“What’s wrong, skin-and-bones? Broken a finger? Serve you right!”
“I’m okay. Let us alone!” Tanya snarled.
Beth sniffed disagreeably. But maybe Tanya didn’t know how to put the cover on a duvet. It was tricky, if you hadn’t had as much practice as Beth, and Tanya was much smaller. Or maybe she just had blankets at home. Beth’s conscience niggled.
“Here, I’ll do it - this time! You put on the pillowcases. I suppose you can do that much? And then I must get a shower, like mum said.” She couldn’t help herself. “I’m nearly as stinky as you.”
Under the pillow she was struggling with, Tanya’s voice was muffled with pillow and temper. “What’s with the ‘nearly’?”
“What? What did you -?” Beth’s snarl was interrupted. A flash of lightning filled the whole room. Instantly, Beth was diverted. “Wow! Look at that!” A deep rolling boom of thunder shook the windows, and the cooling rain at last started to sheet down.
Tanya dropped the pillow to kneel on the window seat and lean out. “Ey, that’s magic!
Right on top of us, too! Fair tipping it down, eh? Just smell the ozone!”
Beth sniffed, caught a ripe whiff of Tanya, and drew back. She tried to cover up. “I think it’s the sea. I’d better shut the window before the rain soaks the cushion.”
Tanya had noticed. Snooty madam! Her eyes glinted. “Don’t want a wet bum next time yer sits there, eh? Yer mam might think you’d had a nasty accident!”
Stiffening angrily, Beth finished the bed in silence.
Somebody had to say something... “What’s wrong with your mum anyway?”
Tanya shrugged one shoulder. “Cancer. Had a pain for months, but she wouldn’t do nowt. Scared, see? Till she couldn’t get up one morning. An’ I called the doc, an’ he said they’d take her in soon as they found her a bed. So mam phoned Aunt Mary. I said I could look after meself, an’ visit her, I told her, but she said no. If the Social found us, they’d put us in a Home, an’ she’d not risk that. Had to get us settled, she said. I didn’t want to come here.”
She wasn’t the only one... Beth was surprised to find herself feeling sorry for her cousin but she couldn’t say so, of course. “Couldn’t you have stayed with a neighbour?”
Tanya snorted. “Round our block? You must be joking! It’s not what you’d call a neighbourly neighbourhood. Things are so bleak at ’ome that even our Gran ran off to Texas wi’ her new man to get away from it all. She wed again at near sixty. Ain’t decent!”
Beth had to laugh at Tanya’s outrage. Life looked like being more lively, anyway - if she could get the scraggy little scruff to clean up. If? She’d start right away. “Come on, get fresh clothes and let’s clean up, then you can go out and look round the town. You can change in here.” She noticed Tanya’s hesitation. “What’s wrong?”
“In front of you?” Tanya was defensive.
“Why not? We all get dressed together at the Academy, after games.” And if Tanya’s mother was really so ill, she might be here for a long time - worse luck, so she might as well get used to it.
The very same thoughts were going through Tanya’s mind, but she was too proud to say it. Her voice was shrill with defiance. “Okay. Don’t suppose it matters.”
Tanya didn’t have any socks. To Beth’s horror, all Tanya had in her bag was a book on vampires, two more T-shirts - also rotten under the arms, and not very clean - and a huge baggy black jumper with soup stains and scorch marks down the front. Inside her boots, her feet were bare.
Beth bit her lip. “Tanya - er - look, would you like some more things? Guests have a habit of leaving things behind.”
She wondered if Tanya would be offended, but her cousin seemed quite happy at the idea. There weren’t any socks small enough. She condescended to accept a pair of smallish red leggings - “Ain’t black!” she complained - but dismissed with disdain two light T-shirts. Then she seized a man’s shirt in bright purple. “Great!”
Beth sniffed. She could understand why it had been left more easily than why it had ever been bought in the first place. It would be a tent on Tanya - but at least it was clean. Boots and no socks - oh, yuck!
That afternoon, after Beth hurled all her clothes in the washing machine, Tanya went out for a walk. The sleeves of the huge purple shirt were rolled up to her elbows, and its hem hung knee-length over her red legs rising like sticks of rhubarb from her boots. Beth hoped nobody realised she came from Firthview...
Tanya made her feelings about Nairn perfectly clear. “Dead-end hole!”
