“Yes, I’m fine. Just need to get some sleep soon.”
Tarquin nodded. “I’m with you there.”
Scarlett looked across the table at her aunt and screwed her eyes, as people do when they want more information. “You sure you’re okay, Aunt Tabitha? You look a bit pale.”
“I’m fine, really, just a bit tired is all. That was quite the spell we worked, wasn’t it Tarquin? Been eons since I’ve had that much fun!”
“I can’t remember the last time we had a reason to do something that took so much power. Good on us Tabitha. Good on us.”
Scarlett was impressed by her aunt in a big way. She was proud to be of lineage and more excited than ever to be a witch and find out more of what that really meant.
“You two were amazing. Really, thank you all so much.”
Karl, still friendlier than his prominent self, actually had a warm smile on his face. “Yes, you should have heard these two. Amazing that I can still hear anything after all that ruckus!”
Everyone laughed together. The night was turning out well after all.
Tabitha squeezed Scarlett’s hand, and looked around at everyone. “We made a good team, didn’t we?”
Everyone nodded.
Looking at each face in turn, Scarlett replayed the night’s events. Everyone had pulled their weight, done their bit. If any one of them hadn’t been present, things might have turned out differently. Ronnie was on his own when the MPs had taken him, maybe that was the difference. Maybe if they all stuck together from now on, they’d be stronger collectively and nothing like this would happen again.
Tabitha rapped her empty mug down on the table and exhaled. “That feels better.”
Scarlett placed a hand on Tabitha’s shoulder. “Come on, Auntie, you look done in. I’ll drive you home.”
Tarquin buttoned his jacket. “No, I’ll take her. I’ll drop her off on my way home.” He glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. “You’ll be opening up in a few hours, Karl, you ready to call it a night too?”
Karl nodded and crossed the room to join Tarquin by the door.
Scarlett imagined how she was going to feel getting up for work in a few hours and quickly pushed the image to the back of her mind.
Tabitha stood up, wobbled and steadied herself on the back of the chair. “Good night, Scarlett.”
“Come on Tabitha, follow me,” Tarquin said, looking over his shoulder.
Two minutes later, Scarlett sat alone in the kitchen, listening to the sound of the car turn the corner at the end of the street and fade. Glancing at the clock, she decided that if she was going to work in the morning, she’d manage it better not having slept at all.
As she sat listening to the occasional car drive by outside, she once again replayed the events of the night. It was true. If any of them hadn’t played their part, the operation would have failed. They’d worked as a team to rescue Ronnie, despite the odds being stacked against them.
Somehow the experience had changed something, brought them all closer together. Even Karl had revealed a side that she hadn’t previously credited him with. Although, she didn’t doubt for one minute that he’d soon revert back to type once she set foot in the shop.
She bent over to pat Raven. “Don’t worry, girl. I’ll find you something proper to eat soon.”
Raven appeared to smile, looking like she didn’t know whether to believe her or not.
The bedroom door creaked open upstairs. “You okay now, Ronnie? You sure about that?” Ronnie mumbled something back to Amanda and the door banged shut. Footsteps thundered down the stairs, leaving Scarlett with just a matter of seconds to gather her thoughts.
Amanda entered the kitchen and flickered through the frosty atmosphere. “Hi. You okay?”
“Yeah. Bit of a wild night, though.”
“I bet it was.”
Scarlett looked puzzled. “Why? What makes you say that?”
“Oh, nothing. Just from the looks on your faces as you came swanning in.” Amanda pulled out a chair and sat opposite Scarlett at the table.
“Well, we were all tired—exhausted.”
“Look, I don’t want to hear about it, okay? I don’t care what you got up to.”
Scarlett peered across the table at Amanda. She looked just the same as she had earlier, but perhaps she’d misjudged the situation. True, she still looked decidedly rough, but maybe it wasn’t just a lack of sleep, although that was clearly a contributing factor. She leaned in and took another whiff of Amanda’s breath.
“Amanda?”
“Yes?”
“Have you been drinking?”
From the way Amanda was smiling, Scarlett knew she’d touched a raw nerve. “Have I been drinking? Let me see. Oh yes, I may have had a tiny, teeny drop earlier on.” She laughed.
“A tiny, teeny drop? Pardon me, but I get the impression you’re not being entirely honest with me.” Scarlett laughed, attempting to make light of the situation and thus avoid the possibility of her friend feeling like she was being accused.
“Okay, well, I might have been telling a half-truth. I did have more than a tiny, teeny drop.”
“How much have you had, exactly?”
“Let me see. Well, I had two glasses of white wine earlier and—” She glanced at a couple of empty bottles in front of the recycling bin. "Two bottles when I got back.”
“When you got back? Got back from where?”
“Got back from where, she says. From the White Hart, where do you think? After I spent half the night waiting for you, my supposed best friend, to put in an appearance.”
Scarlett shrieked. “Amanda, I’m so sorry. I—I clean forgot. Let me make it up to you, please.”
Amanda shrugged. “Go on then, tell me. What was so important that you had to leave me standing there on my own? I felt like a right fool.”
“I know it must have been terrible for you, but I didn’t mean to. It just … happened.”
