‘Is it always like this here?’ said Adair.
James sat down. ‘Yeah, fun isn’t it.’
‘Welcome to Vesta Mansion, Uncle,’ said Alex. ‘It’s a long story that I’ll tell you about later.’
Adair looked at his new nephew. ‘I don’t know if I will get used to being called uncle.’
‘That’s something you will have to I’m afraid, but don’t worry I’ll leave it for the children,’ said Alex, but he would still call it him anyway.
‘It didn’t take you long to beat all those creatures today.’
‘Our fights never take long for some reason.’
James glanced at the gnome. ‘I blame it on Fergal today.’
Alex nodded. ‘He was an awesome sight with the axe.’
‘It was an honour to fight alongside you,’ Carrie said to the gnome.
Fergal bowed. ‘The honour was all mine, me dear lady, you’re a formidable group of warriors.’
‘How is it you pretended to let them capture you?’ said Adair. ‘Instead of just marching in like you did at the warlock’s house.’
‘It wasn’t exactly planned, we had to act quickly as they were about to sacrifice my daughter.’
‘I think this chat will be interesting,’ said the wizard.
Fergal clapped his hands. ‘Yes, and over a glass of ale, too.’
‘Ale? I have been water total for two thousand years.’
‘You might want to take it easy then.’
The door to the cinema opened and the children came out followed by the pucas, and the pixies who swamped the wizard.
James watched. ‘Old friends.’
‘Well they were all prisoners for a very long time,’ said Michelle, ‘so must have known each other before.’
‘This is some reunion, Mother,’ said Alex, as Luella sat next to him.
‘Yes, and thank you, dear,’ she said, and kissed his cheek.
‘Would it be OK for me to get cleaned up somewhere?’ said Adair.
Alex stood and put his hand on the wizards shoulder. ‘Yeah, I’ll show you to your room. I’ve plenty of clothes but no robes I’m afraid.’
‘Anything clean will do.’
‘Not a suit,’ Paige insisted.
‘What’s wrong with suits?’ said George.
‘Nothing, but I don’t think it will go with his long hair.’
The wizard’s hair was long and brown, which matched his beard.
‘I wear suits . . . sometimes,’ James sulked.
Paige stuck her tongue out at him. ‘Exactly.’
Carrie was examining the wizard very closely. ‘I’ll need to do something with his hair.’
Paige walked over and stood next to her. ‘We’d better get him in your salon.’
‘Oh dear,’ said Alex.
‘What is it?’ said Adair.
‘They want to give you a makeover.’
‘We’re not like that,’ said Claire.
‘Speak for yourself,’ said Carrie.
James put his hands behind his head. ‘That sounds weird coming from you.’
‘You do know what my job is here.’
‘Yeah, and I like what you did with my hair. It’s just watching you fight and then you go styling someone’s hair, it feels odd.’
‘But I enjoy doing both.’
‘Is this going to be painful,’ said Adair.
Alex put his arm around the wizard. ‘Only to your soul.’
‘Be nice, dear,’ Luella told him. ‘And no, Brother, it will be just a bit of pampering which you deserve.’
‘I have a robe that’ll fit you,’ Michelle offered.
‘Not that little black silky one?’ Claire teased.
‘No,’ said Michelle, going red, ‘a man’s one, it’s oriental and very nice, but I’ve never worn it.’
‘Why did you buy it?’
‘Felt like a good idea at the time, I’ve been earning money, and wanted to spend some.’
‘I know how that feels,’ Paige agreed.
‘What’s wrong with normal clothes?’ said James.
‘Nothing,’ said Michelle, ‘but after all those years in a robe, normal clothes might be a bit uncomfortable.’
‘OK, you get the robe and I’ll show my uncle how to use a shower,’ said Alex, and took the wizard upstairs.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
At Home with the Gnomes
Adair appeared for lunch wearing a blue robe with a golden dragon embroidered on the back. Carrie had trimmed his hair and beard for him. He looked a lot brighter and younger.
