We are having a Halloween party tomorrow in our Lavender Cottage BookShop Facebook group! Join us for vintage dresses and tea cups, desserts, books, and lots of fun. We'll be there from 9 am to 3 pm PT, but you can stop by any time through the weekend!

Today's Recipe

Today, we have the perfect appetizer for your next party! This is from The Recipes of Burrows Bay, and the first ebook in the series, The Magic of Burrows Bay, is FREE today.

Smoked Salmon on Crackers

This is an easy appetizer to make.  Basically, it’s crackers and smoked salmon with a cream cheese sauce. 

• 48 round crackers
• 2 cups smoked salmon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Chives to garnish on top

Spread cream cheese sauce onto round cracker.  Top with one piece of smoked salmon and add chive to garnish.   Makes 4 dozen.

Cream Cheese Sauce

• 8-oz block of cream cheese, softened
• 1 to 2 teaspoons cream or milk (enough to make it easy to spread)
• 2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
• ¼ teaspoon dillweed (more if fresh)

Author Spotlight

Since it's almost Halloween, we decided to showcase one of our own books...a paranormal spy story! That's right, we've combined espionage with paranormal suspense and a bit of romance. The entire story is FREE right now, so we hope you enjoy Jazzmyn Storm in Storm Front: Memoirs of a Secret Agent.

Secret agent Jazzmyn Storm met the man of her dreams while in Romania. At least, she thinks she did. All she can remember, after being found floating in the Black Sea, was that she was on assignment…and now she’s missing a month of time.

With no answers to what really happened, her only clues are in her dreams. A mystery man with an incredibly sexy accent, whose name she can’t remember…but whose touch she can’t forget.

As she tries to piece together that missing month, she realizes the answers are in Romania. Jazzmyn defies her superiors and goes back to uncover what happened, who this mystery man really is…and maybe even the truth about herself in this paranormal suspense.

Lavender CottageCore

Photos of the garden didn't seem quite right for our Halloween blog post, so we've decided to share some new (and some old) covers with you instead. Our Paranormal Mystery & Suspense series has all new covers...and the first part of the story is FREE today!

Selina is a woman with a secret…and she has been hiding it for a very long time.

With her nieces, she runs Luna’s, a nightclub in downtown Seattle, catering to Steampunk and Goth clientele. When someone leaves a body behind her club, she is drawn into a web of mystery and murder. Puncture marks on the body indicate a vampire might be responsible and as more women are killed, a red rose is left by their bodies.

When a vampire hunter with secrets of his own comes to investigate, Selina wonders who she can trust…

And we've brought back some older (some might say classic) covers for our Burrows Bay/A San Juan Islands series. We mainly did this so it would make the audiobooks easier to process, but we realized...we really like these covers! So the story (so far) is back to three books with the first book FREE. We also have the recipe book, but we'll let you check that out on your own. Just follow the link here...and you can also see the book covers we have planned for the next part of the story.

Two cousins inherit a mansion in the San Juan Islands and discover it’s filled with family history, secrets…and maybe magic.

Maggie McCrae knew her granddaughters were not ready for the legacy she must leave them. The house, the grounds and everything that went with it would now be theirs. She vowed she would do all she could to protect them and hopefully, give them the time they needed to fulfill their destiny. Gabriella and Moira must learn to trust themselves and each other as they discover the true magic of Burrows Bay.

Once Upon A Rose - Chapter 16

Finally, we want to include a chapter for everyone to read at the end of each newsletter. Here’s the next part of Once Upon A Rose, the first story in our Enchanted Fairytale Series. Action, adventure, romance…and maybe a little magic. (If you missed the first fifteen chapters, we have a link at the bottom of the story.)

“How can you do this?” Celsiana asked.  “Don’t you care at all about my brother?”

“He is handsome, but I plan to do more for my kingdom than participate in an arranged marriage.”  Arabella smiled.  “I would think you of all people could appreciate that.”

“I would never betray my people,” Celsiana replied.

“And neither have I.  In fact,” Arabella glanced over at her companion, “we plan to make everyone in our kingdom much wealthier.”  She looked at Orris.  “Tie them up and we’ll deal with them later.”

“This is going to cost you a lot more,” Orris said as his men tied Celsiana and Nicholas to the chairs.

“I can’t believe Seraline knew about this,” Celsiana said, looking up at Arabella.  “I always thought you were cold and aloof, but she seems to really care about my brother.”

“She does,” Arabella said, rolling her eyes.  “One reason I didn’t tell her what I had planned.  And I doubt her father would go along with it even if we had told him.  He’d much rather come up with some diplomatic solution that would cost us half our profits.”

“Do you want me to gag them?” one of the men asked.

“No need,” Arabella replied, turning to Orris.  “No one will hear them, and we’ll be back to take care of them very soon.  Do you have the item we discussed?”

Orris dumped some of the soap into the linseed oil jar, then put on the lid.  “I saw them demonstrate this and it’s exactly what you wanted.”

“When we attack the castle, this should keep our arrows burning long enough to do some real damage.”  Arabella smiled at Celsiana.  “I want to thank you for all your help.”

Celsiana glared at her but didn’t say anything.  She watched them all leave, then turned to Nicholas.  “How soon do you think they’ll test it?”

“Soon,” Nicholas replied.  “Since you’re a princess, please tell me your friends are the royal guards and not my sister and her friends.”

Celsiana looked down for a moment.  “I told them to get your parents once they found out where Orris was taking me.”

“Do you want to tell me why you did all this?” Nicholas asked.  “You’re a princess and while I admire your courage, what exactly were you hoping to accomplish?”

“I needed to get out of the castle,” Celsiana explained.  “I wanted to spend time with my friends…the first real friends I’ve ever had.”

“Well, at least this explains how you got the natron.”  Nicholas smiled.  “Trevor mentioned you had a science tutor from that land.”

Celsiana smiled back.  “Are you ready to get out of here?” she asked, holding her hands up.

“How did you do that?” asked Nicholas.

“Even we gardening princesses can do a little magic,” she said, holding up the pocketknife Nicholas had given her.  “See, magic?” 

“Very funny,” Nicholas replied as she cut him loose.

“We need to find your family and then warn my father,” Celsiana said. 

“We should warn the king first,” Nicholas stated.

“Arabella won’t do anything until they know I’m missing.  She’s too greedy to pass up a ransom like that.”  Celsiana wound up her braid and put her hat back on.  “You know, I never did like her.”

“The feeling seemed to be mutual,” Nicholas replied as they quickly made their way to the main door.  “Locked,” he said.

“We can go out the window,” Celsiana said, “if you help me move a few of those crates.”

As they walked over to the other side of the room, they heard wood splintering.  A moment later, the door flew open and Nicholas’ father walked in with men Celsiana didn’t recognize.

“I’m so glad to see you,” he said, hugging Nicholas.  “Your sister told us you were here.  She and her friend are with your mother at Reginald’s house.”

One of the men nodded.  “She told us about Orris being the one behind this.”

“Father, I have much to tell you, but first, we have to see the king.”  Nicholas took Celsiana’s hand.  “Right away.”

“You want to take our gardener to see the king?” his father asked in surprise.

“She’s not a gardener,” Nicholas replied, then smiled.  “Well, not just a gardener.  She’s also our princess.”

His father looked from Nicholas to Celsiana.  Taking off her hat, she said, “Thank you for coming to our rescue.”

“Your Majesty,” the men said, bowing before her.

“This is why I snuck out,” Celsiana whispered to Nicholas, then turned and smiled at the men.  “If you would be so kind, I’ll need your help to stop a traitor.”

Thank you for joining us today. If you miss a newsletter, please visit our Lavender Cottage Blog, where we'll show every post. Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Chapter 14

When Pearl reached the tree that she thought of as Melia’s, she was relieved to find her friend standing next to it.

“I’m so glad to find you,” Pearl said with a sigh of relief.

Melia smiled.  “I’ve been right here.”

“When I was here yesterday, I didn’t see you,” Pearl replied. 

“You were not alone,” Melia reminded her.

“Oh, you saw that?”  Pearl blushed slightly.  “I didn’t know anyone else was here.”

“He’s very handsome,” Melia said.  “I can see why he could prove a distraction.”

“We cannot afford distractions,” Pearl assured her.  She walked around the tree and ran her hand along the bark.  “Why would anyone want to cut these down?  It makes no sense.”

“Perhaps you should find out,” Melia replied.  “You have a reliable source you could ask.”

“Sir Brandon?” Pearl asked.  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Melia considered for a moment.  “I know I’m asking a lot of you, but I’ve never heard anything but honorable comments about him.  It could be that he has no idea what the Chancellor has planned.”

“Do you really think so?”  Pearl’s eyes lit up.  “If he isn’t part of all this, perhaps…”

“I didn’t say that,” Melia replied, “but I do believe in giving everyone the benefit of the doubt when possible.  If you were to talk to him, you might be able to find out more.”

“That’s true,” Pearl agreed.  “I might see him tonight.”

“I have a feeling you will,” Melia said.  “He seemed quite interested in seeing you again.”

“Do you really think so?” Pearl asked, then looked down.  “What if he is involved?”

“Better to know one way or the other,” Melia said, then smiled.  “What were you doing at the clearing today?”

“Callum is going to teach me how to use the long bow.”  Pearl spun in a little circle.  It’s so exciting.  I’ve never used one before since my instructors all thought it was too big for me.”

“Instructors?” Melia repeated.  “I thought you had teachers and counselors.”

“Oh, I did,” Pearl assured her, “but my father agreed it would be good to know how to protect myself, so he let me take fencing and hand-to-hand combat lessons…I even got to try a crossbow a few times.”

“Very unusual for a princess,” Melia noted.  “How did you manage that?”

“I think my father wanted a son,” Pearl replied, “so I probably got to do more than most girls in my position.”  She smiled.  “Of course, it helped that my mother came from the southern kingdom of Thorin.   It’s a realm that believes women should be given the opportunity to learn many of the same things as men.”

“That explains the water magic,” Melia said, “and wood magic is natural for your kingdom, but the air magic…that is a mystery to me.”

“It’s all a mystery to me,” Pearl replied, glancing up at the sky.  “I should go.  It’s getting late, and I need to meet Rowena before we go to the tavern.”

“Let me know what you discover,” Melia said as Pearl turned to walk away.

“I promise,” Pearl replied, hoping it would be good news.  She wanted Sir Brandon to be an ally, but she was afraid he might be working for the wrong side.

Chapter 15

When Rowena and Pearl walked into the tavern, Pearl was suprirsed to see a large group of men already at one of the tables.

“I’d better get a tray,” Rowena said,” setting down her cloak.  “Why don’t you hang these in the back, then meet me at the bar?”

“All right,” Pearl agreed.  She took the cloaks to the back room and hung them on pegs, then walked back into the main space.  She stopped so abruptly she nearly lost her balance when she saw Sir Brandon walking into the tavern.

“There you are,” Brandon said to the group of men at the table.  “I thought you were coming tomorrow.”

“Plans change,” one of the men said.  He had dark brown hair and a beard, which hid most of his face…but there was something about him.  Pearl looked more closely, then quickly backed into the other room.

“It can’t be,” she said under her breath.  She glanced around, hoping to find another way out.  When she realized she’d have to go past the bar, she picked up a large tray and held it up in front of her face as much as she could.

“Where are you going?” a voice asked. 

Pearl kept walking until someone touched her arm.  “I have to get more mugs,” she said in a deep voice.

“Why are you speaking like that?” the voice said.  Pearl lowered the tray and saw it was John.

“Oh, I’m so glad it’s you,” she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him behind her.  “I need help.”

John followed her back to the kitchen, then stopped her as she headed for the back door.  “Where are you going?”

“I, um…I have to leave,” Pearl said, glancing around.  “There’s…there’s someone out front I can’t see.  He knows me from before.  From my own land.”

“Is he at that large table?” John asked.  “They’re supposed to be gathering here from other realms.  Some say it’s for the ball, but I think it has more to do with the mines.”

“Or the forest,” Pearl added.  She had wanted to talk to Brandon about that, but she couldn’t do that now.

“What about the forest?”  John looked at Pearl for a moment.  “It’s strange.  You seem to be in the middle of everything.”

“What do you mean?” Pearl wondered if he suspected who she really was.

“It’s just that Ulster leaves, then you get here.  You don’t seem to know anyone but your grandfather, but suddenly you’re working here, you not only know about the mines, but you’ve found something out about the forest…and now a stranger shows up who may be a threat to you.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Pearl replied.  “I know about the mines because Ross and the others told me.  I found out there was someone trying to cut down the forest from Rowena, then Sir Brandon said…”

“Sir Brandon?” John repeated.  “Now, you know him too?”

“Pearl shrugged.  “I met him outside of Rowena’s cottage on my first day.  He seemed nice, and I had no idea he was a Sir when I met him.”

John smiled.  “That makes sense.  He does like to charm the young women in the village.”

Pearl wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but at least John didn’t think anything was unusual about it.  “That man out there,” she added.  “A friend of mine at home ran up a debt with one of the local tradesman, and that man works for his enforcer.”

“Now, it makes sense,” John said, nodding.  “Sorry, Pearl.  We’re all a bit on edge with lately.”

Pearl smiled.  “I understand, but can you please let Rowena know I felt ill and had to leave?”

