by Olivia Swift
They went back inside and locked the door.
Ben made a drink and handed it to Kat.
“Take some time and let yourself get your breath back,” he said and sat beside her. She smiled at him.
“Frightened of whatever she is hiding, I might be, but if they try taking those stones again, I will be furious.” He held her close and told her that they would be furious together.
“It takes a lot for me to be mad,” he said, “But I think enough is enough of people strolling onto the land and doing damage.”
“So, we stay here and wait to see if anyone else turns up. I think she believed it about the foundations but you never know.” She paused, and then added, “You know, the house is wonderful and we were enjoying it until that – that woman turned up and spoiled it.”
“At least the police are chasing Melvich. I don’t think he will think the stones are worth going to jail for,” Ben said.
“She must really believe the stones are magic and they help make her spells work.” Kat observed. “I wonder where she weaves her so-called magic.” Ben opened up the tablet he had on the table and typed in the Earth Magic.
“Has to be a made-up name,” he said as the facts came up on the screen. “Earth Magic has various services and spells she offers, along with courses on learning to be a white witch. She sells crystal wands, crystal balls and dowsing tools.” He scrolled a bit more as Kat looked over his shoulder and then pointed.
“There’s a shop and a map to find it. My mom would know where that was because she used to live near there when she was younger. In her hippie days, I think there were lots of odd shops down there.”
“There’s a picture of the inside of the place,” Ben said. “Maybe we should have a run down there tomorrow once the builders are started, just to satisfy my curiosity.”
“Why not?” Kat said. “They might have the patio doors on when we get back. That will be so exciting.”
They took a last look outside with flashlights, but everything was quiet. The house stood still in the dark. Then they locked the trailer door, drew the curtains and settled together on the long seat once again.
Kat stood up and grinned at him. She pulled across the other seat that made the two pieces into a bed and kicked off her shoes.
“It’s lovely being held close, but worrying if you might fall off the edge kind of spoils it.”
Ben joined in her laughter, found the throws from the night before, kicked off his own shoes and pulled her down beside him.
“You are one wonderful woman,” he told her, but she couldn’t answer because her mouth was otherwise engaged. It was some time before sleep claimed both of them and they woke contentedly wrapped around each other. Ben looked at her sleeping face with the dark curls framing the edges and tumbling into her eyes. He knew that this was how he wanted to wake up every morning for the rest of his life and let the word that had been sitting in his head for some time come to the surface.
“I love you so much Katarina,” he whispered quietly, and woke her by running his lips down her neck and nibbling at her ear. She smiled before she opened her eyes and turned toward him to reach his lips.
“We don’t need to get up quite yet,” she murmured. “A few more minutes will be a lovely way to start the day.”
They managed breakfast before the sound of the truck arriving came within earshot and they went out to greet the builders. The precious folding patio doors were carefully unloaded and carried to the rear of the house.
“I don’t think I can watch,” Kat said, as the men maneuvered the heavy pieces into place. Ben stayed to offer his strength if it was needed, and between them, the men positioned the first of these fantastic doors. Ben came back to the trailer, and they decided to look for the Earth Magic shop and then see how Carly was managing with the stock.
17
They found the little shop. It had a very small frontage, but peeking inside, they saw that it widened out. Melanie Mandragora could be seen rearranging some pots on shelves. They had not intended to go inside, but she turned quickly and spotted them. It was too late, so they stepped inside.
Kat had to admit that the place smelled delicious. There were several sticks of incense sending out little smudges of smoke. The items for sale were pretty and well presented. Where the room widened out, curtains dropped to the floor to hide whatever went on behind.
“I can see I caught your attention with my pots and potions,” the woman said. “Please have a look around. There are samples of hand cream and face cream. Feel free to try them,” she paused, and fluttered her fingers about. “I do make everything myself and all the ingredients are natural.”
“I am sorry you lost the stones,” said Kat as she had decided to try a pleasant approach, even though the presence of the woman did set her teeth on edge a bit.
“I suppose they were only mine for a short time. I was lucky to have them.” Melanie replied. “I will concentrate more on creams and potions than spells, I think. There is a wider market.”
“You do courses and readings as well, I gather,” Ben joined in, and the woman smiled at him.
“I could do a lovely past life regression for you. Do you ever think about a life you maybe lived before?” She swept the curtain to one side and revealed some beds with white covers. The room was all draped in a sort of flimsy, white muslin with green accessories.
“It looks very calming,” Kat told her and was rewarded with a smile.
“I think you have a gift, my dear,” she told her. “I could open up whole new worlds for you.” Kat shook her head.
“I can only sense when the phone will ring and simple things like that. I really don’t want to delve any deeper into it. It’s a little bit frightening.”
“You would have nothing to fear with an experienced practitioner standing by to help.” The woman put a hand on her shoulder and moved so that she could point out some items on the shelf. “Wearing one of these stones would be a first step and give you more insight. They are ancient mystery alongside modern technology. Even white witches have to keep up to date.”
