by Olivia Swift
“I’m joking, Utric. I can see that upsets you. There will be no whisky truffles and no tartan at all. Is that better?” The wind subsided and Declan said that there was the faintest outline of the man beside her.
“Go and climb again. You enjoy that,” Magda added. There were no more disturbances and they finished their drinks in peace.
“Well, we know more than we did before,” Branston said. “We know he’s an excellent climber and loves it.”
“We know he hates whoever took over the castle and the area after the Vikings left,” Sam joined in as well.
“And I still think he’s very attached to that piece of wood. That is how he came here in the first place,” Magda added.
“So, do we leave him to enjoy the climbing wall and hope he settles down, or do we try and send him back to Scotland?” Rula queried. There was a gush of cold air from the door.
“Definitely doesn’t want to go back,” Mikey remarked.
“I think we leave it and see what happens,” Sam suggested. “It might all settle down.”
“And we have a tree house to organize,” Declan said and stood up to go. “I’ll call you about times to meet up and load my truck with the wooden frame and tools. I’ve put the base together to save time.”
“I have the camping gear,” Sam added, and Magda said that she supposed that meant she was taking food and drink.
“I’ll share that with you,” Katie told her. “I really just need my camera and a sketch pad.”
“Enjoy yourselves,” Merle said as she and Branston left. Mikey offered to help Rula clear away the cups, and she gave him a smile and accepted the offer. Katie said her car was just at the end of the alley and went off to drive home. Magda looked at Sam with a smile and asked Rula if she would lock up.
“I’ll stay and make sure she gets home safe,” Mikey answered for Rula, as Sam and Magda walked away hand in hand. Outside, Magda took one last look at the climbing wall.
“Good night, Utric,” she called, but there was no reply.
The cats were overjoyed to have Magda and Sam back in the house. They ate treats and settled into purring loudly. There were no pictures on the cell phone and no disturbances of any sort.
“I cannot believe that all is quiet,” Magda said. “Maybe we can relax and forget spooky things and psychic cats for once.”
“Tell me,” Sam said as they got comfortable and flicked on a quiet program on the television, “exactly how this wedding is supposed to go.”
“You go to the chapel and I arrive looking like a vision from a Hollywood movie. You promise to look after me forever, and we all eat at the most expensive restaurant in town.”
“Okay, smarty. What about invitations and stuff?”
“I’ll pick those up tomorrow and we can start to write them by hand when we have a list.” Then she looked at him. “I cannot walk down the aisle by myself. I still miss my mom and dad.”
“Branston would be flattered if you asked him,” Sam suggested, and she snuggled against him.
“I like it when you know the right thing to do.”
“Now that is one change I haven’t gotten used to yet. The self-sufficient Magda letting me be right.”
“It won’t last. Enjoy it,” she said and pulled out her phone to call Branston. Her cousin was pleased to be asked and laughed when she said that there would be no Stetson.
“One more detail taken care of,” she said. “I will finally not be Magda Caraganic. You enjoyed teasing me about my fancy name for all those years.”
“Better when you are Magda Barnes,” he answered, ending the conversation by covering her lips with his own. Crystal bumped her head against him and asked to be petted.
“That cat is jealous of me now,” Magda complained. “The cat treats might be in short supply, madam.” Crystal turned her back and stalked away to the other seat. She relented when it came to snuggling into Magda’s bed.
“Good morning, Mister Barnes,” Magda said as she called him while she was still in bed. “It was lovely to be spirit-free for a whole night. I think I’ll have another ten minutes in bed.” Sam blew her a kiss down the phone line and set off for work. The cats took the opportunity to snuggle in as well, and then work called and she had to slide out of bed and make a start.
The café was a delight as usual and there were no signs of any ghostly activity.
“Morning, Utric, if you are around,” she called out, and Rula laughed as she came in.
“Caught you talking to a ghost, Magda.”
“I can forget the ghost to find out what happened after we left last night,” Magda retorted. Rula waved a hand in the air.
“Nothing. I went home.”
“Oh, yes. How long have we known each other?” Magda said sarcastically.
“Okay, Mikey and I went for a drink before we went home.”
“And?” Magda prompted as Katie joined them.
“He came back and had a coffee with me and that is definitely all,” Rula told them defiantly.
“Hmm,” Magda said. “Do you think it is safe to go on this camping trip, Katie? Can they be left alone?” Katie laughed and said she was so looking forward to getting her photos up to date that she would risk it. Rita and Josh arrived and the day swung into action. Magda had made several batches of centers and left Katie to finish the coating.
“I’m off to see this brandy distillery,” Magda said, slipping on her high heels while brushing her hair. “Shouldn’t be too long.”
The distillery was quite small and in a modern business park. The man, Karl Perez, was happy to explain that they were a small company, making cognac for a niche market. Despite being a compact setup, Magda was impressed by the technology involved and the gleaming, efficient equipment.