Beth seethed, but held her tongue. Must be polite to the guest!
That evening, Tanya didn’t appreciate the smooth organisation of the meal. “Do it right, and it’s easy enough. Time and motion, that’s all,” Beth was showing off. “But if something goes wrong it can get a bit dramatic. Remember when we found the fish had gone bad, just half an hour before dinner, mum?”
“Don’t I just!” Putting the dishcloths in to soak, Mary sank down with a sigh and a cup of tea. “Never mind, we coped. That’s the main thing. As long as you keep your head, you’re alright.”
Tanya looked round the kitchen. “What do we do now, then? You ain’t got no telly.”
Beth sneered. “Sure. We’re deprived!”
Mary laughed. “Do you play backgammon, Tanya?”
“What’s that? Like Nintendo?”
Beth rolled her eyes.
Next morning Tanya slept on, while Beth got up at seven as usual.
“Hi!” Mary greeted her cheerfully. “Everybody’s at eight except Mr Mandrake, he’s at nine. How are you getting on with Tanya now?”
“Oh, we’ll survive I suppose.” Starting on her share of the breakfast work, Beth bit her lip. “Mum, she didn’t come up by train.” She eyed her mother sideways. “Aunt Liz didn’t go to Majorca. When Tanya got back from school - she’s only been going about two days a week, she says, for the last three years! - ” She was horrified, but Mary just shook her head sadly. “ - Aunt Liz just wasn’t there. So Tanya waited two days, till she ran out of cash for food, and then she raided the electric meter. But she’d done it so often, there wasn’t enough in it for a ticket, she says. I don’t know how much to believe.”
“Most of it, I’m afraid. I wonder where Liz is? Irresponsible, she is. Oh, well. So how did Tanya get here?”
“She hitched.”
“Hitch-hiked? She must have been mad!”
“You mean you approve?” Beth was astonished.
“Don’t be daft!” Mary snorted. “Of course I don’t approve! It’s dangerous! But at least she got here. No point now in telling her she shouldn’t have. Take the milk jugs through, love. A right wee toughie, that one. Dauntless. Face up to anything... she may need to.”
Beth grimaced. “You think Auntie Liz might be very ill?”
Her mother shrugged. “Could be. Tanya may need all her courage yet.”
“All that silver junk,” Beth muttered resentfully. “You know she pierced her ears herself with a needle and a cork behind! Did you see the scabs? And the skull rings? And that cross! Yuck!”
Mary laughed. “Oh, dear! Where did I get such a conventional daughter? Tastes differ, pet. That’s everything in the warmer. Is the urn boiling? Okay. Stand by to repel boarders.”
An hour later, Tanya wandered in, yawning and resplendent in purple shirt, rings, earrings and pendant, black lipstick, nail varnish and eyeliner. Her hair was shiny, though, and her neck was white. The first time in weeks, probably, Beth thought in grim satisfaction.
With the rush over, Mary had time to greet her with a smile. “Morning, pet! Sleep well?” She was pink and warm, washing dishes while Beth brought more through from the dining room.
“Yeah, fine, Aunt Mary.” Tanya pinched half a sausage off a plate. Beth felt ill. She’d take any left in the warming dish, but to eat leftovers! Yuck!
“We’ll be done here in another half-hour,” Mary said. “Eight for dinner, and nobody leaving. A nice
easy day. You girls can go for a picnic once the rooms are done.” It might bring some colour into Tanya’s white face. “Listen, there’s Mr Mandrake coming down the stairs.”
Neat in grey school skirt and white blouse, Beth served Mr Mandrake’s coffee and toast, but as she dished up his meal, she dropped a tomato. “Oh, rats and botheration, look at that! It’s splashed all down my front!”
“Rinse it right away, love, or we’ll never clean it off.”
Beth glanced at Tanya. Well, she was clean and decent. “Tanya, will you take Mr Mandrake’s breakfast through?”
Tanya hesitated, feeling shy. But Aunt Mary was up to her elbows in dishes, and Beth was scrubbing at her blouse. She picked up the plate and went into the dining room.
The man sitting alone was big and broad all over, even his face, and his wavy golden hair was longish. A right snazzy sweater. He had style, for an old geezer of about fifty. His eyes were dazzlingly blue as he sat back, smiling, to let her lay down the plate. “Thank-you. You’re the cousin, aren’t you? You don’t look like Beth.” Tanya stiffened, but he seemed to be approving. “Are you going to run a hotel when you grow up?”
