The Chancellor Fairy Tales Boxed Set: Books 1-3

by Poppy Lawless

  I worked for a long while, concentrating hard. I didn’t look up until a shadow loomed over the sign, startling me.

  “Is that…the recipe box,” a woman said aghast.

  I looked up to see Mrs. Row standing there. She had a shocked impression on her face.

  “It was left…for me,” I said, realizing the moment I said it that it was true. “Mrs. Row, I don’t know how I can ever possibly thank you for everything you’ve done for me. And I have no idea how I’m going to repay you.”

  “The box…can you make the recipes? Have you…have you tried one? Can you do it?” The woman had a very serious expression on her face. It was then I realized what she was really asking. She wanted to know if I had tried one of the…poems. No, that wasn’t the right word for what they were nor the effect they seemed to have. She wanted to know if I had tried one of the…spells.

  “Yes.”

  Mrs. Row grinned. “There used to be a recipe for these adorable little cupcakes with sugar forget-me-nots. Make me about five dozen of those, exactly as the recipe says, for the public hearing on The Grove tonight, and we’ll call it even.”

  “Tonight?”

  “Yes. At seven. Can you manage it?”

  I pulled out my cell. It was only ten. I had time. “Sure. But all this? Just for some cupcakes?”

  Mrs. Row laughed. “You’re sure you have made something from that box before…and the recipe…turned out?”

  I nodded.

  “Then, yes. All that for some forget-me-not cupcakes. Don’t be late. About five dozen delivered to the town hall tonight no later than seven. Promise me you’ll do that, Julie?”

  “Of course.”

  “That’s a good girl. Better start baking,” she said then, patting my arm. With a wave, she then crossed the street to join the businessmen and women gathered in The Grove. I couldn’t help but notice that Aaron Hunter had joined them as well. A young woman with long, dark hair was at his side. She was looking in my direction.

  She waved to me. Was she Horatio’s sister?

  Smiling, I returned the gesture then dropped my paintbrush into a cup of water. If I was going to bake cupcakes, I’d need to get to work. First, I’d get cleaned up. Then, I needed to grab some supplies. This was the first order from my new business. I couldn’t wait to get started.

  Tucking the recipe box under my arm, I headed inside.

  Chapter 15: Horatio

  The Town Hall was packed. Against my better judgement, I went with Viola to the meeting regarding The Grove, mostly to offer her some moral support.

  “They’re going to shoot down his request. They’ve all but told him so already,” she whispered to me.

  “Then what in the hell is he doing here? The Grove is a town landmark. They aren’t going to let him scoop up the property.”

  “He was on the phone with his accountant this morning,” Viola whispered. “He’s going to pull a godfather.”

  “A godfather?”

  “Make them an offer they can’t refuse.”

  “He’s out of his mind. He’s going to sink the winery just to open this restaurant. I don’t understand. I mean, having a venue for the winery is nice, but the vineyard tours are doing fine. What is so important about Falling Waters? To sacrifice—”

  “You. To sacrifice you. To sacrifice the relationship he has with the town officials. I don’t know,” Viola said then as she cast her eyes across the room. I watched as her eyes landed on Dad who was chatting up President White. “I don’t know,” she whispered more quietly, this time to herself.

  “Cupcake?” I heard someone ask from behind me.

  I turned to find Julie standing there. She was wearing a purple dress with an embroidered neck line and cowboy boots. I looked down at the tray she was holding. On it she had neatly arranged delicate looking mini cupcakes, each topped with light blue icing and a small blue flower.

  “Julie,” I said with a smile then leaned in to give her a polite “in public” hug. “Meet my sister, Viola,” I said then, turning to Viola who was already grinning at Julie.

  “Nice to meet you,” Viola said then. “Let me guess,” she added, looking down at the cupcakes, “Mrs. Row?”

  Julie smiled and nodded. The lines around her mouth quivered a little. Was she nervous to meet Viola? “She seems to have adopted me.”