“All right,” John agreed.  “You’d better get going.  I’ll tell her you went back to the cottage before it got dark.  There doesn’t seem to be many other people in the tavern tonight.  I doubt you’re the only one avoiding them.”

“Do you know the others?” Pearl asked, intrigued.  She had only recognized the one man.

“Most of them work in a similar profession as your acquaintance out there,” John said.  “Whatever reason they’re here, it can’t be good.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Pearl replied.  “I’d better go tell Ross and the others.”

“Be careful,” John said.  “You don’t want to take any chances in the woods at night, and it will be getting dark soon.”

“I’ll be careful,” Pearl promised. 

As it turned out, there was more food than they’d expected.  Since Arthur had known what was in the will, he’d already had someone come in and clean the kitchen, breakfast room and conservatory downstairs as well as the library, two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. 

“I’m afraid these are the only rooms that are ready tonight, but I’m sure you’ll have your own ideas about the rest of the house.” 

They decided against the tour.  Gabbi insisted they go shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables to go with the basic pantry that had been stocked.  They would not be getting any money for at least a week, but Arthur offered to lend them some while they were waiting.

“No, but thank you, Arthur,” Moira said, shaking his hand.  “Gabbi and I have enough to get started, but we appreciate the thought, don’t we Gabbi?” she asked, looking at her pointedly.

“Yeah, sure we do,” Gabbi replied, still looking around the kitchen.  She was mentally measuring which appliances would go where and trying to decide if there was room for a wine fridge.  “That reminds me, we should get some wine,” she said absently to Moira.  

As Arthur started to leave, he turned and smiled.  “I almost forgot to tell you. There’s some wine downstairs in the cellar.  Probably at least a few bottles that would meet with a chef’s approval.”  Then he waved and walked out the front door, calling out, “My number is on the bottom of the paperwork if you need anything.” 

“It’s going to be dark in a few hours,” said Moira.  “If you want to shop in Anacortes, let’s get back in plenty of time to see if the lights are working.”

“Good idea,” replied Gabbi.  “In fact, we may want to grab a few flashlights.  Oh, that’s right, I don’t have any money.” 

Moira laughed.  “Well, I do.  I’d be happy to loan you a couple of hundred for the next few days.”

“A couple of hundred?” repeated Gabbi.  “Why didn’t you take Arthur up on his offer?  The guy drives a BMW.” 

“Gabbi,” Moira shook her head, “Gran wouldn’t have approved.  And if you need more money, I can loan you up to a thousand.  As long as you pay me back, when we can access the trust.”

“Never mind,” Gabbi smiled.  “I’ll just let you buy tonight, and I can go back down to Seattle tomorrow.  You going to be okay here by yourself?” she asked as they walked down the porch steps and out to her car.

“Sure, but why do you have to go back?” asked Moira.  “Can’t you just ask your bank to send you the money?”

“Probably.”  Gabbi smiled.  “But I doubt they’d want to send me my cats.” 

“You have cats?” Moira asked as they pulled out of the drive onto the main road.  “I’ve always wanted a cat.  And a dog.  And maybe even a horse.”

“Whoa, slow down,” Gabbi laughed, “no pun intended.

Moira smiled.  “Very funny.”

“But let’s start with two cats,” Gabbi said more seriously.  “A dog is going to have to like the cats, or it stays outside.”

“Fair enough,” agreed Moira.  “Now, let’s go get some food.  I’m starving.”

Gabbi laughed.  “You’re always starving.  Why don’t you check out the produce and I’ll look at the fish?”

“You just passed a grocery store,” Moira said, looking behind her.

“We aren’t going to a grocery store.  There’s a market down by the water, and it should be open until dark.”

They had more fun than Moira had expected, poking around the market, and they found a wonderful selection of fresh fruits and vegetables.  And the fish!  Gabbi decided on salmon, but she had to look at everything else before committing. 

“Let’s grab some wine,” Gabbi said, pointing towards a little shop off to the right.  “See if they have any Pinot Grigio.  From Washington State,” she added, “no California wine in the MacInnes home.” 

Moira smiled.  “I’ll do my best, but I’m not spending more than twenty dollars on a bottle of wine.”

Gabbi pretended to be shocked, but laughed as Moira made a face, then went into the shop.  She came back out with a bottle and a big basket.

“Look!” Moira walked over. “Strawberries.  Real strawberries and they’re wonderful.  The woman said a customer brings them in to sell with the May Wine and a few other items.  There’s enough for shortcake.”

“Forget the shortcake,” said Gabbi.  “We’re making daiquiris.  Go back and get some rum, and I’ll meet you at the car.”

“Yes, Capitan,” Moira joked, “but I expect an excellent dinner after all this.”

Moira was not disappointed.  Gabbi could definitely cook.  The salmon was amazing, served with baby potatoes and green beans.  And the Pinot Grigio was wonderful.  Gabbi was particular, but she did know her wines.

When Moira started to refill her glass, Gabbi shook her head.  “No more wine, we’re making daiquiris.”

“Tonight?” asked Moira.  “I thought you were going to make those tomorrow.”

“Oh no, tonight.  I think we need an icebreaker and daiquiris are perfect.”  Gabbi smiled.  “Have you ever had strawberry daiquiris...made with fresh strawberries?”

“No, I haven’t but they sound wonderful,” said Moira. 

Gabbi smiled again.  “Oh, they’re wonderful.  Come on, you can help.”

They tidied up the kitchen, which was large and dated, but Gabbi kept saying it had great potential.  Moira preferred the breakfast nook.  She couldn’t wait to see the views in the morning since it was too dark to see anything tonight.

When Gabbi found the blender in the pantry, Moira looked at it doubtfully.  “It seems a little old. Maybe we should stick with the wine.”

“Trust me,” Gabbi said with a smile.  “If it doesn’t work, we can always go back to the wine.”

Twenty minutes later, they were sitting in the library, a pitcher of daiquiris between them, and Moira was in heaven.

“This is the best drink I’ve ever had,” she declared.  “And I don’t even care if there’s alcohol in it.  This daiquiri tastes lovely.”

“Lovely?” asked Gabbi, laughing.  “I think the alcohol is already having an effect.”

“Maybe so, but I still say it’s lovely,” said Moira, smiling.  “Would you look at all these books?  I love this room.”

“Speaking of love, how is your love life, cuz?” Gabbi asked.  “Any boyfriends back home?”

“Oh, I had one,” Moira said, “but Craig turned out to be a cad.”

“A cad?” Gabbi laughed.  “You read too many books, cuz.”

“Impossible,” Moira stated, looking quite serious.  “I just can’t seem to find a guy who reads enough.  Or at least, not the same books I do.”

“That almost makes sense,” Gabbi said, smiling. 

Moira took a sip of her drink.  “He said she stopped by.  Stopped by and just happened to have a dark blue, satin nightgown on under her sweats?”

“What?” asked Gabbi, sensing there was more of a story here than she’d imagined.

“Never mind.  It doesn’t matter now,” Moira replied, looking into her glass.

“Nothing personal,” Gabbi stated, “but you look like you could use some help with your love life.”

“That is so not true,” Moira said, not wanting to admit how close it was to the truth.

“I mean you’ve probably had a few boyfriends, but not anyone really amazing, right?”  Gabbi couldn’t help teasing Moira a bit.  “I’ll bet you’re more of a doormat.  Step right up, walk all over me, and I’ll just be grateful for any time or affection you happen to show me.”

Moira just shook her head and drank another sip of her daiquiri.  “I don’t know why you always have to be so mean.  Don’t you know any other way to get attention?”

“Oh, I know how to get attention,” replied Gabbi, smiling, “and I will tell you all about it.  My last guy paid a lot of attention, but he ended up being a complete jerk. So, I had to kick him out.”

“The guy you threw out when I called the other day?” asked Moira.

“That’s the one,” replied Gabbi. 

“How did you meet him?” asked Moira.  “You must have really liked him to have him move in with you.”

“He didn’t exactly move in with me.  He just asked to stay on my sofa for a few days, which turned into a few weeks, and probably would have been months if I hadn’t booted him out.”  Gabbi laughed.  “I think it might have turned into something more if he hadn’t ended up crashing on my sofa.  I couldn’t really see myself getting serious with an unemployed musician…especially one with no desire to get a job or an apartment.  But when we first met, he made a very good impression.”

Gabbi told Moira all about it, down to the last detail.

The weekend of Seattle’s Bumpershoot festival, Gabbi had found herself with two days off from work.  She loved cooking but this restaurant job seemed like a dead end.  She decided to meet up with friends, get some food, drink a little wine, and just relax in the sun. 

Gabbi didn’t pay attention at first, when yet another local band walked out on stage, but the lead singer’s voice soon captivated her. He had long, dark hair that reminded her of an ‘80s rock star.  She smiled and enjoyed the music but when the band left the stage, she soon forgot about the singer.

When her friends wanted to leave, she decided to have one more glass of wine.  As she stood in line at the wine garden, she heard a voice directly behind her say, “You are truly a vision of loveliness.”

“Why thank you.” Gabbi replied, smiling as she turned. 

The singer from the band stood before her.  He offered to buy her wine and she accepted.  “I should introduce myself,” he began.  “I’m Darryl Hooks, lead singer of …”

“Hooks and Harmony,” they said at the same time.

He smiled, “You’ve heard of us then?”

Gabbi laughed. “Yes, I’ve heard of you.”

She held out her hand, but her eyes never left his as they shook hands. “I’m Gabriella McCrae.  My friends call me Gabbi.”

“Nice to meet you, Gabbi.”  He looked her up and down. “Would you like to walk back to the fountain with me?”

Gabbi smiled.  “That would be nice.”

They walked and drank their wine, discussing music and the Seattle night life.  Eventually, they ended up at the Monorail platform.

“Well, it’s been great talking to you, but I need to go home and feed my cats.” Gabbi smiled slowly. “So, I’m going to say good night.”

Darryl leaned towards her; his face so close to hers she could feel his breath.   His cologne seemed intoxicating as she breathed it in.  He looked into her eyes.  “Are you sure I can’t convince you to spend a little more time with me?”

As she hesitated, he leaned forward and kissed her.  

“It was a kiss that definitely got my attention,” Gabbi said, smiling at Moira, “but the next one was even better.”

Moira’s eyes were wide as she stared at Gabbi.  Not sure what to say, she finally decided on the truth.  “I don’t have anything to share,” she admitted, “since that one evening sounds more exciting than the last eight months of my so-called romance.” 

Gabbi smiled and shook her head.  “Oh Moira, you have had some romance, haven’t you?  Your love life can’t be that uneventful.”

Moira blushed a bit.  “You’d be surprised.  And I guess I’m not that sorry to see the last of Craig when I think about it.”  She tried out a small smile.  “Maybe, you’re right.  I do have a tendency to be a doormat,” she said, thinking of that blue nightgown.

Looking at Moira, Gabbi felt bad about her earlier comment.  Maybe it was the daiquiri, but she suddenly felt the need to say something nice to Moira.  “Hey cuz, don’t worry.  I’ll make sure you have more fun these next six months.” Surprising herself, she added, “I can teach you a few things, so you’re ready the next time an opportunity presents itself.  Or himself.” 

Moira almost spit out part of her daiquiri and had to laugh.  “Um, I guess I should say I appreciate that…but truthfully, it kind of scares me.”

Gabbi smiled.  “As it should.  You have a lot to learn but mainly, you need more confidence.”

Nodding her head, Moira was starting to see two, or maybe three Gabriellas, sitting across from her.  “I appreciate your, um, interest in my love life or lack thereof.”  Then, she collapsed into a fit of giggles.

“I think that’s enough rum for you,” replied Gabbi, reaching over and taking her glass. 

Moira was still smiling, but then jumped up and walked to one of the walls of books. 

“You know if this were a movie, there would be some secret passage or chamber, where all the special and important items were kept.”  She laughed and spun around, almost tipping over.  “Okay, spinning is a bad idea,” she admitted.  “But wouldn’t it be great if there was a secret compartment somewhere in a house this old?”

Gabbi laughed.  “I think you could hide plenty under the dust in the downstairs ballroom.”  But she was rather intrigued.  “On the other hand, if you wanted to hide something, all these bookshelves would be the perfect place.”

Knowing they had to get an early start the next day, they decided to get some sleep and look for secret compartments tomorrow.  Gabbi walked down to her room, thinking maybe it would be worth checking out the library more carefully…but tomorrow morning, she had to go back to Seattle to get her cats.  She didn’t want to leave them alone for too long, and she missed having them curled up next to her on the bed. 

Lying down, she fluffed up the pillows and wondered if she’d be able to get any rest after such an exciting day.  To her surprise, she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Chapter 9

Pearl had overheard a few things that evening, but not very much that was going to help her friends.  There was some discussion about a contest happening later that month, and a lot of excitement about a royal ball. 

She had to smile at that.  She never imagined men would get so excited about attending a ball, but apparently, this was no ordinary dance.  The king was going to offer a parcel of prime acreage to the man who could bring the prettiest woman to the ball.

Pearl wondered if this had something to do with the king needing a bride.  Of course, it would be looks that they’d consider rather than ability to help run the kingdom or dealing with the people.