‘Colourful,’ Alex remarked, as his lunch floated through the air and came down to rest on the table in front of him. He glanced at the hatch and saw Kerry and Emma waiting for the breakfasts so they could send them to whoever it was for.
Adair watched in amazement as his lunch arrived. ‘Yes, but more important it’s comfortable and clean, oh, and my robe has disappeared.’
Luella raised an eyebrow. ‘It’s being washed. Let’s just hope it doesn’t fall apart.’
‘Better the robe than me, dear sister.’ The wizard shook his head at the floating lunches. ‘I have never seen power used like this.’
Alex smiled at the children’s faces, as they appeared to enjoy it more than most. ‘They’ll find any reason to practice.’
Adair started on his lunch earnestly. ‘Dedication is not a bad thing, but they appear very skilled at their art already.’
‘They are, and had my keys out of my pocket without me even noticing,’ said James. ‘And you really should look a lot older for two thousand years old.’
Adair had already eaten half his lunch. ‘I am over four thousand years old, and I feel really refreshed.’
‘That’s even worse,’ said James, somewhat disgustedly.
‘You never said that to Daralis, Briana, or I,’ said Luella.
‘There’s no way I’m saying to a woman “they look good for their age”, even if you are very attractive.’
‘I thought about it,’ said Paige, touching a faint line on her face by her eye.
Alex glanced across at her. ‘You’ve hardly changed since I last saw you all those years ago.’
‘You can say the nicest things at times,’ said Paige, and put her hand out to Kaeya who was sitting on Alex’s shoulder.
The pixie accepted the invitation. ‘What’s up?’
‘I like your outfit.’
‘Thank you, Daralis made it for me.’
Paige took Kaeya over to Claire and Michelle, and spoke to them. Michelle nodded, but Claire put her hand over her eyes and groaned.
Adair finished his lunch and leant back in his seat with his hands on his stomach appearing very satisfied.
Luella gave him a stern look. ‘You should take your time . . . did they starve you?’
‘No, that’s one thing they wouldn’t do. They needed me strong, but their food was never enjoyable like this was,’ said Adair, and glanced at the hatch. ‘Is there seconds?’
Alex introduced the children to their great-uncle, while Paige and Michelle spoke to all the other women from the mansion until they finally walked over to James.
‘Will you take us somewhere in the coach?’ said Paige. ‘As there’s not enough room in the limo.’
James nodded. ‘Of course.’
‘Shopping?’ Alex sighed, and took out his bank card.
‘We do have our own money,’ said Paige, but took the card anyway.
Most of the women decided to go as did George who wanted to go to his office. The children and the pucas went to the cinema while Alex and Joseph stepped out the back leaving Adair to catch up with his sisters.
Alex rubbed his chin. ‘Do you believe in destiny?’
Joseph watched the workers on the new stables. ‘Yes, but I also believe it can be altered, why do you ask?’
‘It was by chance that I saw your shop, and decided to have a look around. Those three gifts you gave me have been very important.’
‘I might have brought them as soon as I knew someone was living here.’
‘Why those three items though?’
Joseph shrugged. ‘It was my ancestor’s task to take them and for our family to keep in care till you arrived.’
Alex sat down on one of the benches Livvy and Donna had put in, and studied the water feature, a rockery with water cascading down the front. ‘Well they’ve been amazing, helped save three of my daughters and Adair.’
‘Many of the things which have happened here are amazing.’
‘Are you pleased you joined us?’
‘Very much so,’ Joseph raised an eyebrow. ‘Even when certain people make conundrums hard to work out.’
Alex smiled. ‘It seems time was having a joke at our expense.’
‘Time seems to have stopped here or gone backwards.’
‘How do you mean?’
‘I feel younger and a lot fitter than I have in a long time.’
Alex nodded. ‘You want to come for a run with us?’
‘No, I think that would be pushing it. Do you believe your runs will be for just fun now or do you expect to find something?’