Ben pulled out his wallet and handed her the money for one of the pendants. He handed it to Kat and took her hand. She was trembling slightly.
“They seem pretty anyway,” he told Melanie and then asked if she had seen anything of Melvich. “My friend was hoping he would be opening up again soon because she likes the big antique urn he has for sale.” Melanie took the money and Ben noticed the quick look of attention on her face.
“I could arrange to be at the shop if your friend would like to get in touch.” She handed him a card. “My telephone number is on there.”
“I like your shop,” Ben said, trying to be pleasant as he opened the door and let Kat out in front of him. Then he took her arm and hurried her away. In a nearby coffee shop, he sat her down and asked what was wrong.
She took the bottle of water he handed her, drank some and then frowned.
“There is something really weird about her. I didn’t really feel it until she touched my shoulder. It wasn’t anything to do with witches or spells or magic. Something is being kept under cover. She might be covering for somebody else but I didn’t get a clue to what it was.”
“But you didn’t like it?” he asked anxiously. She took his hand across the table.
“No but you were there and you knew there was something wrong. That makes it okay.” She smiled at him, and his heart did a somersault in his chest. “Let’s go and see Carly,” she finished.
Carly and Dex together were rearranging the stock in the shop, since the new windows had been installed and the place was tidy once again. Kat noted that her dad’s shop next door was still closed and thought he really must have decided to have a vacation. She told herself to remember to call her parents.
Carly was really interested in the shop where the white witch had her base. Kat held out the pendant that Ben had paid for, to show her.
“I haven’t looked at it. I just stuck i
t in my pocket,” she said.
Carly turned the little wand of rose quartz in her hand and then looked closely at the metal part that held the stone onto the chain. She looked very thoughtful and picked up a tiny probe from the table. The others moved closer as she detached the stone from the metal and then held it out to Dex.
He took it and looked, and then looked again. Then he put a finger to his lips and wrote on a piece of paper: microphone.
Kat gasped, but managed to stop saying anything, and Ben took the cue from Dex and asked what Carly thought of the pendant.
“Seems like a nice standard rose quartz pendant. Nicely put together, and the extra little attachments bring it into the modern world.”
“It is very pretty. I’ll put it away until later,” Kat added. They then wrapped the pendant up so that the microphone could not pick up any sound and put it away.
“That is another thing altogether,” Carly said. “She could be finding out all sorts of things about her clients and then pretending it was coming to her supernaturally.”
“Is it really a microphone?” Kat asked.
“Pretty sure it was,” Dex said.
“We could use it to find out,” Ben suggested and they all looked at him. Dex smiled.
“You mean give it false information and see what happens?”
Ben nodded.
“If she thought that the stones could still be stolen, she would turn up or send somebody,” Kat said. “The woman has an ulterior motive. I can feel it.”
“Maybe she is just greedy for money,” Ben remarked. “Her eyes definitely flashed with green when she heard that Kim might want to buy the urn. I’m guessing she would pocket the cash.”
“Well let’s plan the barbecue and see what the others think,” Kat joined in.
“Sunday,” Ben suggested. “We can have the actual barbecue behind the house.”
“We’ll start to call everyone and tell them the plans,” Carly added. “I love a big get-together.”
“I think we should get back and see how the builders are doing,” Kat said. “I hope those huge patio doors are done. It makes me scared to death to watch it.”
“Planning a party makes you remember what it was like when you were a kid, and mom said you could have a sleepover,” Carly went on, and Kat looked at her and grinned.
“The house is wind and waterproof; we could sleep in sleeping bags and see the dawn break.”
“See the dawn break and the sunrise hit the new construction with the stones,” Ben added. They all looked at him and laughed.
“Why not?” Dex said. “Let’s call the others and see who is game.” They divided the people they would call between them before Kat and Ben left to see how the house was doing.
The house was breathtaking. The men were just clearing up. Ben found his heart beating really fast as he grabbed Kat’s hand and they stared at what looked like an almost finished building. Marcus had brought a simple front door to complete the picture, and the windows were all in place. They went over to the foreman.
“You have done a marvelous job,” Ben said and held out his hand.
“Been a pleasure,” Marcus told them. “No problems and a nice, peaceful place to work.”
“We are barbecuing on Sunday afternoon. All of you are welcome,” Kat told the group of workers. One or two said they had other things on but some said they would love to come. She laughed and told them there was a sleepover in the house if they wanted to bring a sleeping bag.
“And see the sunrise shine on the new stone structure,” Ben added.
“Well that is a barbecue with a difference.” Marcus smiled. “If my wife can sort out the sleeping bags, we’ll join you too.” They drove away and left Kat and Ben to go into the house through an actual door and go straight to the back to try the special folding glass doors that opened up the living space to the outside.
“Ben, it is fabulous,” Kat said.
“But standing here on my own, it would not seem the same.” He picked her up and swung her around in the living room. “I wouldn’t even have started without your input.”
“Let’s start calling,” she said, and they opened up the trailer and flicked open their phones. Evan told them he would deal with the grilling of the feast, and Ben said he would bring his mom’s barbecue grill over to use.