She was a little lost in thought, when she turned, and her tray bumped right into the man with reddish-blond hair and beard from Rowena’s table.  He had been coming back from the kitchen with a drumstick in his hand, which was now covered with ale.

Laughing, he took a bite of the meat.  “This will be the best thing I’ve had all day,” he said, waving it towards his friends.  “Did you see they marinate their meat here?”

The entire table started laughing as Pearl quickly picked up the mugs and wiped up the ale.  She kept an eye on the man, but he walked back to the table without giving her any further trouble.

“Are you all right?” Rowena asked as she walked past.

“Fine,” Pearl assured her. 

“Then, if you can grab that other tray at the bar, I’d appreciate it,” Rowena said. 

Pearl set her tray down on the bar and picked up the one Rowena had mentioned.  It was loaded down with ale and chips, which she realized smelled very good.  She was reminded that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast.

As she walked up to the table, Rowena set down the ale, then spun around as one of the men made a grab for her arm.  “As I said, we are happy to serve you ale and food, but that’s as much as you’ll get from this tavern.”

The man laughed. He was tall with dark hair and a beard.  “Maids don’t usually turn me down,” he said, smiling at his friends.  “I’d be happy to share a few things with you…I believe you’d enjoy it.”

The men at the table burst out laughing.  Pearl glanced behind her, hoping to catch John’s eye, but she didn’t see him.  The bar was packed, and no one seemed to be paying attention to their table.

“Why don’t you have a seat,” Rowena told the man.  “We have chips and more ale right here,” she added, turning to Pearl.

The man grabbed Rowena’s arms, pinning them to her sides.  “I don’t want chips,” he said, pulling her towards him.  “Why don’t we take this outside?”

The others were still laughing as Pearl walked over and tapped on the man’s shoulder.  He turned and looked at her. “Did you want to join us?”

“I would appreciate it if you would let go of my friend,” Pearl replied.  “We have work to do tonight, and going outside with customers is not included.”

“Well, maybe it should be,” a voice said behind her. 

She turned and saw it was the man with the drumstick.  “Why don’t you finish your food?” 

“I’d rather go outside,” the man said.

“Well, I would be happy to arrange that,” Pearl replied, taking the man’s arm and turning it behind him.  She had the advantage that he was very drunk, so she easily leveraged his weight and pushed him out the door.

The other man let go of Rowena and made a grab for her as she shoved the first man outside.  Pearl spun around and dropped down and swung her leg in a half circle, knocking his feet out from under him.  As he fell, she hit him with her elbow and pushed him out the door with her foot.

The entire tavern was watching now.  As she walked back in, the other men at the table were all laughing and most of the other customers were either laughing or staring at her in surprise.

“Nothing to see,” Pearl said, brushing her hands on her skirt.  “Would anyone like some more ale?”

Rowena’s eyes were huge.  “Where did you learn to do that?” she whispered as they walked back to the bar.

“Let’s just say, we learn self defense at an early age in my realm,” Pearl said with a smile.

“Well, I hope you didn’t just get us both fired,” Rowena said, then smiled back.  “Although it would almost be worth it.  Did you see the look on their faces?”

“They were laughing,” Peal replied.

Rowena shook her head.  “They were shocked, then they laughed as you walked back in.  You’ll be the talk of the village.”

“I didn’t think about that.”  Pearl looked around and saw John, who shook his head.  “I’ll be right back.”

“Make it quick,” Rowena said.  “I’ll have the owner take over the ale with me to that table, which should take care of any further issues…at least for tonight.”

Chapter 10

“You have an interesting way of dealing with customers,” John said as Pearl walked over to him.

“I didn’t like the way they were dealing with my friend.” Pearl paused. “I did look for you first.”

“Sorry about that.”  John shrugged.  “I went to check on the barrels.”  He smiled.  “I got back just in time to see sweep one off his feet and you push him out the door.  Did Ulster teach you that move?”

“An acquaintance of my father’s showed me that particular one,” Pearl replied.  “Something he learned it in the war.”

“Which war?” John asked.

“Oh, one that was down in the southern kingdoms,” Pearl said, realizing she shouldn’t have mentioned it.  “That was before my time.”

John nodded.  “Looks like you’d better get back to work.” 

Pearl saw Rowena was waving to her to join her at the bar.  “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Try to stay out of trouble,” John added as she walked away.

The rest of the evening was fairly quiet, and Pearl was hoping no one would mention what happened.  The owner finished dealing with the rowdy table while Pearl and Rowena took care of the rest of the tavern.

As they were getting ready to close, one of the men from the table approached Pearl.  He walked over with his hands up in surrender.  “I’ve come in peace.”

Pearl waited to see what he wanted.  Finally, she asked, “Is there anything else we can get you?”

“I’d like to know if you can help me,” the man said.  “My name is Sir Darren of Brunswick, and I’ve heard of women in the southern kingdoms who can take a man on and win.”  He smiled.  “I’d guess you’re not from around here…am I right about you being from the south?”

Pearl nodded.  “My mother…yes, we’re from one of the southern kingdoms.”

Sir Darren glanced back at his friends.  “I told them you probably were.”  He laughed.  “It did them good to find out they can’t hold their own against a girl when they’ve had too much to drink.”  He reached out a hand, then paused.  “I just want to give you a tip.”

Pearl accepted the money.  “Thank you, but I think this should go to my friend.”

“Use it as you wish,” he said.  “If you need some extra money, I can help you with that.”  Pearl raised an eyebrow, and he laughed.  “No…not like that.  I mean, I could use your help training my daughters.  I don’t trust any of this group to be alone with them, but I think you might be exactly what I’m looking for.”

“I’d have to check with my…grandfather,” Pearl replied.  “I’m staying with him.”

“Well, do that,” Sir Darren said.  “And I will leave a note here tomorrow from my wife, so you know my intentions are just what I’ve stated.”

Pearl nodded.  “Thank you.”  She smiled.  “I will consider it.”

“Aren’t you the plucky one?” he asked, shaking his head and turning back to the table.  “Consider it,” he repeated, then laughed to himself and joined the others. 

As they left, Pearl walked over to Rowena and told her about the offer.  “Well, that’s an unusual one, I’ll give him that,” Rowena said.

“I thought he was joking until he mentioned his wife,” Pearl replied.

Rowena shrugged.  “I don’t know if that guarantees anything, but if he really is a Sir, then his wife probably runs the household.”  She paused.  “If you do get a note, we’ll find out.  It might be a good way to make some extra money.”

“Do you want to go with me?” Pearl offered.

“Only if you teach me that swinging your leg thing,” Rowena said, laughing.  “I’ve never seen anyone do that before.”

“It’s a deal,” Pearl said, shaking her hand.  “Let’s finish and go home.  I have a long walk back to the cottage.

“You can stay with me tonight,” Rowena said.  “I think it would be safer not to have you walking through the forest alone after besting two of the king’s soldiers.”

“Those men were soldiers?” Pearl asked in surprise.

“Not exactly,” Rowena admitted.  “They used to be soldiers, then received lands in thanks for their service in the last battle against the western realm.” 

“The western realm…” Pearl said thoughtfully.  She didn’t know they’d been at war.  How did she not know that?  She decided to ask Ross and the others about it in the morning.

Chapter 11

Pearl thanked Rowena the next morning for letting her stay but declined breakfast.  She was in a hurry to get back to the cottage she now thought of as her temporary home. 

“Remember, the owner said you can come back tomorrow night if you want the work,” Rowena reminded her.

“Very generous of him,” Pearl replied.  “I’ll do my best not to fight with the customers.”

Rowena giggled and waved goodbye as Pearl started down the path out of the village.  She didn’t notice that one other person watched her with interest as she left.

As she passed the tree where she’d met Melia, Pearl noticed there was no one there.  Walking all the way around it, she almost called her name when she heard something rustle in the underbrush. 

“Who’s there?” Pearl asked.

The man stepped out and smiled.  “I didn’t mean to startle you,” he replied.

Pearl recognized the man from the day before, with the dark blond hair, who had spoken to her outside of Rowena’s cottage.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name,” she said.

The man smiled and bowed slightly.  “Sir Brandon of Apalby, at your service.”

“Sir Brandon?” Pearl asked.  “It’s nice to meet you.  What brings you to the woods…surely you weren’t following me?”

“I’m here on official business,” Brandon replied, “but running into you was an unexpected pleasure.”

“What type of official business, if you don’t mind my asking?” Pearl realized this was the longest conversation she’d had with a man on her own.  She glanced around but reminded herself that Melia was probably nearby.

“I am here on behalf of Chancellor Grant,” Brandon said, “to assess the timber in the area and see what would be best for our plans.” 

“You work for Chancellor Grant,” Pearl replied softly.  “I see.”

“Do you know him?” Brandon asked in surprise.

“Only by reputation,” Pearl said.  “His name was mentioned by some of our customers when they talked about trade with the southern kingdom.”
“You heard all that in the tavern?”  Brandon smiled.  “I’ll have to remind the Chancellor that his men speak too loudly after their ale.”

Pearl shrugged.  “No difference to me.  I am hardly in a position to benefit one way or the other.”

“What a curious thing to say.”  Brandon took a step closer.  “You don’t sound like the average tavern maid.”

“Well, I just started last night,” Pearl replied without thinking.  “I was on my way south when one of the horses went lame.  I decided to work here and save up enough to complete the trip in a little better circumstance.”

“I see.”  Brandon glanced around.  “Do you live out here?”

“Oh, no…I’m staying with a friend of the family in the village.”  She turned and started walking back the way she had come.  “I just wanted to see what all the talk was about last night.”
Brandon fell into step beside her.  “Do you mind if I walk back with you?  I would hate for you to come across men like the other day, although I understand you can take care of yourself.”

Pearl blushed slightly.  “That man yesterday didn’t expect me to do anything.”

“And the ones last night?” Brandon asked.

Pearl stopped walking.  “Oh, that was a misunderstanding.”

Brandon took another step towards her and smiled.  “Don’t worry, I won’t get too close.  I’ve seen you in action.”  He put his hand out indicating she should keep walking.  “Besides, a gentleman asks a woman before he tries to take liberties.”

“I assure you,” Pearl replied, “any liberties will not be granted…asked for or not.”

Brandon laughed.  “You are a direct one, aren’t you?”  He shook his head.  “Very well, I will remember that you are not interested in any liberties I might offer.”

Pearl wondered what exactly he’d had in mind but decided that was a complication she did not need.  It was too bad he worked for Chancellor Grant because Pearl thought he was rather charming, in his own way.

When they reached the edge of the village, Brandon stopped.  “I will accompany you no further now that you are back within sight of your friend’s cottage.  Have a good day…”  He paused.  “I don’t believe you told me your name.”

Pearl smiled in spite of herself.  “It’s Pearl.”

“A lovely name,” Brandon said.  “Take care, Pearl.”

She watched him go back towards the main part of the village. After a few minutes, she turned and walked back into the woods.

Chapter 12

When Pearl reached the cottage, Ross was the only one there.  “I wondered if you were coming back,” he said as she entered.

“Why did you wonder?” Pearl asked, then stopped.  “John told you?”

“He told Callum, who told the rest of us,” Ross replied.  “Not a great way to stay unnoticed, but I understand they were getting out of hand.”

“They were,” Pearl agreed, “and where I come from, women don’t just wait around for men to decide we are not property.”

“What an odd thing to say.”  Ross smiled.  “You are more like Ulster than I realized.  He’s never been one to sit quietly and wait for something to be done.”

Peal nodded, still not entirely comfortable with this subterfuge.  “I..um, I have always had a very supportive family.”

“The others will be back soon,” Ross said.  “Did you find out anything that might help us know what is going on with Lord Parker?”

“No,” Pearl admitted, “but there wasn’t much talk about the mines…which is surprising when you think about it.”

“Perhaps not,” Ross began as the door opened and the rest walked in.

“There she is,” Callum said, walking up and patting her on the shoulder.  “Well done, my girl!”

Pearl smiled.  “It wasn’t that difficult.  They had been drinking for most of the evening.”
“Still, it’s not everyone who can clear a tavern on their own,” Liam joked.  “I don’t suppose you want to show us your technique?”

Walter shook his head.  “Ignore my much younger brother.  He rarely gets out in public even when we’re not hiding from the sheriff.”

Pearl smiled.  This must be what it’s like having a family, she thought.  She rather liked it.  “I did find out one thing,” Pearl offered.

“What’s that?” Daniel asked.

“There are plans for the forest, and men are already looking at the trees.”  She paused.  “Well, at least one man.  He said he was working with Chancellor Grant.”

“Did you get his name?” Ross asked.  “It could be important.”

“He introduced himself as Sir Brandon of Amalby.”  Pearl blushed slightly.  “A very nice gentleman despite his task.”

“He introduced himself?” Liam repeated.  “At the tavern?”

“No, I ran into him in the forest,” Pearl began.  “I saw him yesterday outside of Rowena’s cottage after a slight…”  She stopped. 

“You saw him twice?” Ross glanced at Callum, who raised an eyebrow.

“Sir Brandon is not one to underestimate,” Callum said.  “I’ve had dealings with him in the past…he’s very capable.”

“Capable of what?” Liam asked with a smile, glancing in Pearl’s direction.

“Capable of finding out more than he should,” Callum finished.  “Pearl, you’d do well to steer clear of him.”