The baby deer trotted over to them, and Alex stroked the back of its neck. ‘I’m not altogether sure, but I don’t believe it’s all over by a long shot.’ He decided not to mention his dreams of the comet. ‘I am hoping some of what we call myths come back.’
‘Anything in particular,’ said Joseph.
‘I don’t know really, but Mother and Daralis talked about elves and dwarves, and we already have others here.’
‘Yes, I would like to meet them.’
‘As would I, but the portal closed so long ago.’
‘And are all our problems over now?’
‘I don’t think so, something big is going to happen, but I’ve no idea what it is.’
Joseph raised an eyebrow. ‘That sounds ominous.’
Alex watched the fawn prance away being very careful not to step on where Livvy and Donna had worked. ‘Yeah, I know it does, but something else is bothering me.’
‘What’s that?’
‘The pixies being kept prisoner in the spirit world, is it actually possible they would return with their clothes?’
Joseph rubbed his chin. ‘I’ve been thinking about that. There are Celtic stories of other worlds, like the one the great ladies told us about, and if you acted as a portal for them, then yes they would pass with all their clothes.’
‘You mean other planets?’ said Alex.
‘No, they are here, but are hidden.’
‘Well, we do have the perfect people here to ask about that, and the old world Mother mentioned. Maybe Adair knows more.’
‘You have to remember something. If you find these other worlds, you may well find creatures a lot worse than you’ve been fighting.’
Alex leant back on the bench. ‘Yeah I know, and the troll must’ve come from somewhere.’
The others returned from their shopping trip with more rolls of material, and many bags. They took over one end of the party room, and set the material down. It wasn’t an unusual sight for women to do this, or men, but it was for these women. Alex noticed this when Claire gave him a stare saying, “do not say a word”.
James stood watching. ‘Are you not going to help?’
Alex shook his head. ‘I thought it best not to ask.’
‘I offered, but told “no thanks”.’
‘It’s probably for the best.’
Michelle approached with a tape measure and started taking James’s measurements.
James raised his arms. ‘Are we gonna have a fancy dress party and everyone has to dress up like Robin Hood?’
Alex shrugged. ‘Did they get Lincoln Green?’
‘Was he one of the merry men?’
‘Yes, James, just like Will Scarlet,’ said Alex, trying to keep a straight face.
‘A colourful gang then.’
They didn’t go out that night as most of the women wanted to get the clothes finished. James was not popular with his quotes of “How’s the dressmaking going?” and “You should start a crochet circle”, which didn’t go down well with most of them, but after they told him his outfit would contain a short skirt he left them alone. They carried on late into the night.
‘This is a strange place,’ said Adair. ‘Apart from those in the kitchen are there any workers?’
‘I work here,’ said Claire, as she sat down.
‘But you were fighting earlier,’ said Adair, in a surprised tone.
‘Don’t forget the sewing,’ James joked.
‘I was not sewing, I was cutting.’
Adair pulled at the sleeve of his robe. ‘I don’t understand the problem with women doing that.’
James shrugged. ‘There isn’t one really, but these women are different.’
‘In what way are they different?’
‘They’re stronger, not into girly things as you saw them fight today.’
Claire arched an eyebrow. ‘Is that a compliment off you?’
‘Just the truth as I see it.’
‘Some of them have made their own clothes in the past, not for necessity but because they wanted to. When someone has an idea we all help, even if we’re not keen on the idea, and you may not have noticed but some are into girly stuff.’
‘To be honest when you’re being chased around the house by a bunch of mad women, it’s hard to notice many things.’
‘You’re terrible, it only happened once.’
‘Did Livvy make her own clothes?’ said Alex.
Claire nodded. ‘Yes, she wanted to be a designer but loved plants more.’
‘Her clothes were all scary goth stuff,’ said James.
Alex rubbed his chin. ‘I like the way she looked.’
Claire nudged him with her elbow. ‘Yes, but you’re biased when it comes to Livvy.’