  “Take it,” Viola said, lifting one of the petite cupcakes from the tray. “Mrs. Row knows everyone. And more importantly, everyone likes her.” Viola popped the cupcake into her mouth then sighed heavily. After a moment she asked. “What in the world? That was about the best bite I’ve ever had. What kind of cupcake is that?”

  “Lavender cake and honey buttercream frosting. Rayne hooked me up.”

  “Eat this,” Viola said, snagging one of the cupcakes and shoving it into my mouth.

  She really didn’t need to tell me that Julie’s hands were talented and sweet. I’d had just the lightest of tastes the night before. But the second my sister squashed the petite little cupcake into my mouth, I was overcome. It was so…perfect. The earthy, slightly spicy, taste of the lavender mixed with hints of lemon and honey. The cupcake melted in my mouth the way Mom’s pineapple upside down cake used to do. The cupcake’s lavender flavor, melding with Rayne’s honey, took me back. My head felt dizzy, and I was suddenly overcome with a memory of my mom and dad.

  As if I were in a fog, I heard Mrs. Row call, “Everyone, please take a seat. We’re about to get started. A new member of the chamber of commerce, Miss Julie Dayton, is circulating the room. Please try one of her confections. She’ll be reopening Mrs. Aster’s Serendipity Gardens. She has samples for everyone. Try a bite. Don’t be shy. She’s sworn she’s taken out all the calories.”

  Though I heard Mrs. Row’s words, my head was flooded with memory. It was like I was sucked back in time. In my memory, Viola and I must have been around eight and six years old. We were walking behind my parents as we meandered down the street during the Christmas bazaar. We’d just come from The Nutcracker and were dressed in our theater finest. I remembered the cold wind whipping through the fabric of my fancy dress pants, and Viola begging to stop for hot spiced cider. The scent of roasted almonds, gingerbread, and cloves filled the air.

  “Of course, my little love,” Mom had told her, patting her gently on the head.

  We turned and headed toward the cider stall but my parents delayed for just a moment as we made our way, stopping on the sidewalk just outside the old, broken down mill. A shimmer of ice and snow glinted off the frozen water wheel.

  My parents kissed.

  Viola giggled.

  “Eww,” I said.

  Dad laughed, stroked Mom’s cheek gently, then kissed her again. “Don’t you know why I always kiss your mom at the water wheel?”

  “Why?” Viola asked brightly.

  “Because this is where I proposed to her. Right here is where your mom agreed to be my wife.”

  “The Water House, as the place was called back then,” my mom said wistfully, “used to be a restaurant. We had dinner there, then your dad brought me out here and proposed.”

  “That’s so cute,” Viola gushed.

  “Then we drank one of my first bottles of Blushing Grape ice wine in The Grove,” Dad said, smiling.

  “Special night,” Mom whispered.

  “The best night,” my dad corrected. “And the best Christmas gift ever, until you two came along,” he added, picking me up and putting me on his shoulders. “Now, I think I saw a candy cane about as tall as you over there. Up for a challenge?” he asked me, heading toward one of the vendor stalls.

  “Of course!”

  “That’s my boy.”

  “Horatio,” Viola said then, shaking my shoulder, “we need to do something. Say something,” she added, and this time I heard the urgency in her voice.

  “This town,” my dad shouted, “you people. You’re nothing but a bunch of ingrates! Ingrates! I should burn down the vineyard and see how long it takes
before you all go out of business.”

  “Mr. Hunter,” Mayor Cumberbatch said, looking pale, “we don’t mean to offend you. It’s just as Doctor Franklin and Mrs. Row shared, The Grove isn’t just a green space, it’s a historical landmark. When the witch trials reached Chancellor, it was at The Grove that the witches in this town—such as they were—came to an accord with the townspeople. Chancellor is unique among other early Puritan communities. The people of Chancellor embraced the skills these women had and honored their sacred space. The trees in The Grove—”

  “Are just trees!” Dad shouted. “I’m offering you half a million dollars just to let me section off The Grove for an outdoor restaurant. I’m not going to cut down any trees. You’re being ridiculous. This whole town is being—”

  “Dad!” I called.