Pearl nodded.  “I made sure he returned to the village before I came here.”

“Are you sure you weren’t followed?” Daniel asked.

“I’m sure,” Pearl assured him, “and I told Sir Brandon that I was staying with Rowena.  He has no reason to doubt that.”

“Still, you should be careful,” Ross said thoughtfully.  “Perhaps working at the tavern wasn’t such a good idea.”

“Ulster would never forgive us if something happened to you,” Callum agreed.

“I can take care of myself,” Pearl replied, then smiled.  “I’ll make sure no one follows me here, and I will try not to start any more problems in the tavern.”

“Are you working tonight?” Walter asked.

“No, I’m not expected until tomorrow night,” Pearl replied.  “Did you need me to do something here?”

“Well, you could start dinner,” Liam suggested.  “I don’t suppose they showed you any cooking tips at the tavern?”

“Not exactly,” Pearl replied, “but I am getting very good at balancing mugs of ale on a tray.”

“A useful talent, to be sure,” Liam agreed.

“Why don’t you help me tonight?” Ross suggested.  “I can show you a few basics, then maybe you can help out the nights you aren’t working.”

Pearl nodded.  Even if she had shown she could fight, it seemed they saw her talents were more suited to the kitchen.  When she had the chance, she would show them she could do far more.

Chapter 13

Pearl woke up the next morning and decided she needed to make some changes.  While it was nice to have a place to stay and a job, she needed to get back to her own kingdom.  Her people thought she was missing or worse, and she didn’t seem to have any way to help her friends here or in the forest.

“What’s wrong?” Callum asked as she walked into the kitchen.

“I feel like I should be doing more,” Pearl said.  “And not in the kitchen,” she added as he looked over at the stove.

“I see.”  Callum smiled.  “Well, if you’re anything like your grandfather, helping around the cottage is not going to be enough.  Have you ever shot a long bow?”

“A long bow?” Pearl repeated, her eyes lighting up.  “I have not, but I would very much enjoy learning.”

“Come on then,” Callum said, grabbing his cloak. “Let’s go before the others notice.  The last thing we need is Daniel and Ross showing us their technique.”

“Are they any good?” Pearl asked.

“Very,” Callum assured her, “but you don’t need three people trying to teach you at once.”

Pearl followed Callum along the path until they reached a small clearing.  “This is the best place I know.  Plenty of light and no animal paths crossing through.  The last thing you want to do is injure one and have them turn on you.”

“Where is the bow?” Pearl asked, looking around.

“We start with walking the area,” Callum instructed.  “Walk all the way around the edge, then check out the larger trees.  Get a feeling for the space.”

“All right,” Pearl said, then smiled.  “So, what are we using for a target?”

“I’ll show you that tomorrow,” Callum promised, “if you do well today.”

Pearl nodded and for the rest of the morning, she did what Callum suggested.  Once she felt comfortable with the space, she started looking at each tree.  This reminded her of Melia, and she realized she needed to talk to her.

When the sun was directly overhead, Callum waved her over.  “That all for today,” he said.  “You work tonight, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Pearl said, “and I’ll probably stay with Rowena tonight if she doesn’t mind.”
“Then, meet me here tomorrow about this time, and we’ll try shooting a few arrows at the target.”

“Really?” Pearl clapped her hands together.  “That would be wonderful.”

“Don’t make me regret my decision,” Callum warned her.  “This is serious business.  A long bow is a powerful weapon.”

“I will be careful.  I promise.”  Pearl walked with him back to the cottage and they joined the others for lunch. 

“Where have you been all morning?” Liam asked.

“I took Pearl out to look at the clearing,” Callum said.  “I’m teaching her how to use the long bow.”

“Really?” Liam smiled at Ross.  “Did you know about this?”

“No,” Ross replied, “but if she’s any good we could use the help.  The sheriff and his men will start looking in this area eventually.  If Pearl can’t find, she should stay in the village.”

“I’d rather stay with you,” Pearl said.  She looked around.  “All of you.  I appreciate what you’ve done to help me, and I…well, you feel like family.”

“Ulster is a good friend,” Walter said.  “It’s the least we can do.”

“I’m still not sure it’s a good idea for you to be here,” Daniel said, surprising the others.  “So far, no one has seen her with us. If they do, she’ll have a bounty on her head, too.”

“Daniel makes a good point,” Ross conceded.  “Think about it, Pearl.  Consider it carefully, because there is no going back if you’re seen with us.  And no working in the tavern anymore either.”

Pearl looked around the room.  “I am with you.  All of you.”

The others nodded and they sat down to eat.  As she walked through the forest later that afternoon, she realized it felt good to be fighting for a just cause.  The men should be paid what they’re worth, and the forest should be protected from the likes of Chancellor Grant. She just wished it didn’t put her at odds with Sir Brandon.  He intrigued her, but she needed to stay focused on what was important.

Read the next part of the story here! 

Fairytales, gardens, adventure...and tea for the holidays.

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Chapter 3

Gabbi and Moira followed Arthur’s BMW out of Anacortes as they headed towards the west side of the island.  Moira had convinced Gabbi to finally put the top down on her Jetta convertible, so they could see the scenery.

Arthur had told them the MacInnes house was about five miles out of town, but they didn’t follow the water.  They cut across the island taking the main road southwest. 

“Look at all these houses,” commented Gabbi.  “Every time I come up here, there seem to be more of them.”

“Did you visit Gran?” asked Moira.

“No,” replied Gabbi.  “She was usually off seeing the world.  I’ve driven up to Anacortes a few times just to get away for the weekend.”

“Did you come up here with a guy?” Moira smiled, batting her eyelashes.

Gabbi laughed.  “I came up with friends the first time, but not the second time.  I did meet a very interesting driftwood sculptor on one of the beaches.”  She smiled devilishly.  “He said my limbs were a wonder to behold.  He didn’t get the opportunity to see what was under the leaves.”

“Gabbi!” Moira feigned shock.  “I don’t know how you meet these men.”

“I have a talent,” Gabbi replied, smiling to herself. 

“Oh well,” Moira giggled.  “It’s a whole new adventure this time.  And I’ll try to keep you away from the beachcombers.  We’re landowners now.”

“Yes, we are,” Gabbi said, smiling slowly, “and I think this is some of our land just off to our right.  You know, I’ve never driven out to the house.  It didn’t seem right without an invitation.”

Arthur had turned and they followed him down a wide gravel drive, which cut through an open area bordered by heavy forest on the left.  An overgrown vineyard was on the right with wild blackberries at the far end.

“Wow,” exclaimed Moira.  “This is amazing.”

“More than I expected,” admitted Gabbi, “and we haven’t even seen the house.  I hope it’s not in too bad a shape,” she added, thinking of her plans. 

The long drive had been fairly straight, but now curved to the left, then started a slow half circle back to the right.   Gabbi wondered if this was the grand entrance, meant to impress and awe the visitors.

Ever since they had turned off the main road, Moira had been going on and on about the old-growth forest, but all Gabbi could see were large evergreen trees and shaded undergrowth.  She was starting to wonder how long a person could talk about trees and moss, when Moira suddenly got very quiet.  Gabbi stopped the car and they both just stared.   The MacInnes Mansion stood before them, absolutely beautiful and much larger than either of them had expected.

The house was built of dark red brick with a gray roof and lighter gray, fish-scale shingles on the third-floor gable.  The large, white porch ran across the front of the house and dead-ended into the turret on the right.  It continued around the turret on the left side and had all the Victorian gingerbread details one would expect.  They could see the side of a long balcony on the second level that was also painted white.  All the windows had dark green trim and were topped with stained-glass transoms.  Directly above the peaked entry to the front porch was a half circle, stained-glass window.

The cousins just stared and Gabbi let out a low whistle.  “I hope the third floor is all one, large space.  What a view!”

Arthur had already parked and was now walking back to them.  Smiling, he said, “As a matter of fact, it’s two huge bedrooms and a bath…and it has spectacular views.”

To the right, they could see a smaller version of the house, which was also brick.  “That must be the carriage house,” Moira said, looking at Arthur.

“It is,” he agreed, nodding.  “There’s an apartment above, which used to be servants’ quarters before it was converted into an artist loft back in the 1920s.”

The gravel drive continued past the front of the house, around to the carriage house and then looped back to the main drive.  There was a fountain in the middle, topped by a sculpture of three women in a circle holding hands with one set of joined hands reaching toward the sky.  Moira recognized it as ‘The Three Graces’ from Botticelli’s painting, Primavera.  She’d never seen it as part of a fountain, and it was lovely.  Surrounding the fountain were short, green shrubs she thought might be boxwoods.

Gabbi and Moira walked up the path to the front steps and onto the porch, which led to a huge mahogany door with leaded glass sidelights.  They moved past the wicker chairs on the porch and around the left turret to the south side of the house.  The porch passed two sets of French doors, then ended at the side of a glass porch or conservatory.

There were steps to the left, down to a brick path that led to an octagonal white gazebo covered with pink climbing roses.  The bricks made up the floor of the gazebo and continued through the other opening, directly across and down into the garden.  There was also a path that wound through the garden, then led back to the walkway at the bottom of the stairs.

The garden was a bit overgrown, but many of the flowers were still blooming.  On the other side of the garden was the old-growth forest and to the right, they could see glimpses of water between the trees.  As they followed the brick path around the house, they found a stone terrace in back.  They both gasped as they saw the view of Burrows Bay and the islands beyond. 

“Oh, it’s beautiful,” said Moira.  “Just beautiful.”

“That’s the word for it,” agreed Gabbi.  “Beautiful.  And it’s all ours.”

“For now,” agreed Moira quietly. 

She saw the annoyed look Gabbi gave her but ignored it.  She was too busy thinking they couldn’t possibly afford to keep this insanely huge, lovely house.  The maintenance alone would be more than she made in a year.  But she would enjoy this week of exploring every bit of it, she promised herself.

Arthur had followed them around the back and smiled as he saw them.  “It’s quite a view, isn’t it?  You should see it from the upstairs balcony.”  

They turned around and saw the back of the house was just as impressive as the front.  There were balconies on the second and third floors and what appeared to be a cedar pergola covering part of the terrace.  Wisteria vines wrapped around the beams, but it was too late in the season for any flowers. 

To the left there was another turret, larger than the ones in the front.  Seeming to read their thoughts, Arthur said, “That’s the breakfast nook.  I’ve enjoyed many a fine cup of coffee in that room.”  Then he looked down and cleared his throat.  “We should probably go in.  The library is upstairs.”

Gabbi and Moira glanced at each other.  It was obvious Arthur had been a good friend to Gran.  Following him through the glass doors by the turret, they found themselves between the breakfast room and a large space that ended in the conservatory.  There were decorative corbels showing where the dividing wall would have been at one time, closing off the kitchen from this area.  The entire space was amazing. 

Arthur didn’t stop, so they followed him through an archway into a central hall.  There was a huge dining room to the left and a stairway to the right. 

Climbing the stairs, they reached another center hall.  This was a twin to the one below with doors opening into what were probably bedrooms.  Dark walnut paneling covered the lower part of the wall and old photographs hung above.  They could see the window seat ahead with bookcases halfway up the wall, on both sides.  Above it all, there was that lovely stained-glass window they’d seen outside. 

The window would practically glow in the morning, Moira thought to herself, when the sun hit those vibrant shades of green, gold and red.  The design seemed to be a family crest of some sort.  Probably Scottish.

All this was a quick glimpse as Arthur led them through double doors to the right and they entered an impressive room.  It was wrapped with bookcases on both sides of the doors and on either side of a huge fireplace to their right.  Across from the entrance were two sets of French doors leading out to a balcony with more books between them.  And to their left was a large window seat with the ever-present bookcases on the left side.  To the right was one of the turrets they had seen as they walked up to the house. 

Inside the turret, there were windows on six sides with a small desk and chair in the center.  The view from this spot would look out onto the woods and the water.  It was easy to picture Gran sitting there, watching over it all.

Moira smiled and sighed, contentedly.  Of course, Moira would love this room, Gabbi thought, looking at the bookshelves from floor to ceiling.  A huge library table sat in the middle of the space, and two comfortable chairs and an ottoman were by the fireplace.  Another large chair was to the left of the window seat with a few more chairs pulled up to the library table.  It was an amazing space.

“Oh, it’s…it’s unbelievable,” Moira said.  She had just fallen in love, and Gabbi could see it all over her face.  Smiling, she turned to Arthur.  “You’ll have to excuse my cousin.  She’s never had a library of her own before.”

Arthur nodded and indicated they sit down around the library table.  “Why don’t we have the reading of the will, then I’ll give you both a proper tour of the house.”  He looked at Gabbi, adding, “When you see the storage in the kitchen, I think you might feel the same as Moira.”

“How did you know I like to cook?” Gabbi asked surprised.

“Oh, Maggie kept track of you.  Of both of you,” he added, turning to include Moira.  “She followed your progress in school and in your careers.  Even when she was out of the country, she had her sources.  She wanted to know everything about you.  She always said that someday, her girls would come home.”

“Then, why didn’t she come to see us?” asked Gabbi before she could stop herself. 

Moira looked over but said nothing.  She wondered the same thing.

