Midsummer Magic

by Julia Williams

  ‘That’s so mean,’ said Josie, who still looked uncomfortable. ‘I really don’t like this at all.’

  ‘It’s only a bit of fun,’ said Di. ‘I bet it won’t work. And doesn’t that guy have ideas above his station anyway?’

  ‘Yes, but I feel sorry for Tatiana Okeby,’ said Josie. ‘She’s clearly the butt of the joke.’

  ‘So,’ Freddie grinned. ‘What do you think? Are you going to come by my place tomorrow and sign yourselves up?’

  ‘I’m your man,’ said Ant. ‘What do the rest of you think?’

  ‘I think it looks like a laugh,’ said Diana, who had clearly slightly overindulged in Love in the Mist. ‘I’m game if everyone else is.’

  ‘Ditto,’ said Harry.

  That only left Josie.

  ‘I’m really not sure,’ she said.

  ‘There’s nothing to it,’ said Freddie. ‘I promise I won’t do anything you don’t want me to, and you can stop the experiment at any time.’

  ‘Go on, Josie,’ said Harry, putting an arm round her. ‘It doesn’t look too bad, and I’ll be there. What could possibly happen?’

  ‘I suppose,’ said Josie.

  ‘Brilliant, it’s agreed,’ said Freddie. ‘So you’ll come by Tresgothen Manor in the afternoon, then? Say two-ish?’

  ‘You have a deal,’ said Ant, shaking Freddie by the hand.

  The hypnosis session over, the rest of the pub returned to what they were doing. The four of them sat back down at a table and carried on chatting – Josie clearly making strenuous efforts to talk about something other than the wedding.

  ‘I’m really tuckered out,’ Harry yawned eventually. ‘I think I’m ready for my bed.’

  ‘Me too,’ said Josie.

  ‘Are you sure you’ll be getting any sleep?’ said Diana with a grin.

  ‘Behave,’ said Josie.

  Bed. Yes, bed seemed like a good idea. Ant suddenly felt very sleepy. Too much beer on top of a heavy session the previous night.

  ‘Yeah, let’s go,’ he said.

  They got up to leave. It wasn’t actually that late. And the cool evening air was refreshing, and suddenly Ant felt more wakeful. The evening sky was a darkening blue, and a blood-red moon sat huge and still over the sea.

  ‘Wow, that’s amazing,’ said Josie.

  ‘Wouldn’t it look better from the cliffs?’ said Diana. ‘And we could check out what it’s like up there in the dark, so we know whether we’ll be safe if we do go along with the hypnotism.’

  ‘That’s a great idea,’ agreed Harry. ‘The fresh air’s woken me up a bit.’

  ‘Sounds like a good plan,’ said Josie. ‘Besides, I feel there’s magic in the air tonight.’

  Ant followed them up the path with a growing sense of excitement. Like Josie, he felt as if something momentous was about to happen. He just didn’t know what …

  Chapter Eleven

  Josie walked up the hill in a dream. The evening had taken a surreal turn. Several glasses of Love in the Mist had taken the edge off her slight anxiety over the whole hypnosis thing. She was probably making a fuss about nothing, and Mike seemed unharmed by the experience. She should probably relax a bit more.

  It was another lovely warm evening as they made their way up the cliff path. Harry strode forward, lighting their way with the torches that Dad had fortunately made them bring as it got so dark walking home from the pub. The moon was so bright, it was scarcely necessary. Although it was shrinking slightly, it still looked amazing against the blue-black sky, and the calm shimmering sea. Josie felt like she was floating on air.

  It was harder going in the dark. Although moonlight still lit the path, the trees and shadows meant you occasionally tripped on a hidden rabbit hole. Josie was regretting wearing her strappy sandals. She always forgot when she came home how unsuitable London footwear was for day to day living, and twice now she’d ricked her ankle. In the end she took her shoes off. The path was sandy rather than stony, and it hadn’t rained in a while. The top of the cliff was full of soft heather and grass, and it was good to feel the sand between her toes, just as she had done when she was a child.

  ‘Are we nearly there yet?’ Diana plaintively called behind her. She was wearing flip-flops, which were equally unsuitable and she kept having to stop when they pinged off her feet. ‘It seems so much further than in the day time.’

  ‘Not much further now,’ said Josie. ‘I think Harry’s made it to the top.’