‘Is she your partner?’ said Adair.
‘No, my daughter,’ Alex smiled. ‘I adopted her.’
James grinned. ‘He seems to do that most days.’
‘Well,’ said the wizard, ‘from what I have seen of the women here, I would make them all family as soon as I could.’
‘You can stay,’ said Claire, and stuck her tongue out at James.
‘OK,’ James sighed. ‘I agree the women here are good at everything, now can we leave it at that.’
Claire looked at him in surprise. ‘Did you really just say that?’
James put his hands up. ‘Guilty as charged, but it was me who trained you.’
‘Well, we’re not good at everything, we just make a good team and that team keeps getting bigger.’
‘You’ve assembled quite a diverse group here,’ said Adair.
Alex nodded. ‘Are there any we don’t know about?’
‘You mean like the pixies and the pucas.’
Alex leant forward with his hands together. ‘Yeah, like dwarves and elves.’
‘There maybe a few still around, but most of them left.’
‘Did they just go back to their own world?’
‘Yes, the human population was growing very fast.’
‘Joseph told me about stories of Celtic other worlds, could there have been more?’
Adair scratched his chin. ‘I believe so, not that I’ve ever been to another one though . . . apart from their old world.’
‘Would the pixies have been kept prisoner there?’
‘Not the old world. I’d only heard of the new worlds but got trapped before I visited any. The old world was dying, so new ones, good and evil, were created.’
‘It sounds like heaven on earth, and hell on earth,’ said James.
‘Yes, indeed so,’ said Adair. ‘It’s right in front of you, but always hidden.’
‘They can stay that way, too,’ Claire added.
Fergal joined them. ‘You know what the problem be with this conversation?’
‘And what’s that?’ said Alex.
‘We should be ha
ving it at the bar.’
‘Yeah, you’re right. I promised you a drink last night, but I only had the one with you.’
They had several to the annoyance of some of the women still working. The dirtiest look came from Carrie, who left the party room and returned a few minutes later carrying a pair of black and a pair of green leggings.
‘Which ones?’ she said.
‘Neither,’ said Alex, with both eyebrows raised. ‘I don’t mind trying the clothes you’re making, but there’s nothing on earth that would make me wear them.’
Carrie gave him a confused look. ‘I meant for me . . . Paige has made you trousers.’
‘Oh,’ said Alex, feeling a little silly. ‘I’d go for the green pair.’
‘Do I get a drink or what?’ she asked.
‘I’ll get it,’ said James, as a teetotaller, for some reason he didn’t mind playing barman.
Carrie pursed her lips and turned to Alex. ‘Do you think I’ll look good in green?’
‘You look good in every other colour, I don’t think green will change that,’ said Alex, which got him a kiss on his cheek.
‘I believe living here will either be fun or just send me over the edge,’ said Adair. ‘Would anyone mind if I went to bed now? It’s been such a long time since I slept in a comfortable one.’
‘Of course not, Uncle,’ said Alex. ‘Sleep well.’
Luella was helping make robes, as she watched her brother leave the room. ‘I thought you were going to leave it for the children to call him uncle.’
‘I was, but then I realised he’s the only one I’ve got.’
Briana stood there smiling. ‘Is this what you call irony?’
‘How do you mean?’ said Alex.
‘You buy me these modern clothes, which I love, and you go all medieval on me.’
Alex nodded. ‘You do have a point, but it’ll be nice to see Claire in a frock.’
Claire shook her head. ‘You can frock right off, mate.’
Alex put his hand to his mouth, and they both burst out laughing.
~~~~
After lunch the following day, Paige took the children to the party room. They returned twenty minutes later in their new outfits. Although they were same in style, the colours alternated. Some of them had green or brown trousers, brown boots, with a long-sleeved green tunic, and a brown waistcoat. They all had Robin Hood style hats on. Alex thought they looked wonderful.
Other Worlds: Vesta Mansion Trilogy - Book Two - Fantasy Page 18