Arthur had expected this.  He looked at each of them, then slowly sat down.  When they did the same, he continued.  “Your grandmother thought she would have more time.  We all do, don’t we?”  He looked down for a moment.  “When the doctors told her she was sick, she asked me to do something for her, but she didn’t tell me about her illness.  She was a proud woman and wouldn’t want sympathy even from her closest friends.”

He cleared his throat.  “When she….”  He tried again.  “When she asked me to update her will and told me about her wishes, I thought she was making changes because of her new plans for the vineyard.” 

Waving his hand as he anticipated their questions, he said, “We’ll get to that later, but at the time, I thought that’s why she was looking for her son.”

Gabbi looked confused.  “Gran knew Dad was in San Francisco. It’s never been a secret that he moved there after the divorce.”

“Not that son,” Arthur said, deciding the direct approach was probably best.  “Your grandmother had a child before she married your grandfather.  A little boy, whom she gave up for adoption when she was nineteen.”

Gabbi and Moira looked stunned.  As Gabbi started to say something, Arthur held up his hand. 

“My father took care of the adoption.  When Maggie told her father what had happened, he was furious.  However, he soon realized that his little girl would have to make some very adult decisions.  He took her away to have the baby, what with Anacortes being such a small town.  They told everyone she went to visit a sick aunt in Olympia that spring and summer.  She took a semester off from college and when she came back, the little boy had been placed with a family in Seattle.”

He got up and started to pace around the room.  “All these years and we’d never discussed it.  Not until she came to me a few months ago, asking me to help her find her son.  She said she wanted to know if there were any grandchildren. When I asked her why, she simply smiled, saying it was important.” 

“She wanted to include all of us,” Moira said quietly.  Gabbi looked over and rolled her eyes.  She wasn’t happy about this new development.

Arthur looked down at the floor for a moment, then back up at the two women. “She became very serious, saying she didn’t have much time, so I should look into it right away.  I thought she was talking about the vineyard not that anything…”  Arthur dropped his arms to his sides.

Moira went up to Arthur and gave him a quick hug. “You miss her, and I think that’s a very sweet and wonderful thing.  I’ve never had a friend like that, man or woman.”

“Neither have I,” whispered Gabbi under her breath.  Then, she said, “You seem to have been very fond of Gran.”

Arthur sat back down.  “You’re right.  She was a good friend.  And for a short while, many years ago, I imagined I might be in love with her.  But she said I was just too noble to let a girl deal with such a huge problem on her own.”

Smiling to himself, he continued.  “She was an amazing woman.  She told me I would find someone special within the year.”  Looking down, he added, “And I met my darling Lily the next fall.  She passed away a few years ago, but your grandmother knew she’d be the one.  In fact, she introduced us right here in this house.”

He looked around, remembering.  “Maggie went back to college that fall and brought home a friend for Thanksgiving break.  Said her family was in Europe and she needed a good meal with friends.  She called and asked me to bring some papers by for her father, knowing I’d be home for the holiday helping my Dad.  I always wondered…”  Arthur smiled.  “As I said, your grandmother was an amazing woman.”

He cleared his throat.  “Anyway, now that you know about the possibility of other grandchildren, I can read the will.   Be sure to tell me if you have any questions and then we’ll take that tour.”

Gabbi and Moira were still in shock about everything that had happened in the past week.  And now the will stated that the house was being left to her grandchildren, not granddaughters, but grandchildren to be divided equally between them.  Arthur was given three months from the time of the reading of the will to find them.  He stopped there, explaining that he already had a pair of investigators looking into it.

Then, he got to the really big surprise.  Maggie was adamant that her granddaughters must live in the MacInnes house together for six months, beginning on the day of the reading of the will. They would be allowed to go home for up to one week to gather their possessions, then return.  At the end of the six months, they would inherit the house and decide if they wanted to keep it or sell it.  The majority ruled and a tie would mean they kept the house. 

If any other grandchildren were found in the three months allowed, they would have to stay at the carriage house until the original six months were up.  Not knowing them, she thought it best that they have their own space and be allowed to come and go as they pleased.  The girls, she knew, might have a difficult time adjusting to each other, but they must both stay in the house.  If they failed to do as she requested, the entire estate would revert to a trust for ten years, then be divided equally between them all.

“She was a smart one all right,” Gabbi admitted grudgingly.  She already anticipated my first question.  What if we don’t want to play her little game?”  She smiled.  “If we don’t play, we don’t inherit for another decade.”

“You sound impressed!” accused Moira.  “How can you be so cavalier?   There’s no point to any of this.  We couldn’t possibly afford to maintain this place, let alone have a choice as to whether to sell it or not.”  She looked at Arthur.  “Why insist on this, when she must have known we’d never be able to afford it?”

Arthur shook his head.  “Your grandmother was many things, but never cruel.  Didn’t you ever wonder how she maintained this place?”

The girls looked at each other.  “I guess I always thought the Bed and Breakfast made good money, while she ran it,” Gabbi replied, “and she was living on the interest.”

Arthur smiled.  “Maggie was always good with money, and she had a way with her hunches.  When she got the insurance settlement from your grandfather’s accident, she decided to invest it all in stock.  Computer stock.  She said she had a feeling about a particular company and wanted to be a part of it.  That was thirty years ago, and her initial investment would have been worth over a million dollars today.

Moira felt weak in the knees, and Gabbi thought about jumping up and down.  Arthur held up his hands.  “Before you get too excited, she didn’t leave it all in the investment.  She took out what she needed to keep the estate going, but there’s $350,000 left in trust for the estate.  If you decide to sell, it will be split between you as will any profits from the sale.”

He smiled.  “Of course, the more you improve the house, the more it will be worth.  And I would imagine it will take a good six months to get it all done.”

Moira shook her head.  “Gran was a clever one.  We either grow to love it or hate it, but either way the house gets a new lease on life, and we get to know one another.  I have to admit it’s a good plan.”

Gabbi thought for a minute.  She knew that half, or worse, a third or even a quarter would never be enough to do what she hoped.  And what if there were ten grandchildren?  She pushed the thought out of her head.  Instead, she asked, “Arthur, when are you going to show us the house?”

As they started to follow him out of the library, Moira came up and looked at Gabbi thoughtfully. “Whatever you’re planning, just know that it has to make sense financially and logically.  No crazy ideas that may or may not work.”

Gabbi laughed.  “Where’s your sense of adventure, cuz?  Let’s go find out if there’s any food in this place.”

Moira shook her head, wondering what exactly Gran had gotten her into.  Then, she smiled once more at the room full of books and followed Gabbi out of the library.

Read another chapter next Wednesday!

This month has been so busy! We completed our Backerkit campaign, but now we're adding recipes and teas to our Enchanted Fairytales and have them in a Kickstarter campaign. So much fun! We will be talking about those recipes next time, but for now...let's share a recipe from our Burrows Bay series. Just in time for Halloween!

Today's Recipe

Spooky Deviled Eggs

Hard boil 1 dozen eggs.  Put into ice water and soak 20-30 minutes.  Carefully remove shells and slice in half lengthwise, taking yolks out and putting them into a mixing bowl. 

• Egg yolks, chopped
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons mustard of your choice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together and carefully spoon into egg halves. 

• Canned black olives – whole.  You’ll need 12 olives for the body and several more for the legs, so be sure to buy an extra can.

Cut olives in half crosswise.  Place ½ an olive on top of each egg, round side up. 

Cut extra halves into small slices.  Arrange 4 slices on each side of half olive to look like little spider legs on each side of body.  This is a cute and fun appetizer for any age group.  Should make 2 dozen.

This is one recipe, where we ask you to try it and SEND US your photos! We would love to post a few in our blog.

Author Spotlight

For our Author Spotlight today, we are showcasing the last few days of a Kickstarter campaign that we think you might enjoy. We have not read the book, but we love the title!

This is not OUR fairytale, but it looks like a lot of fun, and there's a dragon! You can read the next chapter of our Once Upon A Rose at the end of this blog post.

Once Upon A Rose: A Cozy Fantasy Romance Fairytale Retelling

A cursed lord, a feisty librarian, and their dragon in a no spice, marriage of convenience, Beauty & the Beast fairy tale romantasy.

Lavender CottageCore

We also have a Kickstarter campaign running this week, and we're VERY EXCITED about adding tea and desserts to our Enchanted Fairytales. You can find out more by visiting our campaign...and we'll include some of the details here.

Fairytales, gardens, adventure...and tea for the holidays.

Enjoy these four Enchanted Fairytales with a special tea and recipe for each, along with an Elemental Fairytale and Christmas story.

Enjoy this sneak peek from Magical Garden.

Michela picked up the book to put it back on the shelf and stopped as she saw something slip out and land on the floor.

“What’s this?”  She picked up the paper and unfolded it.  “Aunt Ida, did you know Mom had a drawing in here?”

“No,” Ida shook her head.  “I haven’t looked at that book in quite a while.”

“It’s the garden,” Michela said, turning the paper 90 degrees.  “And it’s from a long time ago…before we added the area on the north side.”

“The miniature trees,” Ida remembered.  “Those are so cute.”

“What Mom called the Fairy Forest.” Michela smiled.  “We had so much fun picking out just the right evergreens for it.”  She turned the paper around again.  “It looks like there’s something written on the bottom.

We hope you enjoyed this sneak peek.  If you'd like to read the first two chapters, visit our website!  

And a special herbal tea and recipe for this story.

Once Upon A Rose - Chapter 15

Finally, we want to include a chapter for everyone to read at the end of each newsletter. Here’s the next part of Once Upon A Rose, the first story in our Enchanted Fairytale Series. Action, adventure, romance…and maybe a little magic. (If you missed the first thirteen chapters, we have a link at the bottom of the story.)

Celsiana poured a small amount of linseed oil in the bowl, then took a handful of soap flakes, making sure she already had some of the natron she always carried in her hand.  She knew the lye would burn for a moment, but she also knew her natron would burn a lot longer.

She nodded to Nicholas as he brought over the candle.  “Are you sure about this?” he asked.

“Go ahead,” Celsiana replied, “but stand back after you do.”

Nicholas lit the oil and they both watched it burn, then spark and burn brighter as the soap ignited.  After another moment, the flames jumped up.

“How did you do that?” Nicholas asked in amazement.

“Even lowly gardeners can do magic,” Celsiana replied.

“All right, I’m sorry about before,” Nicholas said, “but seriously, how did you do that?”

“I added something in with the soap,” Celsiana explained.  “It’s called natron.”

“I’ve heard of it,” Nicholas said, “but how did a gardener end up with such a rare commodity.”

As Celsiana frowned, Nicholas held up his hands.  “Sorry.  It’s going to take a while for me to get used to the idea that the young man helping my sister in the garden knows the tricks of a master apothecary.”

“I’ll explain that later,” Celsiana said.  “Do you have any idea who the client is that Orris mentioned?”

“I’m not sure,” Nicholas admitted.  “I probably should have spent more time trying to get information out of him and less refusing to help him.”

Celsiana nodded.  “It shouldn’t be too much longer until my friends…”  She stopped as she heard the door open. 

“Well?” Orris asked, walking into the room with two of his men.  “Did you have any luck?  My client wants to see your progress.”

“Actually, we have,” Nicholas said, glancing over at Celsiana.  “Your gardener actually had some good ideas.”

Orris glanced over at one of his men. “What is it about studying with Vargas that makes these apprentices so arrogant?”

The man smiled as Nicholas said, “Do you want to see what we’ve come up with or not?”

Nicholas picked up the linseed oil and made a big show of pouring it into the metal bowl as Celsiana picked up the soap.  She made sure to have the natron crystals in her hand as she took a small amount of soap flakes and sprinkled them into the oil. 

“We’ve come up with a combination that should do what you ask,” Nicholas said, taking the candle and lighting the oil.  He smiled as the flames jumped up. 

Orris took a step back, then smiled.  “Very nice.  My client should be quite impressed.”  He glanced down at the table.  “How much can you make?”

“How much do you need?” Celsiana asked.

“That’s none of your concern,” Orris said.  “Just put together enough for tonight, then you can show my guys how to make it.”

“It’s not that easy…” Celsiana began, when the man standing next to her shoved her back. 

“Watch your mouth,” he said.

Celsiana grabbed for the table, but her hands were slick from the soap flakes and she fell to the ground, knocking her hat off.  They all stared as her dark blonde hair came down in a braid.

“You’re a girl,” Nicholas said in disbelief.

“Oh, she’s more than that,” Celsiana heard a woman’s voice say behind her.  “Aren’t you, little sister?”

Celsiana looked up to see Arabella standing there with the man she’d met at the gate that morning.  “You’re the client?” she asked in disbelief.

“Why so surprised?” Arabella asked.  “Did you really think my life would revolve around meaningless parties and producing royal heirs?”

“Who is she?” Orris demanded.

“It seems you have the princess of your kingdom helping to make our little surprise,” Arabella replied.  “How wonderfully ironic.”

“What are you planning to do?” Celsiana asked.

“That’s enough out of you,” the man next to Arabella said, then smiled.  “Seems we have an even better situation than we planned.  We can ransom her back to the king, then launch the attack.”

Nicholas looked from Celsiana to Orris.  “How could you work with enemies of our king?” he demanded.

“I was promised a large reward and control of the guild here,” Orris replied.