  ‘Come on you lazy sods,’ shouted Harry, from high above them. ‘We’re nearly there.’

  Josie scrambled up, needing to use her hands to pull her up the last bit, till she got near the summit, and Harry stretched out his hand before her.

  Diana soon followed, and Ant came up last.

  Josie walked towards the Standing Stones and looked at them in awe. She’d been coming here all her life, and yet it was as though she were seeing them for the first time. The moon was higher in the sky now, still with a hint of red, but bathing the stones in a shimmering silvery light. The stones themselves cast dark mysterious shadows across the grass, which waved softly in the gentle sea breeze. Josie felt that if she reached out and touched the air she would be transported somewhere, different; other. For the first time, the myths felt they could almost be real. You really could imagine fairies here.

  ‘Wow,’ she said. ‘Just wow. This is amazing.’

  ‘Isn’t it?’ said Harry. He came over and squeezed her hand tight.

  ‘Love you,’ said Josie as he pulled her towards him, and kissed him. The air seemed full of promise and mystery. She was glad she’d come.

  Ant climbed down into the Faerie Ring, his sense of anticipation growing. There was a strange atmosphere in the air. Harry and Josie had gone all moony on each other, and even Diana seemed chilled and less aggressive.

  The sea rose and fell below them, and the moon shone as bright as day. A soft breeze ruffled his hair, and the silvery beams of the moon cast weird shadows on the grass. For all that Ant didn’t believe in this nonsense, he had the shivery sensation that something – unusual? – was about to happen. It even made him feel more warmly to Diana for a moment. But only for a moment, because she opened her mouth and spoilt the atmosphere.

  ‘So when do the hordes of fairies arrive?’ she said. ‘I can’t believe we’ve walked all the way up here in the middle of the night. We must be off our trolleys.’

  ‘But you have to admit it is rather beautiful,’ said Josie. ‘I’m so pleased we came up here.’

  ‘Me too,’ said Ant, surprising himself. He felt almost poetic as he looked out to sea; this feeling was unlike one he had ever experienced before. ‘And I feel … different. As if I could do anything. As if I were invincible.’

  ‘In your dreams,’ snorted Diana. ‘You’ve had too much beer, and allowed yourself to get sucked into the whole stupid hypnotism thing. We should all just go home to bed!’

  ‘Don’t be so bad-tempered,’ said Josie. ‘Come on. Lie down on the grass, and look up at the stars. This is a perfect evening. Enjoy it.’

  ‘Yes, Di,’ said Ant, ‘don’t be so bad-tempered.’

  Diana looked as if she was going to bite off a retort, but then changed her mind, and sat down instead.

  ‘So, you two, isn’t it time you plighted your troth in the light of the moon?’ said Ant, also sitting down.

  ‘Not while anyone’s looking,’ said Harry. ‘What about you and Diana? Maybe being hypnotised tomorrow will change your feelings towards one another.’

  ‘No!’ shrieked Ant and Diana in unison.

  ‘I’m as likely to plight my troth with Harry,’ Diana added. ‘Which is not at all likely.’

  But Ant wasn’t sure it was entirely true. There was something odd in the air tonight, and he felt suddenly quite nervous around Diana. Once upon a time, she’d meant everything to him. Could you ever put those feelings away for good?

  Diana was feeling very strange. She’d been quite happy when they left the pub. But th
e nearer they got to the top of the cliff, the more anxious she felt. What were they doing up here, in the middle of the night? And what if Freddie Puck had secretly hypnotised them, without them realising it? She’d been quite clear in her own mind that she wasn’t going anywhere but home to bed after the pub, and yet, here she was.

  And Josie and Harry had gone into sappy mode again. She felt shut out of their world and it made her feel lonely. When she and Josie had first flat-shared, they’d both been single and then Harry had moved in, and she’d moved out – and nothing had ever been the same again. Diana hadn’t realised how difficult she was going to find it without Josie. She felt she was in mourning for the best friend she’d ever had, and it was all her own fault. She’d pushed them together. Thanks to Diana, Harry and Josie would be married next year, and she’d be on the sidelines for ever.

  She looked over to where Josie and Harry were sitting up, talking quietly together. Ant was lying on his back, looking dreamily up at the stars. He’d been giving her some funny looks all evening. She did hope he wasn’t going to try anything on. She wouldn’t put it past him to pretend the past hadn’t happened, and see what he could get away with this weekend. From what Josie had said about him, eventually Ant tried it on with every woman he met. She hoped given their past history she would be the exception.

