by Sonia Parin
“Mirabelle, would you mind doing something about the cottage witches? I doubt I’d know what to do.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Luna, would you stay with the pupils and make sure they don’t melt or... crack. Also, keep the birds away from them. I wouldn’t want them mistaking the pupils for statues.” She turned to Penny and Eloise. “Ladies, if you’d like to follow me.”
Jake caught up with Lexie. “How are you going to tackle this?”
“I hope you’re not going to suggest I exercise caution. I’m going straight for the jugular. The sooner I’m out of this ridiculous puffy sleeved dress, the better.” Somewhere in the midst of her accusations, she hoped she’d find some sort of explanation for the pupils’ thefts and a possible connection to Lindsay Leonard.
“I am afraid this is all my fault,” Penny declared as they entered the office.
“No, Penelope. You cannot accept all responsibility.” Eloise hung her head. “I too am to blame.”
“Great. An admission of guilt. Now, would you mind telling me what you’re confession to?”
“As headmistress of the Lauriston Academy, it has been my duty to uphold and preserve our founder’s vision for the academy...”
Lexie waited for the headmistress to end her monologue. Actually, she wanted to hear the punch line. But it never came.
Lexie pointed to the cross-stitched family tree. “Who altered this?”
Both women blanched.
Penny spoke first, “We’re not entirely sure. We have, however, narrowed it down to Ms Florence Leeds. She excelled at needlework.”
Lexie squinted and studied the names. “Where is she in the scheme of things?”
“Five generations ago.”
“The tree needs to be updated periodically,” Lexie said.
Both women nodded.
“Are you by any chance related?”
“We are... cousins.”
“And you’re both listed under Cynthia’s side of the tree but... in reality...”
“Yes. The tree has been doctored. We cannot be sure when this all began. Someone... most likely Florence, thought it would be sensible to cover our tracks.”
“Why didn’t you stop it?”
Eloise launched into another speech about upholding traditions.
“But it was wrong,” Lexie argued.
That triggered another sermon.
“Basically, you didn’t want the school to fall under the hands of a Cynthia descendant because you assumed they would have inherited her happy-go-lucky characteristics and so would have destroy everything Gertrude had worked for.”
“Lamentably, yes. But they were financially compensated. Lillian, however, wanted to rectify what she perceived to be an injustice. She... she wouldn’t listen to reason.”
“How did she even get the job?”
It was Penny’s turn to blush. “I thought I’d been thorough but she appears to have falsified her documents.”
Jake nodded. “When I researched her, I found her lineage going back to the time of Gertrude Lauriston, but no connection to the family. She must have stolen the identity.”
“We became aware of her trying to find proof of wrong-doing,” Penny said and pointed to the cross-stitched family tree. “She had access to Eloise’s office. It was silly of us to hide the proof in plain sight.”
“You must understand, they would have disbanded the school. None of them have ever cared about upholding the tradition...”
“So you set the three witches onto them—”
“No!” Eloise wrung her hands and exchanged an uneasy look with Penny.
Penny gave a brisk shake of her head. “We tried to find a solution but there isn’t one. They are... They are beyond our control.”
Lexie’s mouth gaped open. “You said the cooks were the backbone of the school.” Lexie swung toward the portraits of the sisters. “Cynthia coerced the Leonard heiress into bequeathing the house and land but Gertrude did something else too.”
Eloise nodded. “She set everything in motion. She knew her sister only too well. Gertrude created a living caveat, empowering the cooks and their descendants with a caretaker capacity without realizing they would become a power unto themselves.”
“The cooks and the maid?”
“Yes. Their sole purpose is to ensure Gertrude’s wishes are maintained. Their task is handed over from generation to generation,” Eloise explained. “When Ms Lillian tricked her way into a position at the academy, they became suspicious of her. Then Lillian threatened to expose the school.”
“So they did away with her?”
They nodded. “What’s to become of them now?”
“I’m handing this matter over to the O’Rourke Group. I guess they’ll bind them for good. As for you two...”
Penelope put her hand up. “We understand. We will be facing a disciplinary council.”
Since the council was most likely made up of Lauristonian graduates, Lexie suspected they’d be let off lightly.
She looked out the window and saw Mirabelle’s orb emerging from the cottage. Lexie was about to turn away when she noticed something else coming out of the cottage.
She opened her mouth to holler out a warning, but instead she said, “If two witches would watch two watches, which witch would watch which watch?” Flapping her arms, Lexie took off.
Bursting out of the building, her arms still flapping, she saw the three witches’ orb catching up with Mirabelle.
Lexie called out to Luna who sprinted into action. She clambered over one pupil, leaped onto another and another, using them as a platform to launch herself onto Lexie’s waiting arms.
Catching her, Lexie lost her balance. As they rolled onto the ground, Lexie took aim and shouted to Mirabelle, “Duck for cover.”
Epilogue
“I think it’s time to unfreeze the pupils. They have been standing out here long enough,” Eloise suggested.
Not long enough, Lexie thought and watched a bird relieve itself on Claudette.
“On one condition.”
Mirabelle appeared to be about to object but promptly retreated when Lexie gave her a warning look.
“You are to introduce a new class to the curriculum. Proper Feline Companion Care with periodic substance abuse tests.” Poor Sasha would have to go on the wagon. “Also, there’s the matter of Lindsay Leonard.”
“Oh, we’ve been aware of her comings and goings,” Penny said.
“And that didn’t raise any concerns? She’s been breaking into the school, presumably trying to locate the will.”