“You already control the guild,” Celsiana said, “so why betray my father?”

Orris smiled.  “Did I mention it was a large reward?”

Celsiana glared at him, then looked over at Arabella.  “What about Seraline?  Is she part of this?”

“Of course not,” Arabella said.  “I told you, she doesn’t like to get her hands dirty.”

Thank you for joining us today. If you miss a newsletter, please visit our Lavender Cottage Blog, where we'll show every post. Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Gabriella was a little nervous about seeing Moira again.  She could admit it to herself, although she’d never say it aloud.  Moira got under her skin.  She was too smart and always knew everything about, well, everything.  Too many books, Gabbi thought to herself.

As she paced around, waiting for the flight from Billings, Gabbi ran her hands through her long, dark brown hair.  She usually felt very confident about her appearance, but seeing Moira always made her feel tall and gangly.  Which was ridiculous.  She wasn’t thirteen anymore. 

Looking at the crowd of people, she realized a small part of her was secretly looking forward to seeing her cousin.  They had never been close, but she was still family.  Gabbi didn’t have many people she could count on and maybe, she and Moira would finally find a way to bond.  She’d always wanted a sister, and this might be her chance.

Not a good idea, she thought.  Don’t get your hopes up.  The reality is…people always let you down.

In the middle of this inner argument, she looked over and saw Moira scanning the crowd.  “Gabriella!” she called out, waving at her. 

If Moira took a little time with her looks, she would be so pretty, Gabbi thought to herself.  Another reason not to like her.  Or who knew, maybe a reason to take her shopping and try that bonding. 

Gabbi braced herself as Moira ran up and hugged her.  “It’s so good to see you!  How do you like being a chef?  Do you still want to open your own restaurant?  We have so much to talk about and I don’t even know where to start.”  Moira slowly ran down but the big smile remained.

Gabbi smiled back, in spite of herself.  Moira had always been a sweet kid until they found a reason to argue.  Shaking her head, she realized Moira wasn’t a kid anymore…but she was still two years younger than Gabbi, who was twenty-nine.

After slowly untangling herself from the hug, Gabbi said, “Okay, let’s go find your luggage. I imagine you brought several suitcases.”

“Oh no,” replied Moira.  “Just three.  The letter said we might have to stay for more than a few days, so I had to bring the essentials.”

“How many books?” inquired Gabbi, smirking.  “If I recall, you don’t go anywhere without your books.”  Moira had forgotten how Gabbi’s blue eyes turned almost amethyst at times especially, when she was teasing her.

“Oh, just a few tucked in here and there,” Moira said as she waved her hand vaguely.  “I can always buy more clothes, but it’s difficult to find really good books.”  She could tell it sounded a bit snobbish, but she didn’t want to admit that one suitcase was almost full of books.

“I imagine your Daddy gave you a large check just for shopping?” Gabbi asked her voice dripping with saccharine.  “We all know he can afford it.” 

“No, I brought my own money,” Moira responded defensively.  “I know we don’t talk very often, but I’ve been working for the last four years, and I’ve managed to save quite a bit.” 

She didn’t add it was almost enough to buy a house of her own.  At least the down payment for something small and charming with lots of windows and a yard for a dog.  Not like the apartment she had been living in.  She’d always wanted animals, but her parents never made room for anything that took time away from their careers.  Or anyone, a little voice added.  Ignoring it, she glared at Gabriella.

“Don’t get upset.  If there are less than twenty books, I’ll apologize.” Gabbi smiled at her cousin knowingly.

“Okay, I brought more than twenty, but they are all very important.” Then, Moira laughed and shook her head.  “Why do we always end up getting on each other’s nerves?”

“That’s what cousins do,” responded Gabbi.  “Come on, let’s go get your luggage and see if we can lift it into my car.”

Moira watched Gabbi as she drove.  She loved her cousin, but always felt so average in her presence.  Where Moira was 5’6” and saw herself as the girl next door, Gabbi was 5’9” with wavy, almost black hair and curves in all the right places.  Moira smiled, remembering the way they’d played dress up as little girls.  Before either of them had thought about hair color or curves.

Moira decided she liked Gabbi’s car.  Especially, since it was a convertible.  They had talked about putting the top down but decided against it.  Gabbi said the top often stuck on her ’97 Jetta when it started to rain.  However, it was reliable otherwise and the closest thing she could afford to her first love, a 1964 Corvette Stingray.  At least the Jetta was red…and theoretically a convertible.

The traffic was crazy going through Seattle, and Moira thought to herself she was quite happy to be the passenger.  Nothing like this in Billings, and she hadn’t really driven anywhere else.  All the traveling she’d done with her parents had been when she was too young to drive.  As an international correspondent and photographer, they made the perfect power couple and sometimes took her with them on assignment.  Once they bought the newspaper, they were too busy to travel.

She’d decided to save money by going to the local university and staying at home.  She had a talent for selling advertising.  Her dad called it her “soft sell” and it was very effective.  She had worked for the paper all through high school, college and full time since graduating.  Montana State had a good program in marketing, but she’d spent more time in her history classes.  She finally graduated with majors in both.  One for her parents, and one for herself.  History was just like books.  Wonderful stories about interesting people, living in exotic places…all having a more exciting life than she did.  But it was fun to live through them if only for a little while.

Stop it, she told herself.  This is the beginning of a new and exciting adventure.  So, for once, be the main character in your own story.

Turning to Gabbi, she said, “Have you ever been to Anacortes?”

Gabbi nodded her head.  “A couple of times.  They have some really interesting shops and a few great festivals.  But when you live in Seattle, there’s not much reason to go anywhere else…except maybe down to California.  San Francisco has some of the best restaurants in the world or so my father tells me.”  When I see him, Gabbi thought to herself.  Ouch, she shouldn’t have gone there.  Do not think about Dad.  Not today and not with Moira.

Moira knew that was a sore subject since Gabriella’s parents had divorced when she was about thirteen.  She tried to lighten the mood.  “Hey, I know,” Moira forced more enthusiasm than she felt into her voice.  “Let’s go explore Anacortes.  We have five hours before the lawyer is going to meet with us.  We can wander around the town and have lunch.  It’ll be fun!”

Gabbi looked over and sensed what Moira was trying to do, and she had to admit it was pretty nice.  “Okay, sounds like a plan.  But you’re buying lunch since I’m paying for gas.”

“Way ahead of you,” replied Moira.  “In fact, let’s splurge and eat somewhere right on the water.”

Almost an hour later, they were still heading north on interstate 5 with the Cascade Mountains off to their right and Mount Baker straight ahead.  They would keep traveling north until they reached Mt. Vernon and then take the short cut over to Highway 20 and Anacortes.  The scenery was amazing with the evergreens all around them and azure blue skies.  No rain today and it was a lovely drive. 

Moira kept commenting on the beauty, but Gabbi told her, “Wait until we get to the water.” 

As they worked their way toward Puget Sound, Moira kept looking for the water but there were too many trees blocking her view.  As they drove across the Twin Bridges connecting Fidalgo Island with the mainland, it was suddenly laid out before her. 

“Oh!” she put her hand up to her mouth.  “It’s beautiful!  Just beautiful.  How wonderful to live in such a magical place.”

Gabbi smiled.  It doesn’t always feel so magical when I’m in Seattle, but you’re right…this is beautiful.”

They drove through Anacortes, then out to the harbor and parked.  Walking along the shore, they looked across the channel to Guemes Island.  Gabbi noted the ferries and smaller boats were out in force with everyone enjoying these last warm days. 

“It’s almost the end of September and the weather is perfect,” Moira said, seeming to read Gabbi’s thoughts.  “We couldn’t have asked for a better day to start our big adventure.”

She stopped for a minute as her gaze traveled right to Samish Island, then back to the left and Cyprus Island.  Looking out at the water, the trees, and the sky, Moira was overwhelmed with the beauty of the place.

“This was worth the trip,” she whispered to herself. 

Gabbi smiled and punched her lightly in the arm.  “There you go, cuz.  Nice to see you enjoying something besides your books.”  

Another reference to her books.  Moira remembered how much Gabbi had teased her when they were six and eight.  She smiled.  “Books can teach us a lot, but of course, you have to learn to read first. I imagine you mastered that some time ago.”

“Ouch!” Gabbi replied.  “Kitty has claws.”

Moira turned back, “I should apologize…”

“No, you should not,” Gabbi said.  “I think you’ve probably done that far too many times in your life, judging by that shapeless top you’re wearing.” 

As Moira started to say something, Gabbi held up a hand. “I’m not saying that to be mean.  Well not entirely, but you’re too pretty to wear that style.  What I’m saying is let’s be honest with each other.  If we are going to spend the next few days together, let’s start fresh.  Not continue a fight we had over twenty years ago.”

Moira smiled and nodded.  “Agreed. And you’re right. I do apologize too often, even when I’ve done nothing wrong.  Standing here with this breathtaking view in front of me, I feel the need to say so.”

Gabbi looked at her for a moment, then smiled back.  “Maybe there’s hope for you yet, cuz.”

“Let’s get something to eat,” suggested Moira.  “I’m starving.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” replied Gabbi. 

“How about there?” suggested Moira.  “That restaurant has a spectacular view of the water.”

“Let’s just hope they have spectacular food,” muttered Gabbi, but she did have to admit the view was wonderful as they walked into the dining area. 

“Something by the windows if you have it,” Moira told the pretty, young woman at the cash register.

She smiled at them.  “You two just missed the rush, so sit wherever you like.  I’ll be right over to take your order.”

They decided on prawn appetizers.  How could they not? Moira thought to herself, smiling.  She ordered garlic prawns, while Gabriella chose the spicy paprika prawns, which definitely suited her personality.  They went back and forth on clam chowder but decided on a light salad instead.  If you can call any salad, buried under luscious Dungeness crab, light.

They debated about white wine but settled on water with lemon.

“Are you gals up from Seattle?” asked the waitress.  “We get a lot of tourists in the fall, who want to get out of the city and enjoy the last of the nice weather.”

Moira smiled and told her they were here on business.  Gabbi tried not to pay attention, focusing on the ingredients in her prawn appetizer.  She was pretty sure she could replicate it with a little trial and error. 

“If you’re done with the welcoming committee, we should probably leave,” said Gabbi as the waitress went to check on her other tables.  “We’re supposed to meet Gran’s lawyer in about twenty minutes.”

“Lead the way,” replied Moira.

 A few minutes later, they were sitting in the reception area of O’Reilly and Finch, Solicitors.  They both stood up as Arthur O’Reilly came into the room.  He was a tall man with gray hair and a casual air, despite his well-cut, blue suit.

“You must be Moira.  You look so much like your mother,” he said, shaking her hand. 

Moira liked the way his eyes lit up when he smiled.  “It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. O’Reilly.”

“Arthur, please,” he replied. 

“And you must be Gabriella,” he said, turning to Gabbi.  “You look like your grandmother at that age, except for her auburn hair.

“Nice to meet you, Arthur,” said Gabbi with a slow smile.  “Just how well did you know our grandmother?”

Moira gave her a frustrated look, but Gabbi ignored it.

Arthur laughed.  “Very well actually,” he replied.  “We were good friends since we were six years old.  I met Maggie in the first grade, when she asked to borrow my green crayon.”

Gabbi smiled. “Good answer.”

As they walked back into his office, Arthur informed them there were a few papers to sign, then they’d drive over to the MacInnes House. 

“Your grandmother wanted her will read in the library,” he informed them.  “It was a special place for her.”  He decided not to tell them she’d died there.  He tried to push that thought out of his mind and focus on the paperwork in front of him. 

Read another chapter next Wednesday!

Chapter 5

Pearl walked along the path, wondering if Melia would still be waiting for her.  She had recently seen a magical being, hadn't she?  Or was all the trauma from the day before causing her to imagine things?

“You didn’t imagine anything,” Melia said, standing next to the ash tree.

“Can you read minds, too?” Pearl asked in surprise.

“My dear, you have a delightful habit of talking to yourself,” Melia replied, “which makes it easy to know what you’re thinking.  No mind reading necessary.”

Pearl smiled.  “I didn’t realize I was doing that, but I guess it’s just a habit from being the only child in a court full of adults.”

“Didn’t you have any playmates?” Melia asked in surprise.

“A few children over the years, but rarely my own age.”  Pearl shrugged.  “Mainly nannies and tutors, later a few court ministers.”

“Surely you must have had a few friends,” Melia said, touching Pearl gently on the shoulder.

“My best friend was killed yesterday,” Pearl replied, wiping an eye.  “She was the only real link I had to my parents.  I feel more like an orphan than I ever have.”

Melia reached to the ground and pulled up a piece of grass.  Smiling, she blew on it and a small yellow flower appeared out of nowhere. 

“A buttercup,” Pearl said smiling.  “We rarely see one this early in our kingdom.”

It was a buttercup waiting to bloom,” Melia replied.  “Just like you.  Everything is there that you need, but you’re not quite ready to shine.”  She smiled.  “I can help you with that.”

“I appreciate your offer,” Pearl said, “and your help last night, but I am not comfortable entering into a bargain I don’t fully understand.”

“Always best to be cautious,” Melia agreed.  “A stranger in the forest rarely offers something for nothing.”

“And what are you offering?” Pearl asked.  “Besides helping me find a place to sleep last night.”

