Little Eden

by KT King

  “Are you sure it was Marcus?” Johnathon asked Minnie. “I mean, if he’s in prison, perhaps you were mistaken?”

  “Well, he’s escaped or maybe he was let out early for some reason!” Minnie replied, her temper starting to rise at Johnathon’s suggestion she didn’t know Marcus Finch when she saw him. “It was definitely him! I’d recognise him a mile off. I saw his ugly mug enough at the trial. Believe me, I’ve tried to forget him: we both have. But, once you have been up close to that bastard, you can never forget him, worst luck!”

  Jack put his arm around Linnet, who just could not stop crying and was running out of tissues. “We will find him before he can come back,” Jack promised her. “Now, you need to get somewhere warm and safe until we figure out if this Marcus chap is out of prison or not.”

  “Come upstairs!” Sophie suggested. “You’ll be safe here. Lucy and Tambo will be back soon.”

  “I must get Alice!” Linnet said suddenly. “She’s at Elijah’s.” A look of absolute horror flashed across her face. “What if he has already found Alice?”

  “No, I’m sure he couldn’t have!” Sophie said reassuringly, but not quite certain of herself. “Does he even know what she would look like at this age anyway?”

  Linnet sighed with relief. “No, I suppose not; she was only a few months old the last time he saw her.”

  “Although, he might have found her through the inter…” Adela began, but then trailed off and said, instead, “No, I’m sure Alice is safe and sound!”

  “I’ll go and get the kids from the Sprotts’,” Jack offered.

  Johnathon went off to make his security report and to search for Marcus.

  “This is a fine welcome for you, Adela!” Minnie said, as they went upstairs. “These kinds of things hardly ever happen here in Little Eden. You’ve only been here a couple of days and this is what you witness! I promise, it’s generally safer around here than anywhere else in London. It’s just psycho ex-husbands that are the problem. Ouch!” Minnie held her side. “I think I hurt a rib or two.”

  Alice, Tambo and Joshua were brought back to the Café in one piece and went to play in Tambo’s room.

  Minnie took some arnica to help reduce the bruising, and with the help of some flower remedy and Sumona’s blend of valerian and passionflower tea, she finally calmed down.

  Linnet however, wouldn’t accept any help and did not calm down. In fact, she got progressively more anxious and fearful. “We can’t stay here!” Linnet kept saying with wildness in her eyes. “Where can we go? Where can we go?” She kept repeating the words over and over, wringing a tea towel in her hands.

  “Come and stay at mine,” Minnie offered.

  Linnet shook her head. “It’s too close! We have to get away! As far as we can!”

  “Wait a few hours,” Minnie said, trying to calm her down. “If they find Marcus, surely they’ll put him away again. He can’t have gone far.”

  “He could be anywhere!” Linnet exclaimed. She started looking around the room as if she expected to see him jump out of the refrigerator.

  Sophie felt a shiver down her spine. She had to agree that Marcus could be absolutely anywhere. Although, not in the refrigerator, or at least she hoped not!

  “If he hasn’t escaped, he might be on parole,” Adela suggested. “But then, why would he risk violating his parole?”

  “Because he’s a f*ckwit!” Minnie replied sharply. “He is stupid and thick and…” Minnie trailed off because it had set Linnet off crying again.

  “Until Johnathon reports back, I suggest we all just stay here,” Sophie said. “Jack will go for a takeout and we can all be safe up here together.”

  Johnathon reported back later that evening. “Bad news, I’m afraid,” he told them. “Marcus was released three months ago. The police say he would have the right to file charges against Minnie for assault, if we found him. So, we should keep quiet in case Minnie could be arrested.”

  “I was preventing crime!” Minnie said indignantly.

  “There were no other witnesses, so it’s your word against his, and you jumped on him!” Jonathon told her.

  “So, a crazy bastard can just walk up to his ex-wife and do whatever he likes?” Minnie exclaimed in despair and anger. “A man who has already tried to kill her years before, and been jailed for it, can just turn up wherever and whenever he likes, and she can’t even defend herself? You’re saying we can’t defend ourselves against him?”