“You’re not making things any better.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“So, go on then, what happened? Give me your excuses.”
“Well, I got the call and we spent all night trying to get Ronnie out of the base.”
“That’s it? That’s the best you can come up with? You spent all night trying to get Ronnie out of the base?” Amanda sniggered.
Scarlett looked downcast. “It’s the truth.”
“Okay then, supposing that is what happened, why did it take you all night?”
“Well, it’s a long story. I err… “
Amanda glanced at the clock. “I’ll have to be up in an hour.”
“Well, it took all night because, to begin with, they refused to release him from the medical center. They had orders to detain him as a precaution. Some kind of protocol that they always adhere to. But Ronnie just wanted to get home… “
Amanda yawned and stretched.
“When we got there, we had to hang around for ages and talk to a whole load of nurses. Then they had to find a doctor, who was busy, before we got the go ahead. You know what it’s like these days, don’t you?”
Amanda nodded. “Oh, yes.”
“So, that’s why we needed Tarquin, Karl, and Tabitha.”
“Why did you need all of them? I don’t understand.”
“We needed someone to sign for him, to say they’d take responsibility. Keep an eye on him, watch out for signs of concussion. Oh, you know the things I mean.”
Amanda stared right at her, expressionless.
“Well?”
“Well what?”
“Is that okay? Do you believe me now?”
Amanda contorted her mouth as if weighing things up. “Well—Well, okay then.”
Scarlett beamed. “Really? Oh, thank you. It won’t happen again, I promise. I’m sorry.”
Amanda shook her head. “No, I’m the one that should be sorry. Scarlett, thank you so much for everything you’ve done tonight.”
“I only did it for you.
Because I didn’t want you to be worried.”
“I know. I can see that now. Come here.” Amanda leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her friend.
Breaking away from the hug, Amanda looked into Scarlett’s teary eyes and said she was sorry for doubting her.
“It’s okay. There’s no need to apologize.”
“Yes. Yes, there is. I feel so mean.” Amanda chuckled.
“What? What you laughing at?”
“Just thinking. If you go taking off again, I’ll have to get a bit better at dealing with crises, won’t I?”
Scarlett smiled and shook her head.
“What? You not going away now?” Amanda grinned. “You changed your mind?”
“Well, let’s just say that this whole ordeal, has taught me a thing or two about what’s important in life.”
“And what might that be?”
“I’ve just finally come to my senses and realized who my friends are. Amanda, I belong here with you and my aunt and—”
“And Karl?”
They both cracked up laughing.
“Well, I wouldn’t go that far, but you know what I mean?”
Amanda nodded, her expression full of warmth. “I know exactly what you mean.”
“All that said—I’ve decided to stay and find my happiness here, in Bicester instead of running off. This is where I belong.”
Amanda beamed. “I’ve waited so long to hear you say that. So, I won’t be needing to find a new housemate anytime soon then?”
“No, no you won’t.”
“Promise?”
“Amanda, I can categorically assure you that I am not going anywhere.”
“Glad to hear it from the horse’s mouth.”
Scarlett grinned and lowered her eyes. “Think I might have gone temporarily insane.”
Amanda laughed. “Who could blame you, working for Karl all day?”
“No, now I know who my friends are.”
Amanda squeezed her hand.
“Just being around people that care about you gives you so much more strength and courage to deal with things. We just need each other, don’t you think?”
Amanda nodded. “Couldn’t have put it any better myself.”
+++
Tabitha’s house, Bicester, England
Turning down the corner of a lamp-lit street, Tarquin looked over his shoulder. “You okay there, Tabitha? Won’t be long now. You’ll soon be back home in your bed. You had me worried there for a minute.”
“Mmm. I was worried. Tell you what, that spell really made me feel drained of energy. I’ve never had it as bad as that before.”
Tarquin turned down another, almost identical, street. “I know exactly what you mean. Exactly. I was struggling with it, too.”
“Were you really? You looked the picture of calmness throughout. I’d never have known if you hadn’t said.”
“Well, appearances can be deceptive.”
Tabitha nodded. “They can indeed Tarquin, they can indeed.”
“I tell you, when we were doing the spell, I was that close to my breaking point.” He made his thumb and finger into a gap, roughly one inch tall.
“Well, like I said, I had no idea. You hid it well. Unlike me.”
“Nonsense, you’re a tough cookie if ever I saw one.”
“What it was, though, what kept me hanging on when I thought I couldn’t, was—”
“The thought of Scarlett and Tim, leaving them exposed and vulnerable?”
“Yes, exactly. If it wasn’t for their involvement, if I was doing it for my own benefit, I would have given up. It was not wanting to let them down that got me through it.”
Tarquin nodded. “It was exactly the same for me. That and the encouragement I got from you, dear old friend.” He took a left. “Which street is it again?”
“Left at the bottom here, then first on your right. It’s a bit of a maze, I’m afraid.”
Tarquin grinned. “No problem.”
“Now where were we? Oh yes, I wouldn’t have been able to hang on if it wasn’t for you.”
