by Tamsin Baker
“I can show you where I found those, if you like.”
Blessed be. He’d made the offer without her having to ask. “I’d appreciate that. I can’t look now, though. I should get back to work.”
“Why don’t you drop back later? What time do you finish?”
“I started early today, so finish at four. If I come straight here, there will still be enough daylight to see them. Is it far?”
“It’s a bit beyond the back fence. The path winds around the valley, but it won’t be too far down the hill.” He paused. “As long as we don’t go down by the creek. I’ve already been warned off once today.”
“Oh?”
“I met an aboriginal woman down in the gully this morning, and she told me it was a site for women only.”
“That would be Marnie. She’s right. As long as we don’t go down by the creek, we’ll be fine. Even I wouldn’t venture there without an invitation.”
She moved her bag to the other shoulder. “This time, I really must be going. I’ll see you after work.”
As she clambered back into the library van, Cassie was surprised to see Daniel amble out onto the front veranda. He raised a hand in farewell salute as she reversed out of the driveway and headed back to town.
Unusual man. He would find it quiet living in the cottage, but that evidently suited his needs. If she were honest with herself, she was pleased she had an excuse to come back. I’d like to get to know Daniel Burton a little better. No harm in that. He’s only in town for a short time, anyway.
She couldn’t tell him about her real interest in the orchids. Finding more was a stroke of luck. If she slipped home quickly before coming back this afternoon, she could bring a pot and a hand trowel. She might be able to carefully relocate a couple of plants to the greenhouse. She needed more if she wanted to extract enough tincture. Perhaps here was an opportunity to test what she already had.
☐
It was difficult to focus on his work after Cassie left. Daniel washed their cups and wandered back out to the rear deck, looking at the dense scrub beyond the boundary fence. He hadn’t expected it to hold such astonishing secrets. How many more were out there?
Returning inside, he did a quick internet search on the Musky Caladenia orchid. As Cassie said, it was a rare specimen. It was known to have unique medicinal properties that were not fully understood by conventional medicine. He looked at the flowers in his vase with newly appreciative eyes and kept reading.
Orchids are a symbol of fertility and love. The flowers are exotic and alluring.
The more he thought about it, that description didn’t just fit the flowers. The woman in the clearing two nights ago had been more alluring that any woman he’d seen before. He still didn’t understand what he had observed, but one thing he did know. The opportunity of getting to know the librarian better was one he looked forward to.
With that in mind, he slipped down the main street early in the afternoon and came back with a bottle of wine and the makings of a meal. Perhaps he could persuade her to stay a bit longer. Just the thought prompted physical stirrings. His stay in Harrow was about to get a lot more interesting.
Chapter 5
The afternoon dragged. Cassie had to check-in and re-shelve the book returns collected on the morning run. She also had a session to deliver to a group of high school students about searching library resources and on-line databases scheduled. The students were fidgety and whispered between themselves. Nobody was really focussed, herself included. Cassie paused meaningfully a couple of times, but then took pity on them all, herself included and wrapped up the session, releasing the students back to their teachers.
Usually, she took her time at the end of her shift—shutting down her computer, washing her coffee mug, and exchanging farewell chats, but not today. She watched her quitting time ticking closer and was ready to go on the stroke of four. It wasn’t just the prospect of finding the orchids that dominated her thoughts. Daniel Burton intrigued her. Until her morning’s visit, she had been mildly interested in him. He was a newcomer to town, and that was enough to spark curiosity in a small community. His looks were rugged rather than movie-star handsome, but he had the indefinable x-factor.
It could pique any woman’s interest. Just ask Amber. Not that she would. Amber gave every impression of wanting to devour him for breakfast. The physical appeal was obvious, but it was the underlying sensation that interested Cassie. She thought about the jolt she’d received when their fingers touched. It was some years since her mother died, but Cassie still remembered one of their last conversations.
“When you meet the man meant for you,” Bronwyn had said, “the vibration will shake you to your core. It will be a recognition that can’t be denied. This is as it was between your father and me, and that is how it will be for you.” She had grasped her daughter’s hand in hers to emphasise what she was saying. “The attraction is very strong for the women in our family, and has always been so.”
Cassie’s father had died in an accident when she was a child. Bronwyn was an attractive woman, and although the subject of continued masculine interest, she never looked at another man after the death of her husband. She’d had the best, she’d said, and saw no reason to accept one of the ‘rest’.
There were many things Bronwyn had taught her daughter before she died, amongst them the distillation of herbal tinctures and their uses. Cassie had continued the research her mother started, but the opportunity to put this particular tincture to the test had not arisen. She had no idea of the strength, but suspected its aphrodisiac properties would be considerable. There was only one way to find out. If she only used a drop and assessed the reaction, that wouldn’t be so bad, surely?
With one eye on the sky gauging the level of remaining daylight, Cassie drove home, resisting the urge to plant her foot. The winter solstice had passed, so the days were lengthening. There would be enough time.
Monty looked up from his vantage point in the front window where he basked in the late afternoon sun. He yawned and stretched, his ears twitching as he contemplated his next move.
“This is a fleeting visit, Monty. I’ll chat to you later.”