  I looked around the room. Everyone was staring at my father in shock. My dad had always been a shrewd business man, but this…this was something quite different.

  My father turned and looked at me. His face was ashen. I could see he was trembling.

  But now, I understood.

  I remembered.

  He was doing this for Mom.

  “Mister Hunter, the vote has been tallied. The community has voted overwhelmingly against you,” the mayor told him firmly.

  “We value history here,” Mrs. Row told him. “We’re sorry, but we cannot let you have The Grove.”

  I looked from Viola, who looked pale, to Julie, who had taken a seat behind us. Her eyes were welling with tears.

  The room was silent.

  My dad ran his fingers through his thinning hair, took a deep breath, then straightened his tie.

  He then turned and walked down the aisle of the meeting room and out the front door, the wooden doors clattering shut behind him.

  “Go after him,” Julie leaned forward and whispered in my ear.

  I looked back at her. She was right.

  Viola turned to me.

  “Vi?”

  Viola nodded. “Go. I’ll stay and try to save the family name.”

  With all eyes on me, I rose. “Excuse me, Mister Mayor.”

  He nodded, understanding.

  Turning on my heel, I headed outside into the night air. The fall air was bitter cold. It bit my cheeks the minute I stepped outside. It felt like it might snow. I scanned around and saw Dad walking down Main Street toward the restaurant.

  “Dad?” I called, hurrying after him.

  He didn’t stop.

  “Dad?” I called again.

  I finally caught him, and tried to take him gently by the arm.

  Dad turned on me, tears streaming down his cheeks. His gaze was icy.

  “You betrayed me,” he whispered.

  “This isn’t about me and you. I know why you want The Grove. The Wheel. This is about Mom. I remembered the story…your proposal,” I said.

  Dad winced at the last part.

  “Dad, Mom would never want you to—”

  “What do you know? What do you know about any of this?” he said then, shrugging me off. “You abandoned me, Horatio. You abandoned me too,” he said angrily then turned and headed back up the street.

  I let him go. At last, I understood. Now I just needed to figure out how to make it right…for all of us.

  Chapter 16: Julie

  After Horatio and Aaron left, the room sat in stunned silence until Viola spoke.

  “I…I apologize. My father’s actions, words, don’t represent all the shareholders at Blushing Grape. I think my father is…unwell this evening. You won’t be hearing from us about The Grove any further. Please, Mister Mayor, feel free to carry on with the agenda,” she said confidently.

  Reassured by Viola’s words, the mayor subtly redirected business. What most of them didn’t see, however, was how Viola sat shaking in her seat.

  “Are you okay?” I whispered, setting my hand on her shoulder.

  She nodded. “I just…I’m okay,” she said then pulled out her notepad and took notes for the next twenty minutes until the mayor called a break at which point she rose, shook hands with a few of the town leaders, then bolted out the door.

  Without thinking twice, I headed out behind her.

  “Viola?” I called.

  She was digging in her purse for a tissue. She must have burst into tears the second she’d stepped outside. She stopped, and dabbed her eyes, but she was shaking violently.

  “It’s okay,” I said, wrapping my arm around her. “Come on. Let’s walk a little, get you some air.”

  Viola exhaled deeply then we turned and walked.

  “My whole family is falling apart. First my mom, now my dad is losing it, treating Horatio and me like garbage. I…I don’t know what to do. Before my dad freaked, I remembered something my mom used to tell Horatio and me. ‘Follow your bliss. The grapes will grow without you.’ I’ve been so busy looking after Dad, after the business, I don’t even know who I am anymore.”

  “Sometimes our world has to fall apart in order for us to really see ourselves.”

  Viola sighed heavily.

  When we reached the little park called The Grove, we stopped.

  “It’s a pretty place. Have you checked it out?” Viola asked, sniffling a little.

  I shook my head.