She grinned. “No way! Gonna be a witch.”
“Indeed? An unusual ambition. Do you know anything about it yet?”
She was pleased that he hadn’t laughed, which was what she was used to. “Yeah. Read a pile o’ books about it. An’ I got a friend in Oldham who’s into it.”
“Ever tried casting a spell?” He seemed friendly. Too friendly perhaps. His eyes were bright blue. “Wasn’t it you who I heard threatening to curse somebody?”
She blushed and turned aside, to avoid his eyes. “D’yer want owt else?” she asked coldly. None of his business what she’d said.
“I beg your pardon if I’ve offended you,” he smiled. “I actually run an occult group in London. If you like, I could suggest books to read, and so on.”
She was pleased in spite of her odd uneasiness with him. “Ta, be blooming magic!”
“What else?”
They both laughed. She relaxed, until he took hold of the upside-down cross dangling at her neck.
“You’re an unusual girl, my dear. What’s your name?”
“Tanya.” She felt dizzy somehow, blinked and tugged away. As the cross slipped from his fingers, her head cleared.
“Right, Tanya. I’m delighted to have met you. Tell your aunt I’ll certainly be staying another few days.” He went on with his meal, smiling gently.
Tanya went back to the kitchen. There was something funny about him.
It had been taken for granted, now that she’d started, that Tanya would help with the housework. She considered arguing, but seeing a sneer ready to creep onto Beth’s face, thought better of it.
Beth gave a flashy demonstration of how to change towels, clean a washbasin, polish the taps, mirror and glass, make up three beds perfectly, dust and vacuum a room, all in under fifteen minutes. Taking a deep breath, Tanya tried to copy her. It was hard work, though!
Beth nodded as they carried the vacuum cleaner down from the lounge. “You’re getting the hang of it. All done, and it’s not eleven yet.” Yes, she should say it. “Thanks.”
“No fuss,” Tanya smirked. But she could do with a sit-down.
“We’ll get the second lot of towels hung up and the sheets into the machine.”
“Ain’t we finished yet?”
In her turn, Beth smirked. “Just about. Not much to do this morning. Nobody leaving, no beds to change.” Feeble little titch! Never done a hand’s turn in her lazy life, probably. “And then we can get away. For the picnic, remember? If you fancy it?”
Picnics were for yokels. Oh, well. “Better than hanging about.”
What wild enthusiasm! Beth’s fists clenched for a second as they came into the kitchen. Oh, well. “We’ll go to the old quarry at Kingsteps, mum, and we can get you some wild raspberries.”
“Good idea, love. It’s beautiful and sort of spooky - Tanya, you’ll like it. And it’s only a mile.”
Tanya winced. A mile? To walk?
“I’ve made sandwiches,” Mary said, hiding her smile at Tanya’s expression. “Egg and pickle. Okay?”
“Sandwiches is butties at home in Oldham. Or tram-stoppers.”
“Tram-stoppers? Good one! You must teach me more of your Lancashire words, Tanya.”
“The Lanky twang, Aunt Mary.”
“Oh, yes? Twang a bottle of coke out of the pantry!” Mary told Tanya, laughing. “All set, Beth? Have a good time.”
As they went out, Mary breathed a sigh of relief. They seemed to be getting on better now, thank goodness!
Tanya soon started to limp and hang behind. “How much further?”
“Stop grumbling, we’re nearly there.” Beth turned down a track, and then led Tanya over a chained gate and a barbed-wire fence.
“Hang on, me leggings is caught up!” Tanya was peeved. “An’ me feet’s killing me!” Beth didn’t care, of course.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Beth sneered. Softy! “We’re there.” She pushed through some brambles and bushes.
Tanya’s thin face was tight with annoyance as she limped after Beth. Better be worth it! Then she stopped and stared.
A ten-foot cliff shaded small elder trees leaning over to touch an oval of brown water. She gazed round, entranced in spite of herself. “Crikey!” She flopped down on the sunny shelf of flat rocks by the pool, kicking off her boots to splash her heels and white, crumpled toes, rubbed red and sore, pearled with blisters. “Ooh, cool! Magic! Fancy a dip?”
