Blooms Bones and Stones Box Set

by Olivia Swift

  I know Carlo so well, and I know I am safe with him, she thought. The memory of her ex-husband was still vivid in her head, and she shuddered as she remembered the bad times. I am in a new life and I can sort things out. She repeated her mantra out loud as she went down the stairs and heard him knock at the door. It was always locked and she went to open it. Security was high on her list of priorities, but she really loved her little house that she had rented after Deills went to jail. He was securely locked away, but it still worried her that he might escape and come back to hurt her. When she saw Carlo’s friendly face and familiar smile in the doorway, it chased the fear away, and the evening became something to which she could look forward.

  “You okay, Corbs?” he asked as he caught the last glimpse of worry on her face.

  “I am now, thanks.” She smiled at him. She grabbed her bag and a bottle of wine that she was taking as a gift and locked the door behind her. Chestnut Hall worked its wonderful magic as they went inside the enormous kitchen where Kim’s sister Jazz, and her husband, Evan, spent most of their time. The kitchen ran into a lounge area, which was filled with comfy seats and great views of the gardens. They had met when Jazz restored the gardens for Evan, and now his brother Dex, and Carly, along with a cheerful and sometimes over-enthusiastic rescue dog, had overtaken half of the huge house. Jazz was pregnant with her second child now and looked happy and contented with the situation. The dog made a direct line for Corby as he had done the last time she was there, and pressed against her legs.

  “Pregnancy really suits Jazz,” Corby thought as she was hugged by everyone there. The little girl, Molly Kim, was asleep in another room, but a baby alarm was on the table. Miller Hollenbeck and her partner, Jules Callander, were part of the group and came to say hello. They had also met through Chestnut Hall and were now starting a business and life together. Jules was a well-known photographer, and Miller upcycled furniture. She loved old things and was desperate to see the pendant. Evan produced food for everyone to help themselves, and Dex broke out the beers. Kim and Rob rolled in a few minutes later, and Rob headed for the food.

  “Let’s hear the whole thing,” Jazz requested as she settled with a mineral water. Carlo and Corby looked at each other.

  “We went to see Joe Garcia,” Carlo started.

  “Turns out that Carlo plays golf with him,” Corby interrupted with a grin. “This is the man who hated the sport with a passion but now plays every week.” Carlo held up his hands in submission.

  “He is a good guy,” he went on. “Corby was surprised to see his office.” He looked at her, and she explained about the mess of the place but added that he gave her his card in case she ever needed it. They talked about the house, cash, and pendant and then said that they had decided to see the house right away.

  “So, what was it like?” Dex asked with his building surveyor’s hat on. Carlo passed his phone around, and they all looked at the pictures.

  “That is wonderful,” Miller said as she passed it back. “What was it like inside?” Corby laughed and said that when she opened the door there was a man inside. Everyone gasped.

  “It was quite a shock,” Carlo added, “but he turned out to be a sort of caretaker.”

  “That I did not like very much,” Corby finished. They told everyone about the house and the strange holes in the cellar and then about yet another neighbor appearing at the gate.

  “She ran her fingers up Carlo’s arm and gave him ‘come-to-bed eyes,’” Corby said with a grin. The whole bunch burst out laughing, and Carlo looked embarrassed.

  4

  The turquoise pendant was admired by all of them and when she had it back, Corby looked around and took a breath.

  “It—and this sounds crazy—when something happens like the man in the house, it becomes . . . She hesitated in case they thought she was crazy. “It becomes warm,” she finished in a rush. There was a split second of silence, and Corby stammered that it was just her imagination. Carly shook her head as everyone talked at once and held out a hand for the necklace. She smiled at Corby.

  “You are not crazy. My shop had a lovely spirit, and no one would believe what we found out about her.” She laid the turquoise-and-silver jewel on the coffee table and took out a dowsing crystal on a chain. The room went silent and Carly smiled.

  “You can talk. It will still work.” She held the stone still above the pendant and did not move a muscle. There was no need because the dowsing crystal swung so hard in a clockwise motion that it almost left her hand. It was like the chairs on one of those fairground rides, as it made huge circles above the necklace. “Wow,” Carly said as she stopped the crystal from turning. “I don’t know what that means, but it is very powerful. So something is trying to tell you something, Corby.”

  “Maybe,” Jules contributed, “you should go and visit the place where your uncle lived. People there must know what he talked about and what he wanted for the house.”

  “You might get an idea of what he was really like as well,” Jazz added. Corby nodded.

  “That is a good idea,” she answered, “but would you all like to see the place and tell me what you think?” They were enthusiastic in their joint reply, and everyone chattered at once about how to find a time when they were all free.

  “Monday is my easiest day,” Kim said. Jules and Carly agreed, and they planned the visit at coffee time on the next Monday. Carlo said he was going to change the locks the next day anyway, and Corby gave everyone the address.

  “Like a big picnic day out,” Jazz said with a smile. “I love these get-together things.”