“We don’t understand why. Her parents have the original will. We haven’t made a fuss because it would only stir up old resentments.”
“Do they have a legitimate claim?”
“No. Magic or no magic, the will is watertight.”
“Did you know the pupils use Lindsay to get contraband food in?”
“Yes, we’ve been aware of that for some time. But we could hardly blame them. We had no control over the cooks and their skills have been falling by the wayside. They were nothing like their predecessors...” Eloise turned to her. “There is, however, still the matter of the missing articles.”
“Nothing but pupils playing up and if not for them, we might not have been called in. So I suggest you let it go.”
“As you wish.”
Mirabelle hovered over to her and whispered, “I will have to make recommendations to have the cottage sealed off.”
“And you want me to tell them and make is sound as if it’s my decision?”
“It would be greatly appreciated. You understand, as a graduate, it would be awkward for me to convey such a harsh condition.”
“Yeah, whatever...”
* * *
Lexie and Luna stood by watching the O’Rourke Group carry off the bound witches.
Jake approached them, his lips stretched into a wide smile.
“Apart from the time I spent locked in your bathroom, I
have to say it was interesting working with you. I hope our paths cross again.”
Lexie sighed. “I guess it will. Mirabelle is determined to set us up in business.” Lexie turned to Luna.
Time to go home. You want to have a last stroll around the Lauriston grounds?
No, I have... I’ve had my fill. Whatever you do, don’t click your heels. Mirabelle is watching and I feel she’s already been humiliated enough.
Hey, we saved her butt.
Yes, but it was her task to secure the witches.
All right. Goodbye puffy sleeves, hello denim jeans.
* * *
“And hello closet.”
Luna pressed her nose against the closet door and opened it. “We should sit down and start working on our new agreement.”
“What one is that?”
“Do not toy with my stomach. I’ve seen the gourmet treats my sister eats. I demand equal treatment.”
Lexie crawled out of her closet and rose to her feet. “Do I hear voices? Not this again.” She strode to her bedroom door. There were definitely voices coming from the sitting room.
She heard Octavia say, “...Oh, oh. I’ve got one. Why don’t angry witches ride their brooms?”
“Why?” Jonathan asked.
“They’re afraid of flying off the handle. Your turn.”
Peering out the door, Lexie saw Jonathan brush his hand across his chin.
“How do witches tell time?” he asked.
“That’s an easy one. With a witch watch.”
Lexie strode in.
“Oh, you’re back,” Octavia exclaimed. “And you’re still wearing your lovely gown. I guess that means you enjoyed yourself.”
Jonathan rose to his feet. “Glad to see you made it back in one piece.”
Had she interrupted something between her personal assistant and Jonathan?
“You’re taking off?” Lexie asked.
Jonathan shook his head. “Just going to the door. Pizza’s just arrived. Mirabelle contacted Octavia a short while ago to say you’d be coming back soon so we ordered pizza.” He took the box from the delivery boy and turned to her, “Then again, you’ve been gorging on gourmet stuff so you might not want any.”
“Huh! You better call them again and order another one, cos this one’s all mine.”
She didn’t even wait to sit down before sinking her teeth into a slice. Luna looked up at her, her eyes wide, her little mouth hanging open.
Jonathan tapped his boot against a box. “Mirabelle dropped some cat food off.”
Luna rushed up to it.
Open it. Open it.
“Jonathan, can you open that up for me, please?”
“This looks expensive,” he said. “Quail? Pheasant... Atlantic smoked salmon...”
I think Mirabelle is trying to bribe us.
You would do well not to mention what happened. She’d appreciate that.
This looks like the cat food she got from her own pantry. I’m not sure we can actually buy this stuff here.
Well then... you negotiate your terms. Discretions comes at a price...
“Hey, we heard about the barbecued witch,” Jonathan said, “Did you find the killer?”
“Yep. All done and dusted. Three rogue witches put away.”
“You’re getting quite good at this.”
“You’d get good at it too if you were thrown in at the deep end.”
Not bothering to put the pizza box down, Lexie strode around her small apartment wondering how long she had before Mirabelle and Cat paid her another visit.
“What else have you guys been up to?”
Octavia waved to a whiteboard. “I brought this in so we could use it for our brainstorming sessions. We’ve been working on a business name...”
“Crafty Investigations,” Lexie said around a mouthful of pizza.
“Crafty...” Octavia mused, “I like it, but I’m afraid Mirabelle will think it too... uncouth.”
“Oh... I think not,” Lexie said. She had leverage now.
* * * * *
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading Witch Charm
Alexandra Elizabeth Mackenzie has a long way to go before she ascends to her rightful position as High Chair of the American Continent and all Circumferential Domains Pertaining to the Mackenzie Coven, aka… well, she’ll think of something.
The next book in the series:
Book 5 “Witch Trials”
If you’d like to receive news about the next Mackenzie Coven Mystery, please subscribe to my newsletter soniaparin.com or check in on Facebook or Twitter. Alternatively, you can click here to sign up and receive a copy of Sunny Side Up - Book 1 in A Deadline Cozy Mystery series.
A Mackenzie Coven Mystery (Paranormal Cozy Mysteries)
Witch Inheritance
Witch Indeed
Witch Cast
Witch Charm
A Deadline Cozy Mystery (Contemporary Cozy Mysteries)
Sunny Side Up
Snuffed Out
All Tied Up
The Last Bite
Final Cut
Swimming With the Fishes