“This is fantastic,” she told him. “I can make simple brandy liqueur centers, but I’d like to make something different.” She gave him the orange liqueur and the new whisky one to try. “The ones that have a local connection do well and so do the ones with a story to them.”
“They are very special,” he told her, “but I have eaten them before. My wife buys them—especially the pecan marzipan and the violet cream.”
“I like it when folks know their truffles. The pecan and marzipan is my fiance’s favorite as well.” She pulled out the recipe that she had printed for the raspberry brandy syrup and asked him what he thought. Karl read it thoroughly and looked at her.
“You could do it easily in any kitchen but when you start selling, you would have to guarantee to meet health and safety standards, and that is really difficult.”
“Oh, I never thought of that. Maybe I should just buy a ready-made liqueur.”
“On the other hand,” Karl told her, “What if I made the syrup to sell and you used it in the truffles. I am sure we could make it work. It wouldn’t take a lot of my equipment or time. It is mostly waiting for the liquid to mature. That is where it has to be sterile. I could have a possible new product and you could have a unique center.”
“That would be wonderful. I am going out for two days to look for wild raspberries but if there are no wild ones, we could always bring them in.”
“The locally sourced ones would be attractive to the customers but we could buy if we had to. I can try the recipe out in the meantime. What do you think?”
“I think it’s wonderful. Thank you so much,” Magda told him.
“I’m under instruction from my wife to help you if possible, but it makes business sense as well,” he smiled. Magda felt in the tote bag that she had beside her and produced two boxes of truffles.
“Please take her these,” she said and handed them over.
They parted company with an agreement to be back in touch, and Magda set off to find some food to take with them on the camping trip.
“I bet the men will want to light a fire and cook bacon,” she thought to herself. “They can pretend they are in the wild west.” She collected what she needed and went back to work.
Mikey was there having his usual chocolate drink and told her that he had climbed the wall already.
“Was Utric there?” Magda asked, and Mikey said that he had felt a breeze across his face.
“I’ll try and put the rest of the wall up tonight after work,” he told her.
9
The evening was a hectic rush to pack everything they would need to spend a couple of days outdoors. Magda had arranged with Rula to feed the cats before and after work, so she left out all of their things.
Sam arrived with the truck and they loaded everything inside.
“You and Katie can sleep in the cab,” he said, as she stood with hands on hips to survey what they had packed.
“And you and Declan want to pretend that you are roughing it in a tent and sitting around a campfire with coffee and beans like cowboys,” she said.
“Dead right,” he answered. “Declan has wood and tools in his truck as well. He’s driving over here first thing and then I’ll lead the way to the Carnoustie estate.”
In the morning she told the cats to be good for Auntie Rula, saw that Declan had picked up Katie, and they were ready to go. The two trucks roared out of town. As the road wound slowly uphill, the views were spectacular. Magda sat back to enjoy the trip. They turned off the public road onto a private one that was lined with a tunnel of trees which made it seem like a journey into a storybook.
“What a lovely place to live,” Magda exclaimed as they came out in front of a big house that was built of stone and wood and which fit perfectly into its surroundings. Sam jumped out and went up to the door. Jeff Carnoustie and his wife made them welcome and pointed the way to a road which wound around behind the house.
“You know the way, Sam. You know what we would like. Make yourselves at home.”
There was a rough gateway that looked vaguely like something from the days of the pioneers. They closed it behind them. Eventually, the track became rougher which made their ride somewhat bumpy.
“The covered-wagon folk must have been tough people,” Magda said as she held on to the door handle.
“Not far now,” Sam said and swung the truck into a clearing in the trees. The other truck did the same. They all got out and looked around.
“This is where the teardrop tree house will be suspended,” Sam said as he showed them the location. “The steps to lead up to it will be on the other side and not seen as you approach. It should look as if it hangs there by invisible strings.”
“What a great idea,” Katie exclaimed. She had a backpack in her hand, camera around her neck and wore strong boots. A jacket was tied around her waist. “I’m ready to start.”
“Let’s unload what we need,” Sam said.
“If I grab what I need, Katie and I can explore together,” Magda added and they all made a start.
“The paths are pretty well marked out,” Sam told the girls. “Just don’t wander off them.”
“Yes Dad,” Magda said and kissed his cheek. The two girls set off and left the men to unload the basic shape of the tree house and the ladders which would let them climb into the tree canopy.
In only a few steps, they felt as if they were miles away from the rest of the world. There were openings that showed them the views and pretty little streams that meandered downhill. The open areas had a myriad of wildflowers. They walked at a leisurely pace, stopping to take photographs.
“Oh, it’s been so long since I’ve been able to do this,” Katie remarked. “It is just the right time of the year as well.”
“What a great adventure the Carnoustie boys from the house will have when they can camp out in their tree house and run around in their own woodland,” Magda said as she took photos with her cell phone.
After about an hour, the girls came to a rocky outcrop that jutted from one side of a hill. They sat at the foot of it, ate energy bars and enjoyed the view across the lower parts of the land.