  “I am so glad you are all interested. Heaven knows what I would do if I were on my own.” Kim gave her a hug.

  “Stop worrying. It will be great to have a project to work on, and the house will be a treasure when it’s done,” Miller told her as the party made for the door and goodbyes were said. Carlo was driving back to Corby’s house when he asked if she would like to be there when he changed the locks.

  “We could go after work, if you like,” he suggested. Corby felt her insides give a little inexplicable skip, and after a slight hesitation she said that she would love to.

  “I’ll take some bits and pieces to make the living room look more homey,” she added. “I have spare quilts as throws and lots of little china knickknacks from my auction visits.”

  “That sounds like a plan,” he answered. “What about this trip to where your uncle was living? Do you want to do that?” Corby thought about that.

  “I feel that it would be good to find out more about what sort of man he was. I wish we had've kept in touch all of these years. I wonder if he would have liked to have had a bit of company over those years?” Carlo nodded his agreement.

  “I would like to find out about some of his background as well, if you can stand the company,” he told her with a quick glance across the car. He was rewarded with one of Corby’s rare smiles and he smiled back.

  “It would be good to have company, thanks,” she told him and snuggled down in the seat. She could look forward to making things work if he was alongside. She had made great strides in being strong and positive, but it was still good to have help. When they reached her house, she hesitated before starting to open the car door, and he put a hand over hers.

  “Would you like me to check the house to see if it’s okay before you went in?” Corby was so relieved that he understood why she was sitting there and not jumping out of the car, that she felt tears well up behind her eyes. To stop the feeling, she flung the car door open and fumbled for her keys. Carlo smiled to himself for reading her mind and followed her up the steps. She turned the key, and everything appeared to be normal inside.

  “Stay for a coffee,” she suggested, and he sank into the sofa as she went to make the drink.

  The place reflects her personality, he mused. No sign of the horrendous husband. He sent up a prayer to whoever would listen that things would stay that way. Deills Malvez was a nasty piece of work. He
pointed with the coffee mug to the dresser with its myriad pieces of china.

  “What is the story behind the china collection?” he asked, and she sank comfortably beside him to talk about her enjoyment of poking around in auction rooms and finding little treasures that cost next to nothing.

  “An exquisite cup and saucer, a little candy dish, a gorgeous plate. They were all part of collections once upon a time and now just a last piece that someone has thrown away.”

  “You rescue them,” he answered, and she agreed and went to pick up a trinket dish covered in tiny rosebuds.

  “This was only two dollars in a second-hand shop.”

  “Now that is a bargain!” He laughed, and she put it on the side table.

  “I have quite a lot not on display, so I can take a boxful to the new house.” She paused and then told him that the money her uncle left would pay for renovations. “If I decide to do that,” she finished. He said that he and Mario could do the kitchen and bathroom for a wholesale price if she went ahead.

  “Will Mario not mind?” He shook his head.

  “We’ll still make a bit of a profit. I know he likes me to see to accounts, but I can manage basic jobs as well. I might need a proper plumber, but the cupboards and whatnot are fairly straightforward.” The time sped away as they reminisced about old times and family, and suddenly it was late.

  “Oh my,” he apologized. “I stopped for a coffee and talked your head off.” She laughed and told him that it was great to just talk and have company.

  “I finish at three tomorrow, and by the time I'd get here it will be be about half past.”

  “Pick you up at four then, and we’ll get those locks done. You can have another look around and think about what to do with the place.” He turned at the door and brushed his lips across her cheek.,

  “Thanks for the coffee.” He strode away to the car and powered off down the road. She ran her hand over her cheek as she watched him go and then made sure all of the locks were in place. Before she went to bed, she found the box with spare knickknacks and put them and several quilts, throws, and cushions in the hall to take with her the next day.

  “Having something to plan and organize is a good thing,” she said out loud and added a kettle, mugs, coffee, and dried milk. “Thanks, Great-Uncle Bill.” It also crossed her mind that the farmhouse was almost a hideaway if she ever needed it. Then she told herself not to be so silly and turned the television on beside the bed.

  Work was always a pleasure for Corby. It had been a stroke of luck that sent her into the shop in November. Word had spread, as it always does, about her newly inherited house, and Cherie and the others were curious to know what it was like. The story about opening the door and finding a man inside was retold several times, and she actually enjoyed the jokes and best wishes for whatever she might do with the place. She promised to take photos later in the day. She left at three, grabbed a quick sandwich on her way, and ate as she drove. It was exciting to have something to plan, and yes, she admitted, it was good to be spending time with a good-looking man as well. She sang a song along with the radio and then ran inside to change to be ready for the trip to the house. She was pushing the soft furnishings into plastic bags when she saw him drive up. The door was open, and she straightened up as he came closer.

  “Just hold this box, will you please? It has a life of its own.” He did as she asked and noticed the change in her face.

  “You are looking forward to this now, aren’t you?” he queried, and she admitted that he was right.