The cat evidently understood, for he settled his chin on his front paws and closed his eyes. The slight twitch to the tip of his tail indicated he was not totally comatose.
She quickly changed out of her work clothes, pulling on a pair of jeans and a casual shirt. Going through to her workbench in the rear sunroom, Cassie examined the labels on her tincture vials until she found the right one. Muscal. There wasn’t much liquid in the tiny bottle. She had used many flowers to distil the required product, and the orchids were not readily available.
She unscrewed the lid and sniffed. She could just discern the faint musky scent. It was delicate, but distinct. Cassie closed her eyes, allowing herself to experience the heady sensation that swept over her body. How much was physical and how much was psychological was difficult to tell. The tightness in her breasts and the heat which engulfed her body in waves both teased and tantalized. It felt as though the world was closing in on her.
She jerked her eyes open, gasping for a breath of fresh air. She had to clear her head, and quickly. All around her, colours assumed a strange luminance, brighter and more intense. A faint purple mist hovered at the far reaches of her vision.
“Wow—that’s some reaction!”
Hearing her voice, Monty stirred and turned his yellow eyes in her direction. He was a good-looking cat. She’d always known that but now as she looked at him, Cassie realized he was handsome in a way she’d never previously appreciated.
She pushed open the back door and took deep breaths of fresh air. She had to hold herself together. If this was what a whiff of scent could do, what would happen when ingesting the mixture? Time was slipping by. She needed to hurry. To help clear her head, she opened a vial of Clary Sage and sniffed deeply. The pungent green smell caused a momentary flash behind her eyes, but the physical sensations she�
�d experienced began to subside. Best she take the Clary Sage with her as well. It wasn’t quite an antidote, but at least it helped clear her head. She slipped both vials into her bag.
Quickly stroking Monty under his chin, she dumped some fishy cat biscuits in his food bowl and picked up her car keys. “Don’t wait up for me, Monty. I’m not sure when I’ll be home."
☐
Daniel had left the front door open and heard the car pull up in the driveway. When he looked outside to verify it was Cassie, he saw her take a planter pot and hand trowel out of the trunk. He noticed she didn’t lock the car. Perhaps security wasn’t much of an issue in a town where everyone knew everyone else.
“Back already,” he said as though he hadn’t been listening out for her. He’d finally settled down to work, but her anticipated return remained at the back of his mind.
“Can I offer you a drink? Water, perhaps?”
“Thank you, no. I’d like to make the most of the remaining daylight.”
“Sure.” Daniel shut the front door and gestured towards the double doors at the rear. “I thought you might say that. We can have a drink after. Follow me.” He led her through the rear garden and opened a timber gate in the back fence, providing access to the path and the tract of bushland at the rear.
His memory hadn’t betrayed him. They located the cluster of flowers a short distance down the slope of the hill. The grass was still flattened from his early-morning trampling, and that in itself was a give-away. Daniel pointed out the orchids and stood back, allowing Cassie to move forward and examine them closely.
“What a find!” she exclaimed. “Why did you take note of them? Not many people would recognise them for what they are.”
Simple, really. I found one of the flowers lying on a stone in a clearing in a remote section of the bush. Then I spied on you while you were reading up about them in the library. He shrugged. “I thought they might be orchids but had no idea what type. Botany is not my strong point.”
She circled the outcrop, looking for any other specimens. “I know I shouldn’t disturb them, but I want to propagate a couple of plants in my greenhouse.” She knelt down on the ground. “I’ll carefully dig two up and leave the rest alone. If I dig around the plant, I shouldn’t disturb the bulb and the root structure.”
“Can I help?” Daniel asked.
As she leaned over the plants, the neckline of her top gaped slightly, giving him a glance of those delicious breasts. He caught his breath. Down, boy. He quickly looked around at the surrounding trees, anything really, before looking back at what she was doing.
“No, it’s better I do this,” Cassie spoke quietly, as though even a loud voice could be disturbing. “They’re sensitive plants. I’ve found they respond best when only one person handles them.”
“I can understand that. Plants never thrive under my ministrations. It’ll be getting dark soon, so if you want to see what you’re doing, I suggest you lever them out now.”
Working swiftly, she dug a margin around the plants and eased them from the earth, putting them into the flower pot with some sphagnum moss and patting them down.
“I won’t offer to carry them, but I can at least take the trowel for you,” Daniel said. “You lead the way.”
☐
By the time they made their way through the back gate, daylight was fading and night crickets were screeching their song in the grass. Their progress was marked by the chorus of night birds, and at one point, a large bird swooped over-head, its wings making a muted whooshing sound.
The lights from the cottage beckoned as they came through the back garden. Daniel turned to Cassie. “If you want to water your plants under the garden tap, you can leave the pot on the deck to drain while we have a drink inside.”
“I didn’t mean to put you to any trouble. I should get out of your hair.”
“No trouble. I’ve done enough work for one day, and I’m sure you have too. I’d normally relax with a wine about this time.”
Cassie briefly held the pot under the running water as he had suggested, and placed it on the deck. The plants held firm and didn’t look traumatised from being disturbed. So far, so good. She wiped her feet on the door mat and followed Daniel inside.