“We can’t.” Beth sat down beside her, dangling her feet over the edge. She plopped a stone into the water. “There were old cars dumped in the quarry hole, years ago. You can’t swim at all, it’s far too dangerous.” She sighed. “They’re going to fill it in next month. There’s a couple of planes underneath, from the war. The local boys used to go diving for souvenirs out of them. Mum’s got a magnet for her pins, that came out of one. That’s what dad said, anyway.”
“Did he get it himself?”
Beth grinned. “He never said, but I think so. He used to say that rules are made for a reason, and are meant to be obeyed, but then he’d sort of grin sideways and add, ‘Usually’.”
Tanya glanced over with resentful sympathy. “Miss him, don’t yer?”
“M’hm.” Lying back, Beth pointed south. “We had a farm, over that way. It was good there. But when he died, mum sold up, and we got the guesthouse.” Yes, she missed him...
Tanya nodded. “Don’t remember mine much.”
Side by side, they sprawled back by the pool, basking in the sun. Lulled by the heat, the calm, the birdsong, Beth relaxed, falling gently asleep.
Tanya wasn’t used to peace and quiet. When her feet were cool and the pain had faded, she soon grew bored. She sat up and fanned herself with her hat. “What about them raspberries?”
“What, already?” Reluctantly, Beth pushed herself to sit up. “You really don’t like the country, do you, Tanya?”
“Huh! Messy. Nettles. An’ spiders. Town for us, every time!”
The girls managed to gather about a pound of tiny, sweet raspberries. To Beth’s annoyance, Tanya ate nearly as many as she put in the plastic bag. Then she bolted her sandwiches and fidgeted until they headed back.
Beth marched ahead. Her favourite place was spoiled now. She knew it was going to be destroyed anyway, but even the memory wouldn’t be the same now - and it was all Tanya’s fault!
Chapter 3
They’d scarcely gone a hundred yards when a big gold car drew up beside them. “Hello!” Smiling, Mr Mandrake looked at them. “Want a lift, girls?”
Tanya was already reaching gratefully for the door handle, “’ello, it’s Mr Mandrake come to save our blisters!”
Beth was keen, too. She’d always wanted to ride in an open-top. “Thanks. It’s very good of you.” She climbed into the small back seat. As the car accelerated away, she sank back into
the suede cushions, her hair blowing wildly. Oh, luxury!
In the front, Mr Mandrake was talking to Tanya. “What do you think of Nairn?”
She sniffed. “Smallsville. I bet nowt ever happens here!”
Mr Mandrake smiled. “Well, something has. You’ve come! And so have I!” They laughed together. He grew serious. “Maybe you can help me, you and Beth. I’m here on a kind of quest.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s that, then?” Tanya was interested. In the back, Beth sat forwards.
Mr Mandrake spoke gently. “Don’t laugh, but I told you, Tanya, that I ran a magic circle in London? Well, last week, during a - a ceremony - I had a feeling that I must come north. I pay attention to such things. I was led here. Somewhere here there is something of importance, some item of magical significance, waiting for me to find it. I’ve been to the museum and the local newspaper, and they can’t help me. Maybe you can suggest somebody else who could.”
Beth was rather put off by the idea of magic ceremonies, but Tanya was enthralled.
“Not sure meself, but Beth might. All I know is... here, maybe that’s it!”
“What?” he asked eagerly. Anything might be the clue...
“You ever heard o’ the Brahan Seer?”
Of course he had! One of the most famous prophets of Britain. “Kenneth Odhar. Seventeenth century, wasn’t it? Just on the other side of the Moray Firth. He had a scrying stone, a magical stone with a hole in it, and when he looked through it he saw -”
“Visions!” Tanya crowed. “Far-off, into the future an’ that! Well, he were our ancestor! Kenneth Mackenzie!”
His excitement sank. “I’m sorry, Tanya. He can’t have been. He had no children.”
“I know that!” she almost yelled. “But his sister had a son! Me dad used to tell me about it. When Kenneth put his foot in it wi’ the Countess o’ Seaforth -”
“Silly idiot!” Beth commented, leaning forwards on the back of the front seats to talk to them. “Telling her in front of her friends that her husband was in Paris with another woman!”
“Give him his due, he tried to keep quiet!” Tanya reminded her. “But she would have it, an’ then she had him burned for it - but he threw the stone away -”
The Seer's Stone Page 2