  “I started to see it as something to plan and take the old building into this century. Thanks for helping.”

  “My pleasure. It really is. I love a project as well.” He picked up the biggest box and started for the car. Corby carried the soft furnishings, and then she grabbed her bag, locked up, and they set off. It felt like the beginning of an adventure.

  “What about a bite to eat when we finish?” he asked as he drove. “I haven’t eaten.”

  She nodded. “I just grabbed a sandwich on the way home.”

  “Keep a lookout when we get nearer. There must be a decent place to eat not too far from the house,” he added and was pleased to see the light in her eyes and her smile.

  The house was quiet, and still, and no neighbors appeared to be around, but he was still cautious when he opened the door, and they both laughed with a silly relief that there was nobody inside. With the lights switched on, the place was cheerful and almost familiar. They carried in the boxes, bags, and the tools to change the locks. Carlo started to unscrew the old fittings, and Corby wandered through the place deciding what would go and what would stay. The living room needed a bit of a makeover, and she thought that a lick of paint would cheer it up. She spread quilts, throws, and cushions on the chairs and there was a sideboard that looked much better with some china ornaments. She stood back and admired her handiwork.

  “Think I’ll get rid of the bedroom furniture,” she said as she wandered back to where he was working. “I would like to put new floors in as well.”

  “Good idea,” he said. “We can hijack one of Mario’s vans and take the old stuff away to the recycling center. See if this lock works for you,” he added. She stepped out, turned the key, and when it was locked, she reopened and did the same inside. He made the same change on the rear door and came to look at her updates in the living room.

  “That is a great improvement,” he remarked and then said he would leave some tools in case they were needed again. Switching on the lights and running down the cellar stairs, he stopped short at the bottom and looked around.

  5

  “Corby,” he called after looking around, and she came down to join him. He gestured at the floor and she drew in a breath.

  “Somebody has been in here digging again.”

  “Changing the locks was the right thing to do,” he said and walked across to the new pile of concrete chunks. She stepped beside him and felt the pendant around her neck grow warm against her skin.

  “Carlo,” she whispered. “Feel the pendant.” He took it in his hand and immediately felt the heat.

  “I can feel it,” he said.

  “That just happened as I walked across the floor to this point where the digging happened.”

  “Walk around the rest and see if it happens anywhere else,” he suggested. She paced around the cellar to each disturbed piece of floor, but nothing happened. She shook her head and came back via the curving wall between the pillars holding up the roof. Halfway along the wall she stopped and felt the stone around her neck.

  “Here—it happens here,” she told him. He crossed over to feel the heat in the turquoise. She lifted the chain over her head and asked Carlo to try.

  “See if it happens for you,” she asked, and he held the pendant in his hand and retraced her steps. Nothing. She took it back and did the same, and at the same spot it heated. He covered it with his hand and felt the change in temperature.

  “No doubt that it works for you. Maybe that is why your uncle said that it had to be you who inherited it.”

  “It’s a bit creepy, though,” she answered. “I don’t really want special powers.”

  “Come on superwoman.” He laughed. “Let’s go and eat.” The new locks were in place, and the diner was not far. The warmth and normality of the place were just what she needed. Steak and potatoes did the trick, and they chatted away about what had happened.

  “We’ll have to tell the others. Someone might come up with an explanation,” Corby decided. He agreed but thought the visit to find out what people could tell her about her uncle was important after the new disturbance in the cellar.

  “Somebody broke in to do that,” he added. “Why?”

  “I brought the papers about my great-uncle's will and the address is on there.” Carlo took it and looked at the paper.

  “It will take us a couple of hours to drive there,” he observed.

  “Do you not mind spending all of that time with
me?” she asked anxiously, but he smiled and took her hand over the table.

  “Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he told her. “We have to work out when we can both take a day off. I think I might give Joe a call and see what his reaction is.”

  “Good idea,” Corby agreed. “I have a day off on Sunday this week. I get a weekend day off every four weeks.”

  “Sunday it is, then,” he answered.

  “What about your golf?” she asked, and he laughed.

  “They will be pleased as punch that I am not there to beat them. A drive out with a beautiful woman is a much better prospect.” Corby felt her heart skip just a beat as he called her a beautiful woman.

  “When the others come on Monday, we will be able to tell them anything we find out,” Corby added. The drive back was easy. He came inside for a coffee, but he was happy to see she wanted him to check the place again.

  “I can actually lay wooden floors,” she amazed him by saying and then laughed at his face. “I did this one all by myself.” He looked at the gleaming boards and told her that he would not know where to start.

  “Still, I can follow instructions if you are thinking of doing the ones in the house, yourself.”

  “Oh, I like the idea of being the foreman in charge,” she smiled. “I saw Miller do hers and she made it look so easy, I gave it a try. Took me half the floor to work out what I was doing, so I took it up and started again.” She paused. “Miller is a whizz with practical things.”

  “You are not so bad yourself,” he said with admiration. “Have you thought about what sort of color for the floors?”