  Johnathon nodded. “That is the law at the moment. Potential victims have little protection I’m afraid, until they are injured or dead. It’s crazy, but that’s the way it is; and even here in Little Eden we cannot lock him up for looking through a shop window.”

  “I saw it!” Adela protested. “I am a witness!” She paused and thought for a moment and then added, “Although I have to say, truthfully, that he was just standing there and Minnie did just jump on him, and if she hadn’t slipped on the ice she would have had him in a head lock on the floor. And, I don’t know if it was Marcus or not, having never seen him before in my life. Sorry, I guess I wouldn’t hold up much as a witness, would I?”

  “So, he has to virtually kill someone, or even actually kill someone, before anything can be done?” Minnie said in despair.

  “Pretty much!” Johnathon nodded with equal dismay. “But, in Little Eden, we do have some old protection laws that you don’t get elsewhere. I’ll check with Lancelot, see if we can try and enforce one or more of them. I think the best idea is that we post Cubby Mayhew outside your shop, as a deterrent, during the day. And it would be safer if you can be either here or at Minnie’s in the evenings until we figure out what is going on. Maybe we can find Marcus and warn him off.”

  “If I see him, I’ll warn him off alright!” Jack said. “If the evil bastard comes within a hundred yards of the place, I’ll…”

  …“You’ll call me or the police!” Johnathon interjected. “No vigilantes please - or one of you may end up behind bars! I will tell Shooter Graham to be on the alert with the CCTV tonight and get Cubby to patrol the streets. Do you have a photo of Marcus we could have?”

  Linnet shook her head. “I took nothing but the clothes I was standing up in when I left. I never went back.”

  “There may be a photofit of him or a photo of him from the papers at the time?” Minnie suggested.

  “I’ll check into it,” Johnathon said kindly. “Now, just try and relax and get some rest. We will keep you safe.”

  “Adela, you and Joshua can stay here tonight too, if you’d like,” Sophie told her. “Jack will stay with us, won’t you Jack?

  Jack nodded. He quite liked the idea of playing bodyguard to Adela Huggins! But his daydream was thwarted when Johnathon suddenly said, “I’ll take you home Adela. Make sure you are safe.”

  “Yeah, I’ll be safe at home,” Adela said. “After all, this Marcus doesn’t know me or Joshua. Thank you Johnathon, please take us home.” She put her long sleek arm through Johnathon’s muscular one and smiled at him.

  Jack grimaced in annoyance.

  Sophie saw his look and giggled. “You’re going to have plenty of competition for Adela, Jacky boy! Better get used to it,” she whispered.

  “Very funny!” Jack replied and trundled off to see that all the doors and windows were locked.

  By nine o’clock Tambo and Alice were ready for bed. “What happened today?” Tambo asked his aunt Sophie. “Why are Linnet and Minnie having a sleepover as well as Alice?”

  “Nothing to worry about!” Sophie said. “It’s a girly sleepover, that’s all! Now, you get a good night’s sleep.”

  Tambo could feel something was not right and asked, “Can we do the bubble? I feel as if I need the bubble tonight.”

  Sophie smiled. “Of course we can!”

  Tambo lay down on the top bunk and Sophie sat with Alice on the bottom b
ed. She waited ‘til they were both snuggled down, then she gave them both a rose quartz crystal to pop under their pillows, and then she said in a calm and quiet voice, “Close your eyes and visualise all that I say. By the end, you will fall into a deep and refreshing sleep, safe and sound, and have happy and joy-filled dreams.”

  Sophie began to say a guided meditation, in slow, hushed and peaceful tones, which, dear readers, goes something like this:

