handed over his card to the woman behind the till.

  Alex enjoyed spending money that day.

  * * *

  A week passed and one morning Alex woke, he looked out the window and saw a heavy frost. He dressed. The girls were already downstairs, wearing their new coats when he joined them. They had hats which resembled a wolf with floppy ears.

  ‘Can we see them now?’ Adhara asked.

  Alex nodded. ‘It’s time, let me get my coat.’

  They walked out to the wolves shed. Adhara opened the door, and small, furry, cubs attacked her. She loved it and rolled on the floor with them, Sarin and Tia decided to join her.

  ‘It’s time for you to move in,’ Alex said to Rho and Chi, as Livvy and Donna came over to them.

  The girls carried a cub each, and Alex struggled with the other two who just wanted to jump down or lick his face. He managed to get inside without slipping on the ice. Rho and Chi followed him inside as he put the cubs down who ran around checking everything out. Alex could hear delighted squeals from the main hall as the women saw the cubs for the first time.

  Are you sure about this? he said to the wolves.

  It was your idea, said Rho.

  You’re part of our family, and now you’re part of our pack.

  In a pack there’s only one alpha male, and we both have children.

  Mine came ready-made, and there won’t be any breeding with the ladies here as I’m not their type, said Alex, sadly thinking about Carrie.

  You surround yourself with so many females, and they won’t mate with you?

  Yeah, but it’s nothing personal.

  They made their way into the main hall, where all seven cubs were now being held. The women stared at Chi, she was slightly smaller than Rho, but she was a mother and it would make her more dangerous. Chi looked at the women, and Alex could tell she was pleased with what she saw as she lay down on the rug in front of the fireplace.

  Blaze stared at the wolf. ‘Is she OK?’

  Alex took off his coat before sitting down. ‘Chi’s tired; the birth was tough on her, as the duration was longer than it should have been. She’d be happy if you would look after the cubs while she rested.’

  Paige stroked one of the excited cubs. ‘I think we could manage that.’

  ‘Are they going to live with us now?’ said Carrie, as one of the cubs licked her face.

  ‘Yeah, they’ve just moved in,’ said Alex.

  ‘Well, if it gets any colder I might join them in front of the fire at night.’

  * * *

  Alex had a meeting with George, going over his finances, and appeared to have more money than the last time he checked. He offered to pay for lunch, and on their way they passed an antique shop where Alex had to have a look inside.

  ‘Hello, Joseph,’ said George, as they entered the shop.

  ‘Hello, my friends,’ said a tall, slim, elderly looking man, shaking his hand, then that of James.

  ‘This is Alex Aylward, the owner of Vesta Mansion.’

  ‘Joseph Castor,’ the man said, and shook Alex’s hand. ‘I heard som
eone was living in the big house again.’

  ‘You’ve been to the mansion before?’

  ‘I’ve visited it many times. It always fascinated me as a child.’

  Alex considered it. ‘Do you have anything from there?’

  ‘You’re not suggesting I took anything are you, sir?’

  ‘Please my name is Alex, and whatever’s been taken was before either of us was born.’

  ‘But I’m a lot older than you.’

  ‘Do you have anything?’ Alex realised he sounded impatient.

  ‘Are you in a rush, my young friend?’

  ‘I’ve invited my friends out to lunch, and I’m keeping them waiting, but I had to have a look inside your shop.’

  ‘Lunch sounds nice, and yes I do have a few items from the mansion.’

  Alex felt excited by it. ‘Can I see them, and you’re invited to lunch.’

  ‘That’s kind of you, the items you’re after are out the back, and not for sale.’

  Alex’s mood dropped. ‘Not for sale? I was hoping to take them back to the mansion.’

  ‘Let me show you them and will explain what I mean by not for sale.’ The tall slim shopkeeper took a set of keys and opened a door at the back of the shop.

  He opened a large safe and took out and old vase which he passed to Alex. It was grey with writing on he couldn’t read. Joseph gave him a three-foot wooden chest with fancy metal work and shapes carved into it. The final item was leaning up a wall covered with a sheet of cloth. It was a landscape painting of the mansion from a distance.

  ‘These are yours to take.’

  Alex opened the chest and found it empty. ‘How much do you want for them?’

  ‘Nothing, they have been kept safe here since an ancestor of mine took them from the mansion.’

  Alex carried the items out of the room. ‘Why would he take something just to keep safe?’

  ‘A man asked him to take them so no one could steal them, and someone would come for them when the mansion was occupied again.’

  ‘Thank you, but I must give you something for your family’s services.’

  Joseph walked to the shop door and turned the sign around saying closed. ‘You offered to pay for lunch.’

  I have seen him at the mansion before, said House, as Alex put the antiques in the car.

  He said he had visited a few times. How come he was able to remember the mansion and go back?

  A few do, if I like them.

  He said these items he gave me were from the mansion.

  Oh yes, they do belong there. The painting is what one of the owners had done, and the others belonged to someone who stayed there for a while.

  After the meal they drove back to the mansion. George wanted to see the cubs and Joseph wanted to see how the place looked with someone living there. Alex took the antiques inside and put them in the study. George walked over to the wolf cubs, now asleep to the annoyance of three little girls.

  * * *

  Over the next couple of weeks Joseph became a regular visitor and Alex’s dreams returned. He stood looking out the window over the ancient city.

  ‘Are you OK, my lord?’ said a voice behind him.

  ‘It will never be OK, Thoun, I sent them away.’

  ‘My Lord Siphon, they broke your laws and gave you no choice.’

  ‘I had many choices and I chose the wrong one.’

  ‘They cast enchantments,’ said Thoun.

  ‘And I’m going to find out exactly what they’ve done?’