“Well, I haven’t found any raspberries yet,” Magda said. “Mister Carnoustie seemed to think that there were some.”
“If we do another half an hour around this rocky part and then turn back, we might see some that we missed on the way,” Katie suggested. After the next half an hour, Magda confessed that she was not as fit as she had thought she was.
“Glad to turn back,” Magda said and then spotted the raspberries. “Look,” she added. “There’s a good crop. The Carnousties say we are welcome to pick them. Here goes,” she said as she pulled out the plastic containers she had brought with her.
The two girls collected two full containers and then had a bit of a rest before starting back to the campsite. They found Sam checking his watch and looking a bit concerned.
“We are back,” she told him. “Stop worrying.”
“Where’s Declan?” Katie asked and Sam pointed above his head. They looked up. Declan was sitting in the center of the tree house, legs hanging through the wooden slats and taking measurements.
“Hi, girls,” he called down. “Did you find what you wanted?”
“Got some great photos,” Katie told him and Magda held up the boxes of raspberries. Declan swung his legs over to where the ladder was tied against the tree. He was about to climb down when he stopped where he was and pointed to the trucks.
What?” Sam asked.
“I hate to tell you, guys. Our Viking friend is with us.”
“Oh, no,” Magda said. “I was enjoying myself.”
Declan climbed down and suggested ignoring the ghostly visitor and having some food.
Sam nodded and started a fire in a circle of stones which had been previously left by others. He stood an iron tripod stand over it, which Mikey had provided, and hung a coffee pot above the flames. The girls found mugs, plates, and the food that had been packed, and then found some logs to sit on around the fire.
“I think we are using the boys’ camping site,” Sam said with a smile. “I don’t think their dad has told them about the tree house.”
“What a great surprise that will be,” Katie replied. “Kids these days have such great things to do. I can’t understand why they sit with computer games all day.”
“Maybe they can do both,” Magda said. “They can play on their tablets swinging in the trees.”
“I wonder how Utric came to be with us,” Declan pondered, and Sam held up his hands.
“My fault. I’m sorry. I took the wood out of the trunk of the car and put it in the truck, then never put it back.”
“I suppose,” Katie mused, “that we could take the wood to that rocky cliff thing and see if he wants to climb.”
“He never followed us before, but he might if we take it,” Magda added.
“Not on your own, girls. Wait until we finish this bit of the work and we’ll come as well,” Sam said. Magda nodded.
“Yes, fusspot,” she smiled. “I need a rest anyway. Maybe we should do that tomorrow.”
“I can take photos around here as well. Lots of leaves, bark and there are skeletonized leaves which I really love,” Katie told them. “I need a rest as well. Thank heaven for digital cameras. I must have taken a couple of hundred shots already.”
The two men went back to the hanging construction in the trees and the girls lay back and watched them. Finally, the structure was suspended between three big trees and it all seemed to be coming together.
“As you come toward it, it will look quite fantastic,” Magda observed. “It will look as if it is staying up there by itself.”
The two builders came and looked at it from the ground.
“When the sides are filled in, it will look mysterious as well,” Declan added.
“Can I climb up and see what the view is like from up there?” Magda asked. They guided her to the ladder hidden behind the tree.
“The actual steps will be three trees away and completely hidden. Then there will be a walkway through the tree canopy to get into the house itself,” Sam explained. Magda climbed the ladder and stepped cautiously onto the base of the
tree house. It was about the size of a two-berth trailer and bigger than she thought it would be.
The floor swayed slightly but not enough to be frightening, and looking out from the leaves made it feel like a secret place.
“It will be marvelous,” Magda called. “Even without the walls, it feels like something magical.”
“What about the movement?” Declan asked, and she said it moved slightly but still felt quite safe. Katie went up the ladder and swapped places with Magda. Even with two people in the structure, there was room to move. Magda came down and she saw Declan’s face change.
“What?” she asked and he pointed.
“The Viking is climbing the tree.”
“Utric,” Magda called. “Please come back down.” There was no response, and of course, Magda could not see the man. Declan ran to the ladder and climbed up the steps. He stepped into the tree house and held up his hand.
“Keep out of here,” he said and put an arm around Katie, but the others knew by his face that the Viking had taken no notice. “Katie, try and get down. Sam will help you,” Declan told her, but the tree house started to shake violently and Katie gave a little cry and hung on to the wooden slats at the side. A strong wind blew around the clearing and clutched at the two people in the partly constructed building. Declan held Katie with one arm and hung on with the other. He put himself between the spirit form and the woman he was protecting.
Magda ran to the bottom of the ladder but Sam was already halfway up. When his head was over the top, he called out for Katie to hold on to him and he would help her down. She let go of one piece of wood but the thing swayed so much that she grabbed it again. Sam went further up and held out his arm. The ladder was fixed to the tree trunk and felt quite steady.
“Grab on to me,” he shouted. She made an attempt, but there was still no real room to connect. Magda had an idea and raced to the truck. She found the piece of wood from Scotland and held it over the fire.