  ‘Lying comfortably, feel the pillow beneath your head, let yourself sink down into it…feel the soft blanket over you and snuggle down into your bed…start to focus on your breath now… feeling your chest gently rising and falling……your breath is rising and falling……rising and falling…….feel your breath slowing a little now….rising and …falling…and, as you let your breath reeelax…….your breathing finds its own rhythm and you can let it go……your breath is becoming softer and quieter now, slower and gentler……softly focus upon your feet and feel them getting heavier and heavier……now, your legs…they too are starting to feel heavier and heavier……and now your whole body sinks heavily into the bed…your whole body feels so reeelaxed, so peeeaceful, so still……your shoulders are now relaxing, feel yourself letting go and relax into the bed……now, relax your neck……and finally, feel how your head is heavier than before and feel how it sinks deeper into your soft, comfy pillow……now, imagine that you are sitting inside a giant pink water-lily…it is so huge, it can easily take your weight and you are floating gently, safely and sleepily upon the calm and tranquil waters of the ocean of compassion……you are surrounded by a big pink bubble…inside the bubble is pure love…inside the bubble of love you are safe……now, you begin to drift into sleep and you will awaken refreshed, happy and relaxed in the morning…for now, you are going deeper into sleep…and deeper and deeper into sleep…and deeper and deeper into sleep……you are falling into deep peaceful and joyful sleep.’

  Sophie then began to say a beautiful prayer that always helped her and the children to sleep:

  Upon the thousand-petalled lotus, here I sit, with you, Great Goddess of Love,

  Sailing upon the great Ocean of Compassion.

  Safe within the mystic mountain and beneath the sacred tree,

  Surrounded by the dolphin’s light and the wisdom of the whales.

  Here with you I am blessed, I am at peace, I am safe.*

  Sophie let her voice trail away. The children were in the Land of Nod and she felt much more relaxed too; though a little tired from talking. If only adults would embrace relaxation and divine energy as easily as kids do, she thought, the world would be a better place.

  Sophie returned to the living room to find Lucy, Minnie and Jack in the conservatory, discussing the day’s events.

  Linnet had already gone to bed, having passed out from drinking two bottles of Chardonnay to herself.

  Suddenly, there was a sharp knock on the conservatory door. Everyone jumped! They looked at each other in fear, as if it might be Marcus himself, but Jack just laughed and went to open the door. “He won’t knock on the door!” he told them. “It’s Robert.”

  Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as Robert came in and asked how everyone was. He had heard the news from Johnathon, and had come round to check that Linnet and Minnie were okay.

  “Don’t you worry!” Robert told Minnie, as he took off his coat and boots. “We will keep you all safe in Little Eden. It is the safest place you could be. I have invoked the old sanctuary laws, Linnet will just have to fill in some paperwork and Marcus will be arrested if he even comes within ten feet of the gates, and I have ordered extra security.”

  “Thank you, Robert,” Minnie said. “I appreciate your help and concern.”

  “Let’s change the subject before I go to bed or I won’t sleep!” Lucy suggested. “Anyone got any good news today?”

  “I don’t know if it’s good news, but I found out something today,” Sophie said. “Guess who I met in Peony Bow’s new shop? Vincent Piccolo!”

  “Not ‘Vincent ‘Rollo’ from the chippy?” Lucy asked.

  “The very one!” Sophie smiled. “Although, he is quite transformed. As he said himself, quite the ugly duckling into a swan. A bearded, camp and rather arrogant swan mind you!”

  “Well I never!” Lucy giggled.

  “Funny how so many residents find their way home after their travels. It’s like some kind of nesting ground around here. They all come back to roost!” Minnie smiled.

  “What does that signify now?” Lucy said. “There will be nowhere for anyone to come back to soon.” She didn’t say anymore, as she remembered that Minnie was still in the dark about the sale of Little Eden.

  “You don’t think Marcus’s reappearance has anything to do with Melanie and the dragon portal do you, old girl?” Robert asked Sophie all of a sudden.

  Sophie frowned. “I hadn’t thought of that, but now you mention it - yes, I do! I get a creepy feeling that Marcus is linked to Melanie in some way.” Sophie suddenly looked horrified and looked at Lucy. “Your dream!” she said. “Alice!”

  Lucy thought for a moment. “Alice was dead in my dream. Yes!” Lucy cried out. “Marcus! He might try to harm Alice!”

  “Dreams don’t mean anything,” Jack reassured her. “Besides, we don’t even know for sure if this chap Minnie saw was Marcus. It was dark and it could have been a doppelganger for all we know.”

  “I think we should ask Jimmy to help,” Lucy suggested. “If we hold a séance maybe we can talk to Aunt Lilly or Alienor again, and they could tell us what to do!”