Tarquin nodded at the windscreen and focused on the road as he was hit by the glaring headlights of an oncoming car. “Maybe it’s a sign. What the—” He swerved to avoid a cat that ran out on the road, avoiding it by inches.
“Be careful.” Tabitha laughed. “I’ve had enough of cats for one day.”
“Yeah, me too. A talking cat. You ever come across that before?”
“No, not in my experience, but I have heard about them.”
Tarquin slowed, came to a halt and turned off the engine. “Home at last, dear friend.”
Tabitha tried to swivel round. “Ouch.”
Tarquin turned to face her again. “What is it? What have you done?”
“My leg’s gone to sleep.” She sighed. “You know, maybe all this is some kind of sign.”
“A sign? what of?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Tabitha rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and began to snivel.
“Hey, don’t cry, old friend.” Tarquin stepped out of the driver’s door and got in the back beside Tabitha. He patted her leg. “What is it, what’s wrong?”
Tabitha opened the door. “Why don’t you come inside for a quick chat?”
“You sure you’re not too tired?”
“Oh, I’m never too tired to talk to you.”
Tarquin followed Tabitha along the garden path to the front door. Sitting down beside her on the couch, Tarquin waited for Tabitha to make herself comfortable before persisting. “So, tell me. What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
Tabitha sighed. “I’m getting old. Old and weary.”
“No, you’re a tough cookie, remember? Besides, age is in the mind.”
Tabitha snapped out of it. “Age does have its advantages, of course.”
“Well, it does, I suppose. We’re both wiser than the others, for a start.”
“Exactly. Look at tonight for instance. Had any of the others experienced what we did, things might have unraveled at quite a pace.”
Tarquin nodded. “I know exactly what you mean. I was thinking the same thing myself, earlier.”
“We’ve seen it, done it and we know that things will always work themselves out.”
“Exactly. There’s no need to go around forcing the issue is there?”
“Absolutely not.”
Tabitha yawned.
“Oh, well.” Tarquin stood up. “Think I’ll be making tracks. You go on, get yourself off to bed.”
“Okay. You drive carefully. Good night.”
“Good night, old friend.”
The thud of Tarquin’s car door was still reverberating around the car when his phone started ringing. “Hello, Tarquin speaking.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Malaprop’s Bookstore, Bicester, England
Racing along the M40, Cliff almost missed the sign informing him that his turn off was approaching. Thirty seconds later, the same sign appeared, shaped like an arrow. He smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. Bicester wasn’t a bad place to live and getting back there on this particular morning, just seemed to matter more than usual.
The indicator clicked, the car took a left and he joined the back of the queue. Two minutes later and he’d progressed to second, behind a white Luton van. He slumped forward on the steering wheel, eyes glazing over while cars raced across, just a few feet in front of the lights.
When eventually, the van in front moved and he found himself with a clear route into town, Cliff relaxed. He couldn’t stand motorways, not at all. There was absolutely nothing to do but drive forwards for miles, but he still had to be alert in case some idiot pulled out in front of him. Consequently, he now felt able to relax somewhat and allow his head to clear. He noticed his legs trembling and his stomach churning. His head felt like he was floating in the grey clouds above him.
By the time he arrived at Malaprop’s, he was shaking all over. Stepping from his car, he stumbled on a nearby l
oose rock and lunged forward. For the next ten seconds or so, he flapped his arms around, frantically trying to regain his balance and save himself from the indignity of falling flat on his face.
A pedestrian passed by the carpark, looked right at him and smirked. Cliff was about to walk across to put the by-passer straight in no uncertain terms, but stopped himself just in time. If people thought he was drunk, he’d blend in and no one would ever suspect the real reason why he was so jittery.
The uneven car park played havoc with him throughout the short journey from his car to the front door. It wasn’t until he was within reaching distance of the handle that he noticed the shutters were down and all the blinds were closed. Moreover, there wasn’t a single sound coming from within. Without even trying the handle, he paused to give the situation a moment’s thought.
The by-passer from moments earlier had given him an idea. If he could get some fresh air, he might start to feel better. And if he pretended he was drunk, he might be able to take a short walk without arousing any suspicions. Leaving the car park, he turned and headed off to Karl’s.
Half way along the road, he passed a woman on the opposite side of the street who stared at him, curiously. Cliff decided to put his plan into action. So, taking a deep breath, he started singing and exaggerated his stumbling walk. And it worked too. The woman smirked, waved a hand and continued on her way, seemingly without giving him a second thought.
As soon as the woman had gone out of sight, he stopped singing, but recommenced the minute anyone else started staring. It wasn’t long before he turned the corner of the road on which the vintner’s was situated. By the time the shop came into view, he got a sense that he’d made a wasted journey.
The shutters were down, the blinds were closed and there wasn’t a sound coming from within. He decided to try the handle just for the hell of it, before turning round. By this time, he’d almost managed to convince himself that he was drunk.
Wandering aimlessly into a nearby residential area, the road started to spin. He stopped, rooted to the spot. The difference between himself and a drunk was that his situation could turn critical at any given moment. After taking a moment to gather himself, he headed back into town the way he’d come.
Mauve (A Very British Witch Book 3) Page 17