“You have more talent than you know,” Melia said, waving her hand towards the forest on her right.  “All these trees are in danger, and you could be the one to save them.”

“Save the trees?” Pearl raised an eyebrow.  “Why do they need saving?  What could possibly happen to them in this large forest?”

“You are not from this kingdom,” Melia said, “so you have not heard of the threats to our land.  Our king is greatly influenced by his chancellors, and one in particular has what he calls great plans for our forest.”

“King Edward has always seemed to be a fair man,” Pearl replied, “at least that’s what I remember my parents saying.”

“Oh, fair indeed,” Melia agreed.  “As long as Queen Gertrude was with him, but since her passing, and with no heirs, the king finds himself in the position of either taking a new bride or possibly losing the throne to his younger brother.”

“I see,” Pearl replied.  “My parents did not hold Duke Harold in the same esteem as his older brother.”

“And with good reason.” Melia took a few steps, which caused her long brown dress to move in small waves along the ground.

"Is he the one threatening the forest?” Pearl asked.

“Not directly,” Melia conceded, “but his best friend, Chancellor Grant, has a great love for hunting, and has convinced Duke Harold that the forest is being squandered by the peasants.”

“Squandered?” Pearl repeated, glancing around.  “The forest is amazing.  A bit overwhelming perhaps, but also beautiful.”

Melia smiled.  “You might be the one.” She reached over and took Pearl’s hand.  “Wood magic, great water magic, and even some air ability.”  She traced a line on Pearl’s palm.  “All these will benefit you greatly if you decide to help us.”

“So, what you’re asking is to somehow convince King Edward to leave the forest alone, so you don’t have a bunch of royal hunters carousing through the woods?”  Pearl looked around.  “I can see why you’d rather not, but I’m not sure that’s much of a threat.”

“No,” Melia said, dropping her hand.  “I’m asking you to help save our woods from Chancellor Grant and his plans to destroy them, so he can build and export wood to the southern kingdoms.”

“What?” Pearl asked in surprise.  “Why would anyone do that?”

“The southern kingdoms do not have as many trees,” Melia said, “as I’m sure you know from your studies.  Up until now, they have been happy to use stone and even clay for most of their needs, but Grant has promised them many, many shipments of prime woodland, if in return the southern kingdoms send our king rare jewels.”

“We both have mines in our kingdoms,” Pearl said.  “Why would your king want these so-called rare jewels?”

“That is what you need to find out,” Melia said, glancing down.  “I cannot walk more than twenty feet from the forest.  My bond with these trees allows me to move freely within the woods, but I cannot travel beyond them.”

“If I help you,” Pearl replied, “is there any way we can also help the miners on strike?”

“They told you about that?”  Melia smiled.  “They must truly believe you are Ulster’s granddaughter.”

“I don’t like lying,” Pearl said, “but I think we can all help each other if we come up with a good plan.  Save the forest, help the miners, and maybe even get me back to my kingdom.”  She paused.  “If I can find a way to get past my uncle.”

“That will not be easy,” Melia replied.  “You see, your uncle is rumored to be in league with Chancellor Grant, and if that is the case, they may both want to stop you.”

“They’ll have to find me first,” Pearl said, uncovering her dress.  “This is not going to work.  I’m going to need something more in line with a woman of my new station.”

Melia smiled.  “I think I can help you with that.”

Chapter 6 

Pearl followed Melia's instructions and soon found the village.  The third cottage on the left as she walked along the main path had the green door.  Pearl walked up and knocked.

“May I help you?” a young woman asked as she opened the door.

“I am a friend,” Pearl glanced around and whispered, “Melia’s.  She said you might be able to help me.”

The young woman nodded and backed up so that Pearl could enter the cottage.  Closing the door, she asked, “How do you know Melia?”

“I met her last night,” Pearl replied.  “I was separated from my companions after our horse came up lame.  When I heard some wolves, I ran and managed to lose my dress on some branches along the path.”  Pearl smiled.  “Melia thought you might have something I could wear.”

The young woman smiled.  “My name is Rowena, and I am happy to lend you a dress.”  She looked Pearl up and down.  “You’re a little taller than I am, but I think I have one that will work.”

Pearl followed her past the small alcove by the fire and into a room with a bed.  Opening a tall armoire, Rowena pulled out a dress.  “Try this one.”

“That’s a nice armoire,” Pearl said, looking at the detail work carved on the wood.

“My father made it,” Rowena replied proudly.  “He is a craftsman for the royal court.”

Pearl nodded.  “Do you go to court often?”

Rowena shook her head.  “I’m hardly one to go to court.  My brother and I help when needed, but we do all the work here in the village.”

Pearl held up the dress.  “This is very nice. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“I’m happy to help Melia,” Rowena replied.  “She has been a good friend in the past, but if you want to repay me, you can help me tonight.  We’re understaffed at the tavern, and tonight is going to be busy.”

Pearl remembered her conversation with Owen and smiled.  “I’d be happy to help.”

“Do you have any experience?” Rowena asked hopefully.

“Not exactly,” Pearl admitted, “but I’m a fast learner.”

“Fair enough.”  Rowena smiled.  “If you do well, you might make enough to buy a dress of your own.”

“That would be wonderful,” Pearl said.  “All my clothes seem to have disappeared with my fellow travelers.”

“We can ask about them tonight,” Rowena offered.  “Someone must have seen them come into the village.”

“Actually, we were traveling south.”  Pearl shrugged.  “I was planning to visit some friends, but they won’t expect me any time soon.”  She smiled. “In fact, I was going to see them in hopes of finding employment.  If something here works out, I might not even continue my trip.”

“Then, this may work out very well,” Rowena said.  “My shift starts about an hour before dinner.  Did you want to wait here, or…”

“Actually, I was hoping to look one more time for my dress,” Pearl said.  “Would it be all right to meet you here and go to the tavern together?”

“That would be fine,” Rowena agreed, “but if you’re late, I’ll have to leave without you.”

“I won’t be late,” Pearl promised.  She tried on the dress, which fit fairly well, and wrapped up the tunic and leggings she’d borrowed from Ross.

“Remember, an hour before dinner,” Rowena reminded her as she opened the door.

“I’ll get here a few minutes early.”  Pearl gave her a quick hug and went outside.  If she hurried, she could get back to the cottage and tell them her plan with plenty of time to meet Rowena.

As she walked along the path, she noticed more people looking at her than when she’d arrived. 

“How are you this fine afternoon, Miss?” a man asked, taking off his cap and bowing.

Another smiled and said, “I don’t remember seeing you here before.”

Pearl realized they must have thought her a young man in the leggings and tunic.  She curtsied.  “I am here to visit a friend, but she seems to be out.”

“We would be happy to entertain you,” the second man replied, winking at the first.

“Thank you, but I have other errands to attend.” Pearl kept walking down the path, but the second man grabbed her arm, turning her around.

“That’s not very friendly.”  He smiled at his friend.  “This is a friendly village.  We like friendly people.”

I’ll bet they do, Pearl thought to herself.  She glanced around.  No one seemed to take any notice, so she pulled her arm away.  “I am already promised to someone.  Kindly leave me to go about my day.”

“Is he here?” the man asked.  “I don’t see anyone, and I doubt he’d let a pretty thing like you wander about alone.”

The first man shook his head.  “Let her be,” he said.  “The last thing you need is to get in trouble with the sheriff…again.”

“I don’t see any sheriff neither.”  The man smiled at Pearl.  “Come on, one little drink.  A friendly drink.”

Pearl knew she could handle this herself, but the last thing she needed was to attract even more attention.  When the man tried to grab her arm again, she spun away from him and kicked him in the stomach.  As he bent over, she interlocked her fingers and swung them up into his chin.

The man swayed for a moment, then fell to the ground.  Pearl looked at his friend, who laughed and shook his head.  “Not many women can say they’ve knocked Billy down, but he definitely deserved it.”

“If you’d acted like a gentleman, you would have done it yourself,” a voice said behind them. 

Turning around, Pearl saw a very handsome man with dark blonde hair and green eyes.  She just stared for a moment, then curtsied.  “Thank you, Sir.”

“If I were a gentleman, I’d have a better class of friends,” the other man said, picking up his companion. 

As they left, Pearl reminded herself she needed to return to the cottage.  “I will take my leave.”

“A woman should not be traveling alone,” the man said, “but you seem more than capable of taking care of yourself.”  He smiled.  “I am Sir Brandon of Barrington, and I think I would have remembered seeing you in the village.”

“I’m here visiting a friend,” Pearl replied.  “She’s out, so I’ll return later.”  She couldn’t help a small smile.  “By your leave.”

Brandon watched her go, wondering where she’d learned those moves.  That man was an oaf, but he wasn’t easy to take down.  This woman might prove to be interesting, and he’d found very little to be interesting lately.

Chapter 7

 Pearl hurried up to the cottage and opened the door.  “I have an idea,” she said as she entered.

“Where have you been?” asked Ross.

“We were starting to get worried,” Callum added.

Daniel shrugged. “Told you she’d be all right.”  He turned to Pearl.  “You are Ulster’s granddaughter.”

Pearl felt that annoying pang of guilt and decided if she could help them, she would feel less guilty.  “I got a job.”

“At the tavern?” Owen asked with a smile.

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Pearl replied.  “Well, I’m working there tonight, and I might keep working there if I do a good job.”

“And that’s your idea?” Walter asked.

“No, my idea is to listen to what people are saying about the mines…and the forest,” Pearl explained.

“What about the forest?” someone said from the kitchen.

Pearl looked at the young man and smiled.  He was obviously related to Daniel.  They looked very much alike.

“This is Flynn,” Daniel said.  “My nephew. He’s here to help.”

“I’m here to relay information,” Flynn said, bowing slightly.  “I didn’t realize they already had such a lovely woman working with them.”

Pearl smiled.  “How old are you, Flynn?  Shouldn’t you be in school?”

Daniel snorted.  “No young man who can work stays in school…even if they did have one in this area.”

“No school?” Pearl asked in surprise, then realized she was getting sidetracked.  “Never mind.  I, um…heard about a threat to the forest when I was on my way to the village.”  She realized she couldn’t tell them how, so she was going to have to stretch the truth a little more.  “The young woman who loaned me this dress and offered me the work tonight.  She said she’d overheard some men talking about cutting down a large part of the forest.”

“First I’ve heard of it,” Callum said, “but we haven’t exactly been to the village lately.  He turned to Flynn.  “Have you heard anything?”

“Not about the forest,” Flynn replied, “but there was some talk about importing some minerals and gemstones from one of the southern kingdoms.”

“Yes,” Pearl agreed.  “This had something to do with trade to a southern kingdom, but I’m not sure which one.”

“Maybe working at the tavern is a good idea,” Ross conceded, “but you need to be careful.  Someone new to the area shouldn’t be overly curious about what’s going on in our woods.”

“Ross is right,” Owen agreed, then smiled.  “Maybe I should stop by and keep an eye on things.”

“You’re just as likely to get arrested as any of us,” Walter reminded him.

“I can go,” Flynn offered. 

Callum looked at Daniel, who shook his head.  “You’re too young to be going to a tavern…but maybe you could do some work there.”

“Now, that’s a good idea,” Walter agreed.  “Pearl can listen to conversations between the customers, and Flynn could find out if the kitchen staff knows anything.”  He turned to Callum.  “You still have that cousin who delivers ale to the tavern?”

“I do,” Callum replied.  “Flynn can take a note to him…I’m sure he’d help us.”

“Then it’s decided,” Ross said, and Pearl realized he and not Callum or Walter seemed to be in charge.  For some reason, that surprised her, then she realized it made sense.  He was level-headed and seemed to know what each of them could contribute.

“I need to go,” Pearl said, “I’m supposed to meet Rowena soon.”

“Rowena,” Ross said thoughtfully.  “She’s a good one to teach you.”

As Pearl turned to leave, she heard Daniel say, “That’s all we need,” under his breath.

When she turned back, she saw Ross shake his head slightly and Daniel went into the kitchen.  “Be careful, Pearl,” Ross added as she walked out the door.

Chapter 8

 Rowena was waiting for Pearl and ran to meet her as she approached her cottage.  “I’m so glad you’re here.  I was about to leave.”

“Am I late?” Pearl asked.

“No, but I have to be there early.”  Rowena lowered her voice as they walked.  “I was told we have some important visitors tonight.”

“Really?” Pearl glanced around.  “Is that a common occurrence?”

“We sometimes have visitors,” Rowena replied, “but my boss doesn’t often come to my home to tell me to be early.”

Pearl raised an eyebrow.  “That’s interesting.”  She smiled.  “Maybe they’ll be rich and handsome.”

Rowena laughed. “Doubtful, and if they are…that is sometimes worse.”

“How so?” Pearl asked.

“Those are the ones who think a barmaid will faint into their arms with a single compliment.”  Rowena shook her head.  “And don’t get me started about how hands on they can be.”

Pearl nodded.  “Good to know.  What is the acceptable behavior with that?”

“Dodge when you can.”  Rowena smiled.  “And slap when you cannot.  Our boss doesn’t stand for any of that behavior.”

“That’s good to know,” Pearl said with a sigh of relief.  She wasn’t used to dodging customers or anyone else for that matter.  Most people went out of their way to avoid physical contact with a royal.