With night falling, the cottage took on a cosier perspective. Daniel indicated they should sit in the lounge area in the comfy chairs. “If we need it, I’ll light the fire later. The temperature’s still mild, but might get chilly as the evening progresses.”
How late do you think I’ll be staying? Cassie pursed her lips, but refrained from comment.
Daniel placed a tray of nibbles on the small coffee table. She regarded the cheese, crackers, olives and stuffed vine leaves with some amusement. He was an attentive host. It wasn’t what she had expected. It heightened her feeling of anticipation.
“Would you like red or white wine? I have both.”
Cassie was happy with either but the dark colour of the red wine might make that a better choice. “The red. I drink more red in winter.”
As he moved between the open plan kitchen and the lounge, busying himself with the glasses and opening the bottle, she took advantage of his distraction to study him. He didn’t fit her perception of what a writer should look like. He wasn’t pale, didn’t have a limpid personality, and as far as she knew, didn’t smoke Gauloises. He came across as a practical, solid, and red-blooded man. He was neither introverted, nor totally absorbed in himself. In short, he seemed perfectly normal. There was something appealing about him, though. Had the Goddess worked so quickly? But, how could she? Daniel was an outsider. He was only in Harrow for a limited time.
That, in itself, was an advantage. She could test the tincture without being concerned about repercussions. After she’d assessed his reaction, she could leave, and when his project was finished, he would leave Harrow. There wouldn’t be any complications. She could do this. If she kept repeating that to herself, she could ignore the twinge of misgivings. She didn’t want to think about the ethics of what she was planning.
What would it feel like to have a man desiring her? Truly desiring, not just assuming that as one of the single women in Harrow, she was available. She wanted more than that. Otherwise, she might as well accept Raff’s overtures, and lead a nice, pre-ordained, totally uninspiring life.
What she hadn’t thought about was how she was going to deliver the potion. She would only use one drop. If there was no response, she could increase the dose next time. Next time? Focus on the here and now. Daniel came back with the glasses of wine and handed one to her.
Cassie sipped her wine and settled back more comfortably in her chair. “So have you worked on any films I might recognise?”
“Runtime was the last movie.”
Impressive. “Really! But it’s not even Australian.”
“Ever heard of the internet? I did attend a couple of meetings in the States, but otherwise we collaborated online. The only downside was the time difference.”
“I’ll have to make a point of seeing it now.”
“If you’re really interested, I have a copy on DVD. You can borrow it.” Daniel levered himself out of his chair. “Shan’t be a moment. It’s in a box in the bedroom.”
Cassie reached into her bag until her fingers closed around the Muscal vial, keeping an eye on Daniel’s back in case he looked back. He didn’t. Unscrewing the lid, she tilted the vial over his wine. A drop hung quivering at the edge before slipping into the ruby liquid. The vial was back in her bag before he returned.
“Here you are. Return it when you’ve watched it.” He picked up his wine glass. Cassie held her breath as he took a sip, trying not to look as though she was watching. “Eugh! This tastes foul. The wine must be corked. Don’t drink it.”
“Mine’s fine. Perhaps it is only the first sip. It might taste better after a while.” Surely the tincture didn’t taste that strong? The musky flavour should blend with the wine. While Daniel tipped his wine out in the kitchen, she quickly look
ed at the vial again. Clary Sage. She had dropped Clary Sage into his wine. Damn. I blew that. Perhaps the Goddess was telling me this wasn’t an ethical move. No wonder it tasted so bad. She stuffed it back in her bag as he returned.
“Give me your glass. I’ll tip that out also. Lucky I’ve got another bottle.”
“Really, there’s no need. My wine tastes good. Did you clean your teeth recently? That might have influenced the flavour. Drink some water and then try again.”
Looking perplexed, Daniel briefly rubbed his forehead as though to erase the frown before doing as she suggested. “You’re right. It tastes different now.” He took another sip. “Perhaps I hadn’t washed the glass properly.”
Cassie acquiesced with a shrug and smiled disarmingly. At least she hoped it was. He swivelled to look at her.
“Tell me more about yourself. How do you come to be living in Harrow?”
“It wasn’t a matter of choice. This is where my parents lived, and their parents before them. It’s a small, but close, community.”
“You must have made a conscious choice to stay here, though.”
“True.” There was a moment’s silence as she thought back to that time in her life. “I lived in the city while studying and gaining my degree. I could have stayed there, but my mother became ill and I had to come back here to look after her. That time re-affirmed my connection to the town.”
He had that strange look on his face again—quizzical, but unfathomable. What was going through his mind?
“So how do you spend your time here, when you’re not working, I mean?”
Cassie dropped her eyes. He was an outsider and she didn’t know him well. She couldn’t tell him about her connections to the Earth Mother or her gifts bestowed by the Goddess. What would he think if she told him the local community all embraced rituals and beliefs ensuring their collective well-being? Would he think he’d fallen into a witch’s den? Well he had—sort of.
“It’s a less-pressured lifestyle in Harrow, much easier to connect with the environment. That’s always good for the soul, don’t you think?”