“We’ll bring this one. I know what I need,” Evan said. “You just worry about extras and stuff.”
“I’ll pay for the things you buy,” Ben told him, and they agreed to work that out afterward.
When Kat phoned her mom and invited them as well, Bev told them to come over because she was making pasta and there would be enough for all of them.
“Sounds good to me,” Ben said and suddenly felt ravenous. They locked up and headed off to the bungalow. Kat showed her mom photos of the house and the structure with the stones, and they told her all about the visit to Melanie Mandragora.
“Made up name if I ever heard one,” Kat’s dad said. Bev looked at the pendant and they only spoke in generalities. When it was put away again, Bev said that it was fraud if the woman was listening in to people and then using the information.
“Don’t know what to do about it really,” Kat said. “Maybe I’ll just leave the thing locked away.”
Martin told Kat that he was leaving the shop closed until Tuesday, and she could take the next day off as well. She laughed.
“If we are up all night on Sunday, that might be a good idea.”
“My days of sleeping bags are long gone,” Bev told them, “But I would like to see the sunrise on the stones. I’ll put on the alarm and come back again before dawn.”
“That would be great,” Kat said and hugged her mom. “It’s not the summer solstice, but it’s almost there.”
Jazz called up and asked if they wanted a meeting over coffee. They said yes and headed for Chestnut Hall.
“It is so exciting,” Jazz told them when they arrived. “I’ve booked my babysitter and I can have the night out.”
“I know this sounds really like I shouldn’t say it . . . but . . . if we said that we were watching the sunrise on the stones, do you think she would turn up and try to get them?” Carly suggested.
“There’ll be a lot of us, so she probably wouldn’t risk it,” Ben answered.
“There’s more to her than meets the eye, but I cannot figure it out,” Kat said. “But I’m game to give it a try. I brought it to let you see,” she said and handed over the pendant. They talked about it in general terms again and Carly gave a mischievous grin and asked if Kat was wearing it at the barbecue.
“I think so. It was nice of Ben to buy it,”
“The barbecue will be fun,” Ben said with a quick glance at Carly.
“Magic stones, my foot,” Carly said dismissively, “but they make a lovely garden structure, and maybe the ancient people used them the same way.”
“They are pretty stones,” Kat added. “Anyway, we are all set for Sunday.” They followed it up with lots of goodbyes, and Kat said she would pack the pendant away for the time being.
18
Ben and Kat had another quick look at the house and then settled down into what had become a little routine for them.
“I’ll miss these lovely times we spend together when we have to go back to work next week,” she told him, and he smiled and wrapped his arms around her.
“Me too,” he said. “Sunday night will be sleeping bags and lots of company.”
“And good fun,” Kat added‒then she suddenly looked serious. “You know, if I was wearing that pendant right now, that woman could be listening to what we say to each other. That is a horrible thing to do.”
Ben said he was very glad that Carly had spotted the wire in the metal.
“Once this barbecue is over, I will just throw the thing away. I know you bought it for me but you won’t be annoyed if I get rid of it, will you?”
“I will buy you a proper necklace,” he told her. “You can choose it yo
urself and it won’t have a microphone in it.” She laughed and snuggled against him. Nothing disturbed the tranquility of the night, and Kat kissed him awake in the early morning light.
“Before breakfast,” she said, “I am going to walk down and see if the sun does make the crystals in the plaque shine. I would like to know if it’s going to work.” They grabbed jackets and walked past the natural garden to find the standing stones in their solemnity surrounding the little table made from the creamy stones.
They walked to the front and were delighted that the sun was shining onto the surface, and the crystals in the plaque were glistening in the light.
“I love it,” Kat said. “It really works.”
“And if I make some little paths and terraces where the land falls away, there could be an alpine rock garden,” Ben added, and they looked over the edge of the land where it sloped away quite gently for about fifty yards.
“Another good idea, Batman,” she said, and holding hands, they went back for breakfast.
The day passed in a mad runaround of getting together everything for the barbecue, including borrowing dishes and whatever they needed from Ben’s mom’s house and from the others. They went to the supermarket and piled all sorts of stuff into shopping carts and then had to find somewhere to store it all.
They drove up to Chestnut Hall and spoke with everyone and eventually decided to go to a diner and have something to eat.
“Phew,” Kat said. “What a mad day . . . but good to talk to everyone.”
“I think about twenty people altogether,” Ben added. “I forgot to ring Jinty and ask him if he wanted to come.” He fished out his phone and told his main helper about the barbecue and the sleepover.
“Sounds great,” Jinty said.
“Tell your gran she is welcome as well,” Ben told him, and hung up after giving him the details.
“Take it easy time,” Kat said and settled on the long seat. Ben did the honors and pulled out the other section. It felt good to just be the two of them and talk about anything that came to mind. Ben wanted to tell her that he wished they could stay together forever and knew the place would be so lonely when he was back to being there on his own. He pushed it to one side and concentrated on enjoying every moment she was in his arms.