“We’re nearly there.  I told Orrin about you helping me tonight,” Rowena explained.  “He said he’d welcome the help, but I was planning to have you follow me for the first part of the evening to make sure you knew what to do.”  She paused. “That might not be possible if we’re going to be this busy. Do you have any experience serving?”

“I, um…I’ve served before,” Pearl said, hoping that breakfast counted.  “I’m a fast learner, and if I get into any trouble, I’ll find you.”

“That will have to do,” Rowena replied as they walked into the tavern.

For the first hour, Pearl focused on not spilling ale on the customers.  She’d never served with a tray and had to set it down while she handed out the mugs.  One time the tray nearly flew out of her hands when she bumped into a customer, but she managed to keep the drinks from sliding off and landing on the floor.

“How’s it going?” Rowena asked as they were waiting for the owner to pour more ale.

“Great,” Pearl said with a shaky smile.

“Look, you’re doing fine,” Rowena assured her.  “Just make sure they pay before they leave,” she added as they watched one group head for the door.

“I’ll be right back,” Pearl said as she hurried after them.  “Sir, you forgot to pay your bill.”

“It’s on the table,” he said, looking over his shoulder.

Pearl glanced back and noticed there was nothing on the table but empty mugs.  “I’m sorry, Sir, but could you please stop?”

The man laughed and kept going, when another man swung out an arm in front of him.  “She asked you to wait.”  He smiled at Pearl.  “I believe you know my cousin.”

Pearl nodded, realizing this must be Callum’s cousin.  “Thank you.”

The other man pulled out some money and tossed it on the floor, then walked around Callum’s cousin and out the door.

“I’m John,” the man said, helping Pearl pick up the money.  “Sorry about that one’s rudeness.”

“Thank you for your help.”  Pearl smiled.  “Did Callum tell you about…” she stopped glancing around.

“I know what to do,” John assured her.  Looking around the room, he added, “It’s busy tonight.”

“Too busy,” Pearl admitted.  “I haven’t had a chance to find out anything.”

“Don’t worry about that,” John said.  “Just do your best, and I’ll stick around for a while…in case any others get the idea they can walk out without paying.”

Peral nodded.  “Thank you.”

“Looks like that table is trying to get your attention,” John observed.

“Right, I’d better go.”  Pearl smiled.  “Thanks again.”

John watched her leave, then shook his head.  She didn’t look much like Ulster, but she seemed to have his determination.  He could tell she had little idea what she was doing, but she was definitely giving it her all.

Pearl was getting comfortable with the tray and keeping it balanced on one hand as she handed out the mugs, when a new group of men entered.  They were talking and laughing, but they were much better dressed than the others in the tavern.  Pearl glanced over at John, who nodded.

“How may I help you?” she asked, walking up.  She noticed Rowena was coming up behind her and moved closer to the group.  “I’m Pearl, and I’ll be serving you tonight.”

“What exactly does that entail?” one of the men asked, smiling at his friends.

“It means you’ll get the finest ale in the area,” Rowena said, walking up to the man, “and the best customer service anywhere.”  She smiled.  “We are happy to have you here tonight, so please grant us the manners associated with men of your station.”  She looked over at Pearl.  “Can you help the group that just came in?”

Pearl nodded and walked over to talk to the two men who sat down by the fire.  “Would you like some ale?”

It was later that evening when Rowena asked for her help with the larger group.  “They’re a handful,” she admitted, “but just keep the tray between them and yourself at all times.  Especially the one with the light blond hair and beard.”

“Why do you put up with it?” Pearl asked. 

“Oh, most of them are harmless,” Rowena replied, “and they usually tip well.  Believe me, if I could punch a few of them, I would.”  She smiled.  “I’ve considered it.”

Pearl wondered what would happen if she did, then realized she’d probably lose her job.  “Don’t worry,” Pearl assured her.  “Things will get better soon.”

“What do you mean?” Rowena asked.

“Just that women can do anything a man can do,” Pearl said.  “And there’s no reason we should allow them to think any differently.”

“You really aren’t from around here, are you?” Rowena shook her head.  “Just keep the tray between you and them.”

“I will,” Pearl assured her, reminding herself not to toss anyone on the floor unless absolutely necessary.  She didn’t want her friend to lose her job.

Read the next part of the story here! 

If you haven't read the Prologue yet, you can find it here. 

Moira Dunbar couldn’t believe she had wasted eight months of her life on Craig Johnson.  She shook her head again, her hair falling well past her shoulders.  She was quietly pretty with her medium brown hair and slender build.  The typical girl next door, except for those green eyes, which lit up if she became excited or upset.

Today, it was upset.  She had actually expected Craig to propose this afternoon.  He had said there was big news, and she should come over right away.  He had applied to some of the largest law firms in the country since passing his bar exam.  She knew because she had helped him with his resume.  She was a great sounding board or so he’d said.  Now, she wondered if he’d ever seen her as anything else.

“No one marries their sounding board,” she said under her breath as she drove the car back to her apartment.  How could she have been so clueless?  He had the champagne poured when she walked into his condo and music playing in the background.

“Oh good, you’re here,” he’d said as she walked in.  “I have something important to tell you.”  Accepting the glass of champagne that he handed her, she sat down and waited for him to continue.  “I got it!  Moira, I got it.  The job in Charleston.”

He was so excited, she smiled.  “I knew you would get one of them.  You did so well on your exam.”

As he passed her chair, he crouched down next to her and said, “I couldn’t have done it without you.  You were my…well, my sounding board.  Anytime, I wasn’t sure about something, talking to you seemed to clarify the situation.”

Sounding board?  Hmm…inspiration would have been more romantic, but she’d work on that, she told herself.

“I’m so glad.  Are you sure this is the one you want?”  She knew the job in New York had been his first choice.

“New York went with someone else, as did Austin, but Charleston was my third choice,” he said.  “And I think it’s a good fit for me.” 

Not us, me.   This wasn’t going so well.  “When do you plan to leave?” she asked.

“Next week.  I can’t wait to get out of Billings.  I’m so sick of snow.”  Rolling his eyes, he continued, “Maybe it’s a good thing New York fell through.  What about you?”

“I could get used to a shorter winter,” she replied, smiling.

“Moira, there’s something I want to ask you,” Craig said, leaning down, his breath brushing her hair. 

“Yes?” she asked.  She wondered if this was it.  Was he going to propose?  They had talked around it for the past few months and now, she wasn’t sure if she wanted him to or not.

“Moira,” he repeated.  “Do you think I should wear the blue suit or the gray one?”

She stared at him.  “Um, I think either would look fine.”

“Good, because I want to look great when we go out on the town to celebrate.  It’s Saturday night and we should make the most of it.”  He started walking towards the bedroom.

Moira glanced past him to the mess in the room.  Craig was not a tidy person, but she didn’t really mind.  As she looked a little closer, she saw a dark blue, satin nightgown hanging off the foot of the bed.

“Craig,” she said, rising out of her chair, “who does that nightgown belong to?”

Craig tried a nonchalant laugh, but it came out more as a croak.  “Well, Stacy stopped by last night just to compare notes on her resume….and one thing led to another.”  He stopped, suddenly finding an overwhelming interest in the lamp shade next to him.

“She stopped by,” Moira repeated.  “And one thing led to another?’  She shook her head and began walking toward the door. 

“Moira, wait.”  He started after her.  “It’s no big deal.  It’s not like we’re married or anything.” He saw the look she gave him and stopped talking.

“No, we’re not.  And I’m very glad I found out what type of person you really are before investing any more time into this relationship.”

She started to walk out, then stopped.  “By the way,” she said over her shoulder, “the gray suit makes you look fat.”

Moira marched out of the condo, down the sidewalk and got into her car.  She drove away and managed to make it almost ten blocks before pulling over to have a good cry.  What was wrong with her?  Was it too much to want to find someone who had the sense of honor and integrity that only seemed to exist in books and old movies?  She wiped her eyes and finished the drive back to her apartment.

As she walked in, her phone was ringing.  “I do not want to talk to that man ever again,” she said out loud as she checked her caller ID.  But it wasn’t Craig.  It was her cousin Gabriella who never called.  Something was wrong. 

Picking up the phone, Moira asked, “What happened?”

Gabriella McCrae heard the frustration in Moira’s voice.  “Nice to talk to you, too, cuz,” she said, haughtily.

“Sorry,” replied Moira.  “Rough day.”

“I just called to see if you’d checked your mail today,” stated Gabriella.

“No.  Why?  Is something wrong, Gabriella?”  Moira hoped not.  It had already been a long day.

“Why don’t you go get your mail and find out?”  As an afterthought, she added, “And you know I hate the name Gabriella, so please call me Gabbi.”

“As you wish,” replied Moira.  “I’ll be right back.”

Since she was still carrying her phone, Gabbi could hear her walking down the steps and over to the row of mailboxes for the apartment complex. 

“There’s a big manila envelope,” Moira informed her, “and it seems to be from a law firm.  O’Reilly and Finch, Solicitors in Anacortes, according to the return address.”

“That’s the one,” Gabbi said.  “Guess what?  We just inherited a house.  An actual house.”

“Gran?” Moira asked, walking back to her apartment.  She hadn’t known her grandmother very well but remembered her through the eyes of a six-year-old as someone magical and intriguing.  “I didn’t know she was back in the country.”

“Apparently, she got back in June,” said Gabbi.  “According to the letter, that’s when she updated her will.  She leaves everything to us, her grandchildren.”

“Let me read through this and I’ll call you back,” Moira said, suddenly very tired.  “Are you going to be home tomorrow?”

“I’ll be here after five.  I’m working the lunch rush and most of the afternoon.  Talk to you tomorrow,” Gabbi said, then hung up.

Moira slid down onto a stool at the kitchen counter and laid her head on the granite.  It felt cold and suddenly, so did Moira.  She started to cry.  For so many reasons, but she hoped as much for Gran as for herself.

The next day, she called Gabbi back.  Moira had spent the morning going over the paperwork and it was very clear that they were both expected to go to Anacortes for the reading of the will.  She looked around her apartment.  There was nothing keeping her here.  Her job selling advertising space for her parents’ newspaper would be here if she returned.  She rather hoped she would find a reason not to come back. 

The little town just outside of Billings, Montana had never been her dream location.  Too much snow and the summers were too hot.  She had traveled to so many places when she was young, but once her parents bought the paper, they were too busy to leave.  Maybe an adventure and a new location were exactly what she needed.  She was good at selling advertising and that was something she could do anywhere.

As Moira listened to Gabbi’s phone ring several times, she wondered if she should leave a message or call back in an hour.  Just as she was about to hang up, Gabbi picked up the phone. 

“What?” Gabbi demanded.  “What is it?”

“Hi, it’s me.  Moira.  You said to call you back after five.”  Moira hoped Gabbi wasn’t in a bad mood.  Their relationship was difficult enough at the best of times.

Moira was surprised when Gabbi said, “Just a minute.  Hold on.  It’s not you.”

“Okay,” Moira waited about ten seconds and when Gabbi came back, she was laughing.  “I can’t believe I wasted my time on that loser!” 

“Man troubles?” Moira asked.

“You could say that,” replied Gabbi.  “Let me tell you what happened when I came in the door this evening.”

Gabbi explained that she had come home after a long day at work to discover her boyfriend getting cozy with another woman.  She had been letting Darryl stay on the couch while he looked for a new apartment.  Today, she told him to get out of her apartment and her life.  When he just stared at her, she walked past him and started throwing his clothes out the second story window. 

When Darryl said she’d be sorry to see him go, Gabbi responded by saying, “I won’t miss you or that permanent dent in my sofa.”   She heard the front door slam and glanced out the window.  She smiled as she watched him grab his clothes and throw them into his car.  Gabbi admitted it was the first time she’d done anything like that, but she’d had enough of his freeloading.  The last thing she saw was his car speeding away and a sock flying out the back window.

It felt good to laugh, thought Moira.  And even better to laugh with her cousin.  They had not done that in a long time.

“Today is Sunday.  I can be there on Wednesday as that’s the day we’re supposed to meet with the attorney,” she told Gabbi.  “I have to finish up a few things at work, and then I can use my vacation time.  I have two weeks saved up.”

“Don’t you still work for Mommy and Daddy?” Gabbi said in that voice Moira remembered all too well.

“Yes, I do,” she replied, “but work is the keyword in that sentence.  As I said, I can fly over on Wednesday.  Do you want to pick me up around ten in the morning, or should I catch a flight to Anacortes?”

“I’ll pick you up,” replied Gabbi.  “It will give us time to talk on the way.  I have some ideas.”

Oh no, thought Moira.  Gabbi’s ideas had gotten them both into trouble in the past.  “Okay, I’ll see you then.  But it might be best not to spend the money until we actually see how much the house is worth.” 

“Very funny,” Gabbi replied.  As she hung up the phone, she wondered what Moira would say when she found out that selling was the last thing she planned to do.

Read another chapter next Wednesday!

Magical Garden is finished, so we decided to start a new fairytale next.  This will be the first of our Adventure Fairytales!  These will have a little more action, adventure, danger, and romance than our Enchanted Fairytales. 

The first few chapters are open to everyone, then we'll have a few more for free members.  The rest will only be available for our paid members, so enjoy the story!