  “You know I don’t like séances!” Sophie replied.

  “It’s late, we should all try to get some sleep,” Jack suggested. “It’ll all look better in the morning, it always does.”

  “We have the Twelfth Night party tomorrow night; that will take the sting out of everything!” Minnie suggested.

  Lucy agreed, but she couldn’t help thinking that bad things often come in threes!

  Chapter 17

  ~ * ~

  The next morning the snow had finally started to melt. During the night, the snowflakes had gradually turned into sleet and then into rain. Grey and brown slush replaced the pure white snow and dark, black water ran through the streets. A cold, wet wind swept around the ginnels and the houses, ominously whirling and calling as it went.

  At The Daisy Chain Linnet looked as if she had hardly slept - her eyes were red and sore from crying. She was on edge, still afraid that Marcus might show up at any moment. Cubby Mayhew, one of Little Eden’s security guards, was posted at the door, and he stood there all day in the rain, covered from head to toe in his dark green wax cape. He had a good view of all the alleyways in and out of Daisy Place, and he gladly made the most of the free pastries and coffee on offer throughout the day. The day went by without incident, and fortunately, with no sign of Marcus Finch.

  Around dinner time, Peony Bow came over to the Café to ask if any help was needed with the preparations for the Twelfth Night Party. Lucy assured her that it was all being taken care of by the monks at the chateau. Adela Huggins was already at the flat getting ready with Minnie, India and Lucy. There were hair tongs, nail varnishes and make-up scattered around; the scent of perfume and wine filled the room. They invited Peony to join them.

  Peony smiled. “I’m coming as the Marquise de Merteuil from Dangerous Liaisons,” she told them. “I like a little romantic mischief!”

  “Ooo, snap!” Sophie exclaimed, with a grin. “Jack is going as the Vicomte de Valmont. Perhaps there is love-karma between you two after all!”

  “I may have found my Ace of Cups already!” Peony smiled.

  “Your what?” India asked.

  “The Ace of Cups is a Tarot card,” Sophie explained.

  “It means she has found the love of her life,” Lucy giggled.

  Sophie shrugged. “That does
n’t mean it will end well!”

  Lucy tushed her sister and wanted to hear more about Peony’s romantic encounter.

  “I always visualise good things happening to me and they do!” Peony explained. “I asked the universe to send me a man and the very next day, there he was! He saw me struggling with a box and he offered to help. He was so handsome!”

  “Who is he?” Lucy asked. “I bet it was Devlin or Johnathon Grail? Or Lancelot?”

  “No,” Peony said. “He was called Marcus and he is moving here to Little Eden. He said he is looking for an apartment to rent.”

  “Wait!” Sophie said with urgency, as she flashed a look at Minnie. “Did he say what his last name was?”

  “No,” Peony replied, “But he sent me the most magnificent bouquet of flowers today. And, he txts me nearly every hour, just to say he is thinking about me! That’s why I know he is my Ace of Cups!”

  “Hold on! Hold on!” Minnie exclaimed, with fear in her voice. “Describe him to me?”

  “Well,” Peony began, “He is six foot at least, and has the most gorgeous brown eyes and dark brown hair. He was suited and booted to a tee. Vincent would love him as a customer. Although, no beard. Do you think you might know who it is?”

  “You must never see him again!” Minnie declared.

  “What on earth do you mean?” Peony responded. “Who do you think it is?”

  “Did he ask about Linnet or The Daisy Chain, at all?” Sophie asked.

  “No,” Peony said, shaking her head.

  “Promise me you won’t see him or txt him again, until we find out who he is.” Sophie looked sternly at Peony and repeated, “Promise me!”

  “We have to go and check on Linnet!” Minnie urged Sophie, and they disappeared over the roof terrace to find her.

  “Is she always like this?” Peony asked, looking at Lucy.

  “I would do as Sophie asks, if I were you,” Lucy said with concern. “This Marcus may turn out to be a dangerous man.”

  Peony laughed and shook her head. “You must have the wrong Marcus. We had such an instant and deep connection. I believe he’s my twin flame!”