  She tried to relax, and remember the happy feelings drinking Love in the Mist had induced in her. She’d been having fun then, but now she felt edgy and irritable. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the moment but her.

  This was no good, Diana admonished herself; she should try to cheer up. No one liked people who behaved like a wet weekend in November, as her mother was fond of saying. She was the only person responsible for her own happiness. Maybe she just needed to liven things up.

  ‘I know,’ she found herself saying, ‘let’s play a game of Truth or Dare.’

  Harry was leaning his head on Josie’s lap and looking up at the stars. He was feeling deeply content. This was turning out to be a quite magical evening. He smiled happily up at Josie, who smiled happily back.

  ‘Penny for your thoughts?’ she said.

  ‘Thinking how lucky I am,’ said Harry, ‘that I nabbed you.’

  ‘And me you too,’ said Josie, leaning over and kissing him on the lips.

  ‘Ugh, you two. Do you have to?’

  ‘Sorry,’ said Harry. ‘Did you just say something?’

  ‘I thought it might be fun to play Truth or Dare,’ said Diana.

  ‘Why?’ said Josie.

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Diana. ‘I feel like it. Sorry, I don’t know why I suggested it, it’s a silly idea.’

  ‘No it’s not,’ said Harry, suddenly feeling this could be the funniest thing ever.

  ‘I’m game,’ said Ant.

  ‘Me too,’ said Josie.

  ‘Who’s going first?’ said Ant.

  ‘I will,’ said Harry.

  ‘So what’s it to be, Truth or Dare?’ said Ant.

  ‘Truth,’ said Harry.

  ‘Okay,’ said Diana, ‘what do you want most of all in the world?’

  ‘To spend my life with Josie,’ said Harry. ‘Simple.’

  ‘Okay, my go,’ said Diana, ‘I’ll do a dare.’

  ‘I dare you to kiss Ant,’ said Josie sneakily.

  Diana blushed, but went and kissed him on the cheek.

  ‘Don’t put yourself out too much,’ said Ant. ‘Okay. Josie, your turn.’

  ‘Dare,’ said Josie.

  ‘Finish this bottle of Idle Brew I brought with me,’ said Ant.

  ‘Down in one, down in one,’ they shouted, as Josie finished it triumphantly.

  ‘Now you, Ant,’ said Harry. ‘Truth or Dare?’

  ‘Truth,’ said Ant.

  ‘What’s the question you want to know the answer to most in the world?’ said Josie.

  ‘That’s easy,’ said Ant. He turned to Diana. ‘What did I do to make you hate me so much? I’ve never really known.’

  Chapter Twelve

  ‘So what’s the score today?’ Nicola said brightly over the breakfast table, as if sensing a bit of an atmosphere. After Ant’s question, which Diana had refused to answer, they’d given up on Truth or Dare and come home. Diana had gone straight to bed, and this morning was barely speaking to Ant. Ant and Harry were both looking pale and wan, thanks to their overindulgence the previous day, so Josie had decided a more active day was in order.

  ‘I think we’ve spent enough time in the pub this weekend,’ she said. ‘We need to get some fresh air. Let’s go kayaking. I was thinking we could do it on my hen night, so I’d like to try out the new centre near St Ives.’

  ‘Kayaking? You are joking,’ said Diana, who had been very quiet since last night. ‘Who goes kayaking on their hen night?’

  ‘Me,’ said Josie. ‘I don’t want a strippogram. I’d just like us to have some active fun in the day, before we get down to drinking later.’

  ‘Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer a spa?’ said Diana. ‘That was more what I had in mind.’

  ‘Nope,’ said Josie. ‘It’s my hen night. And if I want to go kayaking, that’s what we’re going to do.’

  ‘I wouldn’t bother arguing, dear,’ said Nicola, ‘Josie’s just like her father, stubborn through and through.’

  ‘I’m not getting in a boat,’ said Diana. ‘Even if you pay me.’

  ‘Oh, go on,’ said Harry. ‘I’ve been before. It’s fun. If I can do it, anyone can.’

  ‘That’s true,’ laughed Josie, ‘he was pretty hopeless at it.’

  ‘What about going over to Tresgothen Manor?’ said Ant. ‘We agreed we’d go and see Freddie at some point today.’

