Enright Family Collection (122 page)

“That’s okay. It will be fun anyway.” The issue of her dancing lesson having been resolved, Ally proceeded on to the next item of business. “Can I go down to the pond now and watch the ducks?”

“Sure. We’ll join you in a few minutes.”

Ally raced down the steps and slammed the barn door behind her.

“Here, I’ll get that for you.” Laura grabbed the chair and lifted it with one hand. “What else do you need help with?”

“Nothing, really.” Georgia returned the tape player and her pointe shoes to the picnic basket. “If we can just take a minute to stop at the house, I’ll put sneakers on.” She pointed down to the thin leather ballet slippers on her feet. “These weren’t made for traipsing through fields.”

Laura paused at the top of the steps and looked back at the wide expanse of room behind her. “What a great place to dance. Too bad the lighting isn’t a little better.”

“The lighting’s not too bad close to the window,” Georgia noted. “A few skylights would make it better; a few fluorescents would make it better yet.” She grinned and added, “Of course, a smoother floor would be nice—I’m going to be digging splinters out of my toes for the rest of the week, despite my efforts to avoid the rough spots. But that’s a small price to pay to have such a wonderful place to dance in.”

They walked down the steps, side by side. When they reached the door, Laura pushed it open and allowed Georgia to pass through.

“Do you have everything?” Laura paused and asked.

“Yes,” Georgia replied.

“Then I’ll lock up now, so that I don’t forget later.” Laura set the chair on the ground and padlocked the door.

“So, how was your day?” Laura asked as they walked toward the farmhouse.

“Ah, I get it.” A smile spread across Georgia’s face. “Thank you, Laura, but it wasn’t necessary.”

“What wasn’t necessary?”

“You didn’t have to drive all the way out here to check up on me. I can handle your brother.”

Laura had all intentions of pretending that she hadn’t realized that it was Wednesday—the same Wednesday that Matt had demanded Georgia be gone by—but knowing that Georgia was already on to her, she dropped the pretense. “I was hoping you wouldn’t hear from Matt.”

“And I haven’t,” Georgia assured her.

“I’m sorry that he’s being so unreasonable ... embarrassed that he’s been so rude to you—” Laura’s cheeks flushed red. “I think at the heart of it is that he just feels really threatened right now, by Delia, by you ...”

“I can understand him feeling threatened by Delia, because I’m sure he feels protective of his mother. Your mother. But by me? I’m hardly a threat to anyone.”

“I think he’s afraid of all of you. Zoey, Nick ...”

“You mean your new siblings, collectively.” Georgia nodded slowly. “A whole new family that doesn’t include him.”

“Matt and I were always close—”

“And now he’s afraid he’ll lose you; that you have
other sisters, another brother. But he has only you. I can understand why he’d feel jealous.”

“I don’t really think it’s jealousy.” Laura shook her head. “In spite of his actions, Matt doesn’t have much of a mean or jealous streak. I think he’s just so scared that what little family he has left will be taken from him. He came to us from a really bad place when he was just a little boy, Georgia. I think he’s just trying to keep you away so that he doesn’t have to deal with it. Regardless of whatever else he says ...”

“What else does he say?”

“He thinks that—well, that maybe, after a time—you and Delia and everyone will just go on back to your lives before ...” she hesitated.

“Before Mother found you?”

Laura nodded.

“That’s so incredibly stupid. That anyone would think—” She shook her head in disbelief. “Laura, you don’t believe—”

“Not for a second. Matt just thinks I should take more time to get to know everyone.”

“I’m so sorry for him. Sorry that he feels so threatened. It must be a very uncomfortable place to be in, where he is right now. Maybe in time he’ll see that we’re not trying to take you and Ally from him. I understand why he doesn’t want me here, and if it would make things easier for you, I’ll leave. Do you want me to leave, Laura?”

“Absolutely not.” Laura shook her head. “Matt will come around in time. He’s going to have to.”

“Well, then, that pretty much settles it.” Georgia took Laura’s arm as they approached the back porch. “And I’m glad. I don’t want to leave, Laura; I like it
here. I liked it here the very first time I pulled up and parked my Jeep right over there by the barn. I like it more every day. There’s something about Pumpkin Hill that is just peaceful and ... I think
comforting is
the word I’m looking for. I feel
comforted
here. I don’t know how else to explain it.”

“That’s Pumpkin Hill.” Laura nodded vigorously. “I’ve always felt that way about coming here. So does Matt. It’s where we’ve always come to lick our wounds and think things through. It’s always been here when we’ve needed it, and—hey,” Laura stopped at the kitchen table and picked up the book Georgia had left there. “Aunt Hope’s book on reading tea leaves! Don’t tell me you’ve been digging into this.”