  The dream changed, it was dark shapes hiding in the background that kept grabbing at him.

  Alex woke frustrated about the dream, and wanted to know more. He dressed and walked downstairs.

  ‘The dark shapes are new, said Rho.

  ‘They worry me for some reason,’ said Alex. ‘What do you think of Joseph?’

  I Like him, he can talk for hours though, why do you ask?

  ‘Just seems a coincidence that my dreams started again not long after he gave me those items.’

  House wouldn’t have let you bring the items here if something was wrong with them.

  ‘True and it’s not that I distrust the man, far from it, I just wonder what role he has to play in this.’

  I don’t understand . . . a role to play in what?

  ‘These dreams mean something, and as much as I want all this finished so we can live happily ever after . . . there’s more to come.’

  * * *

  The following morning it was raining heavy. Alex had breakfast and walked the children to school, which was at the other end of the hall in the library. He strolled around the mansion realising it could get boring during lessons, and thought of the others working outside on a wet day. He had avoided Carrie as much as possible, as he felt like he was falling for her more and more each day. Living in the same mansion wasn’t easy, and bumped into her again, and as always they embraced. That was the main problem, if they didn’t have to touch each other he might be able to cope. It was as much his fault as Carrie’s, he knew that.

  * * *

  Carrie broke the embrace, and hurried off to the gym. She was frustrated with him, just as much as she was with herself for it. Her problem was she worked there, if you could call it that. She spent most of the day in the gym or the swimming pool. She was happy with her salon, but would be happier if she had more work to do. She could always leave, but that was never going to happen. Carrie turned and looked back before going into the gym and saw Alex still watching, he turned away quickly.

  She smiled.

  * * *

  ‘Will you stop pacing up and down,’ said Blaze. ‘They’ll think you’re checking up on them.’

  ‘Maybe I am,’ said Alex, noticing Amy and Lucy. ‘And where are you two going?’

  Amy looked confused. ‘Work, where do you think we’re going?’

  ‘Are you going to swim down to the stables?’

  Lucy covered her short dark hair with a woolly hat. ‘We have to check on the horses.’

  ‘The horses will be fine,’ said Alex. House, are the horses OK?

  They are fine.

  Lucy stared at him. ‘I’d like to check on them.’

  ‘Leave it a couple of hours, and if you’re still worried I’ll show you a way through the woods, not that it’ll be much drier.’

  ‘And what we gonna do in the mean time?’

  Alex shrugged. ‘Up to you, as I’m bored myself. The cinema is free without the children, there’s the gym, pool or you can join us on the sofas.’

  ‘Well it’s too early for a film so we’ll join you oldies.’

  ‘Where are Livvy and Donna?’

  ‘They already left,’ said Blaze.

  Alex fetched a couple of umbrellas. ‘I best go and find them.’ The two girls or women, he wasn’t sure what to call them as they both looked young were sheltering in one of the outhouses. He opened the door and they were both stood looking quite miserable. ‘What do you think you two are doing?’

  Livvy gave him a nervous smile. ‘Waiting for it to stop raining.’

  ‘I can see that, but why are you waiting here when there’s a much bigger place that’s not so boring? And before you ask about standing around doing nothing, it’s raining so you have the day off.’

  ‘Who’s in charge around here?’ said Donna.

  ‘Blaze is in charge of the mansion, and you’re in charge of the gardens, but I’m here for workers’ rights.’

  Livvy’s eyes grew big. ‘And what rights do we have?’

  ‘The right not to work in the rain.’

  Livvy took an umbrella off him, and they made their way back to the mansion. ‘We wouldn’t be able to do much in this anyway.’

  ‘It’s not gonna be a very exciting day,’ said Donna, when they were back inside.

  Alex thought about it. ‘You could be ordering a greenhouse, or a potting shed or whatever you call it.’

  Livvy smiled. ‘We can do that?’

  ‘You’re in c
harge, order what you need,’ said Alex, as he took her arm and pointed down the hall beyond the stairs. ‘What about the area down there?’

  Livvy looked baffled. ‘You can’t put a greenhouse inside the mansion.’

  Alex laughed. ‘I know that, but what about the machines from the arcade, I know the children love the dancing one.’

  ‘I like the motorbike one.’

  ‘And I like the car one,’ said Amy.

  ‘There you go, that’s three already, you keep thinking and I’ll get them put in.’

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Little Ghosts & Psychic Women

  Alex’s dreams over the next few nights were fuzzy. He dreamt of the ancient kingdom but didn’t get much further as dark shapes kept taking over. He heard Thoun say. ‘They made a mistake and it will end up killing them.’ But the dark shapes took over, grabbing at him, swirling all around, and it seemed to last a long time before he woke. He lay there in a cold sweat, still tired before getting up. He dressed and trudged downstairs.

  Blaze watched him. ‘You don’t look so good.’

  ‘I’ve not been sleeping well, is Joseph here?’

  ‘He’s having breakfast with George. You do know you’re allowed a lie in if you’re tired.’

  ‘I’ll keep it in mind,’ he said, and walked into the party room looking for the two men.

  James was also there eating his breakfast. Alex looked over at Summer behind the hatch, and shook his head to tell her he wasn’t ready for his yet.

  ‘You not eating?’ said George.

  ‘No, I’m still tired.’

  ‘More dreams?’ said James, as he coaxed the last few beans on to his fork with the aid of a knife.

  Alex nodded wearily. ‘Yeah, but they never affected me before.’

  Joseph dabbed his mouth with a napkin. ‘Are you having bad dreams?’

  Alex slumped down on a chair and yawned. ‘I’ve had a few, but this last week they’ve been different, there’s other things in them.’