  ‘We can go after the kayaking,’ said Josie.

  ‘Okay then,’ Ant said, ‘I’m in.’

  ‘I hope you haven’t got any other mental ideas planned for your hen night,’ said Diana.

  ‘I was thinking about a parachute jump,’ said Josie. ‘I’ve always wanted to do one.’

  ‘You are joking –’ Diana looked pale.

  ‘Of course I am, you idiot. I don’t want to hobble up the aisle.’

  ‘Right, are we all set?’ Twenty minutes later, Josie had marshalled everyone together. She was determined to have a good day today, and was doing her best to keep the W word out of the conversation. But it was so hard. She kept having to sneak off and look through the dozens of bridal mags Mum had saved for her. And despite having suggested the kayaking, a part of her just wanted to sit chatting to Mum about place settings and table decorations. Although the wedding was still a year away, Josie felt a crippling worry that she had to organise as much as possible, as soon as possible, in order to avoid mishaps. No one else felt like that clearly, but she did. She couldn’t help it.

  Harry drove faster down the country lanes than he’d intended. Every bump felt as if the car was lifting in the air, and he had to slam his brakes on a couple of times, eliciting a ‘Harry!’ from Josie, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t that keen on going kayaking, but Josie was so determined, he wasn’t at all likely to get his own way. He’d noticed she’d started doing that to him; making little decisions (mainly about the wedding) without him, and then confirming them in public with that lovely smile of hers. Which meant he couldn’t do anything but seethe quietly. He wished she’d be a bit more inclusive sometimes.

  ‘Woah,’ said Ant as Harry slammed on the brakes so as not to hit a passing tractor.

  ‘Sorry,’ said Harry, ‘thinking of other things.’

  But he drove more soberly till they got to the outdoor centre where the kayaking was taking place. Harry’s heart sank. It looked very outdoorsy and energetic. The sort of place he hated and Josie, he was beginning to realise, loved. He still hadn’t quite got round to letting her know just how much he wanted to go travelling. He’d hinted at it several times, but she’d not picked up on the hint. Harry had the horrible feeling that his future plans would just slip away from him without him being able to stop th
em.

  ‘So what’s it going to be?’ asked Harry, as he looked at the activities on offer. ‘Are we going on the lake, or are we going to brave the sea?’

  ‘I am not going in the sea,’ said Diana firmly. ‘I want to make it back in one piece, thank you very much.’

  ‘God, you’re dull,’ said Ant. ‘Bags I don’t go with you.’

  ‘I know,’ said Harry peaceably, ‘why don’t you and Josie go together and I’ll go with Diana, as she’s not done it before.’

  ‘Fine by me,’ said Ant. ‘You’ve done this before, right, Josie?’

  ‘Once or twice,’ said Josie. ‘I’ve been kayaking since I was a little girl.’

  ‘Ha,’ thought Harry uncharitably. That would teach her. Ant was not in the slightest bit capable of listening to instructions. Particularly not from a girl.

  ‘Right, Di,’ he said with a smile. ‘Are we all set?’

  Diana was terrified. She’d hated boats ever since she was a kid and had gone adrift in one with her dad. They hadn’t been far from the shore, but she’d never forgotten the feeling of panic when the motorboat’s engine had shut down, or the look of fear on his face, and the way it felt to be drifting, helpless, further away from the shore. The whole incident had probably only taken ten minutes or so. But she’d never really got over it.

  ‘You okay?’ said Harry. ‘Only you seem a bit nervous.’

  That was Harry all over. Kind and thoughtful. She was glad he’d opted to have her in his boat. She could imagine all too well how unkind Ant would have been, and to a degree, Josie. Josie always failed to understand how other people found difficult the things she made look effortless. It was a really irritating characteristic, and today would be shown to its full, no doubt.

  ‘Okay,’ said Harry once they were sorted with lifejackets, helmets and sculls, ‘it really is quite straightforward. You take your lead from me.’

  Blanching at the reason why they were wearing headgear (‘So if you fall out of the boat, you minimise any head damage,’ said the cheerful instructor), Diana gingerly climbed into the boat, while Harry nobly stepped into the water. God, Josie was lucky to have him. What a gent. She noted with some amusement that Ant had leapt in first, leaving Josie to push their boat into the water. Not that Josie seemed to mind. She was in her element, teasing Ant when he complained about the cold.