  Steadying herself by gripping my shoulder, she reached down and pulled off her heels. “Come on. Shoes off,” she said, leading me into the trees.

  From my view across the street, I could see the little park was wooded, but it wasn’t until I actually set foot among the trees that I realized that the tall trees had been planted in a circle. At the very center of the park was a reflecting pool. I could see the full moon overhead reflected in the water. The earth was cold under my feet, but the fallen leaves made a soft cushion. All around the reflecting pool were stumps of wood which served as seats. Careless about her designer suit, Viola sat down on the ground beside the water.

  “It really is a beautiful place,” I said, but more than that, I could feel the electricity in the air. The place, which had been special to the witches of Chancellor, felt really magical. And more and more, I was beginning to suspect what my place might be in the grand scheme of things.

  “My mom would bring me here sometimes. We would sip ice wine, even before I was twenty-one, and just talk about life. Our ice wine is the only wine my parents ever brewed together. All those flavor tests. All those trial blends. Finally, on a cold winter night, they got it just right and Frozen Kisses was born. Now, my dad is ripping everything apart. It’s like he’s lost sight of everything,” she said then sighed heavily. “God, Julie, I’m so sorry. We just met, but I feel like I can really talk to you. Must be your vibe with my family. Horatio seems to feel the same way.”

  “Well, being fed up with life is something I understand well. As of last week I had no idea what I was doing with my life, but I’ve found new purpose, my own purpose, for the very first time. My mother died over the summer. She wanted me to be a dentist. I wanted to be a baker. It wasn’t until that,” I said, pointing to the property across the street, “happened, that I decided it was okay to give up on my mother’s dream and be my own person.”

  “Your dad…is he behind you?”

  “My dad always understood me. Now that it’s just him and me…”

  Viola nodded and touched the surface of the reflecting pool. The water rippled. “I’m glad you came to Chancellor. Don’t go anywhere anytime soon, okay?”

  I laughed. “Seems I’ve been adopted here. I’m staying.”

  Viola rose, brushing leaves from her pants. “I need to go. I need to find Dad. He shouldn’t be alone right now. Thank you, Julie.”

  I smiled, rose, and pulled her into a hug. “You’re welcome.”

  “See you soon?” she said then let me go.

  I nodded.

  After she left, I sat down on one of the stumps and looked into the water. The reflection of the full moon was enchanting. It filled up the water in the pool almost complet
ely. I took a deep breath and tried to get my mind to stop spinning. So much was happening so fast. Somehow I’d managed to get sucked into the heart of Chancellor before I’d even caught my footing, but it felt okay…almost right. It was like I was meant to be in this little town all along, like I’d been meant to take Mrs. Aster’s old place, like I’d been meant to find the recipe box. But how? Why?

  The sound of low voices and rustling grass caught my attention. I rose and turned to find Tootie, Violet, and Betty standing there.

  “Oh good,” Tootie said. “We won’t even have to go across the street to fetch you for the induction after all. How’d you know to come here?”

  “I didn’t. Induction?”

  “Of course,” Viola answered. “After the charm you just cast over everyone tonight, we figured we’d better get your training started right away before your powers run rampant.”

  My mind boggled. “Powers? Training? What kind of training?”

  It was then I realized that each of the three women were holding brooms. In fact, Tootie was carrying two. At the entrance of the park I saw other figures moving toward The Grove. More women, many of whom I recognized from the meeting, had arrived carrying brooms.

  “Julie! So nice to see you again,” Dr. Franklin, a historian from the college who’d spoken about the history of The Grove, called. “Welcome to the sisterhood.”

  “Tootie, what’s going on?” I asked.

  “Emma Jane was always the best of us. Her spell work was divine. Those cupcakes you made…wow, more powerful than any Emma Jane had ever made. You had all of us calling up long-forgotten memories. You’ve got strong magic in you, Julie. Emma Jane chose her successor very well. Come now, my dear. Let’s get you dedicated,” she said then, holding out a broom toward me.