Georgia laughed. “I thought I’d try to learn a new skill while I was here.”

“Have you?”

“I think I’m starting to get the hang of it.” Georgia picked up the cup in which she’d had her morning tea and tilted it sideways. “The problem is acclimating your eyes to seeing little tiny shapes or pictures in the leaves around the sides and bottoms of the cup. You sort of have to train yourself to see something more than just a blob of tea leaves.”

“What do you suppose that is supposed to be?” Laura peered inside the cup and pointed to some leaves that were stuck near the rim opposite the handle.

“I think it sort of looks like a pipe.”

“Like a pipe you would smoke?” Laura turned the cup around to get a different perspective. “You know, I think you’re right. It does look like a pipe.”

“Which is a good thing.” Georgia grinned. “According to your aunt’s book, a pipe signifies the need to take a break; to step back and contemplate your position in life and to regroup.”

“Why, that’s incredible!” Laura exclaimed. “That’s exactly what you are doing!”

“I laughed out loud when I read that this morning. I know it’s just a coincidence—I mean, I guess you could interpret the pattern of the leaves in different ways, though the book tells you to go with your first impression. My first impression was of a pipe. We’ll have tea later and maybe I can take a look and see what’s in your future.”

“I’m not sure that I want to know.” Laura looked wary.

“Well, since I am so new at this, there’s no guarantee that I’ll be able to see anything at all, but I’ll try. It’s kind of fun—a sort of harmless game. I’ve been amusing myself for the past few nights, reading your aunt’s notes.”

“Aunt Hope had notes on reading tea leaves?”

“Several pages of them.” Georgia nodded. “She kept a record of what she must have considered noteworthy or significant readings. Oh, and she was apparently interested in reading about some type of magic that had to do with plants, too.”

“What do you mean, magic?” Laura frowned.

“I found a journal on one of the shelves in the living room. In it is a detailed list of which plants are believed by some to have whatever different magical properties.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Laura waved away the thought. “Why, my aunt was the most practical, no-nonsense,
both feet on the floor woman you’d have ever met. The book must have belonged to someone else....”

“Sure. I’ll bet there were lots of women living around O’Hearn named Hope Evans Carter.” Georgia nodded.

“Her name is in the book?”

“And the writing is in the same hand as the notes she made on tea leaves.”

“How very odd.” Laura shook her head. “I just can’t see Aunt Hope believing in magic. She never gave us a clue....”

“Oh, I don’t know that she necessarily
believed
in magic. My overall impression from reading through the notes was that she was reading more out of curiosity, that it may have been something she mostly entertained herself with.”

“That would make more sense. I know she did experiment with growing unusual plants. Some she referred to as heirloom plants. Old varieties that you don’t see so much anymore. She kept the seeds in little envelopes in her desk. But I never heard her mention anything about any of them being capable of
magic.”

“I think she merely amused herself with the possibilities.” Georgia grinned and pointed to the small bundle of dried plant material that was nailed to the wall. “That, for example, is dried aloe. Her book said it drives away evil and brings good luck.”

“How can you tell what that is? It’s dried beyond recognition.”

“Because in her journal, she talks about replacing
the dill that had hung over the back door with aloe. I guess she decided aloe had stronger powers. Or maybe she used different plants for different seasons. And look, here—” Georgia opened the pantry closet and took out a small glass jar containing something that looked like dried grain. “Alfalfa.”

Laura looked at her blankly.

“You put it in the pantry to protect from poverty.”

“I suppose that was in the journal, too?”

“Page thirty-two.” Georgia nodded.

“Well, this all sounds more like old wives’ tales than magic potions.”

“Oh, she had all sorts of recipes for potions, and some very detailed descriptions of spells. Some of which she apparently had tried out just for fun, judging from her little comments about what worked and what didn’t.”

“For pity’s sake, Georgia, don’t let Ally hear about it. That’s all we need is for her to decide that her great-aunt was a witch.” Laura grimaced.

“It’s really an interesting book, Laura. Do you know, for example, that if you want to attract elves to your garden, you should grow rosemary?”

“That’s it. I don’t want to hear another word.” Laura pushed Georgia toward the back door. “Let’s go get Ally and we’ll come back and have our tea. No more talk of spells or magic. Fairies, of all things!”

“Oh, no, I said elves,” Georgia giggled. “Now, if it’s
fairies
you want, you have to plant primroses. Preferably blue and red.”

“Out.” Laura laughed and followed Georgia down the back steps.

“Oh, Laura, I almost forgot—” Georgia paused midway across the yard—“I want you to look at the garden.”

They leaned over the fence. In the distance, geese were squabbling loudly.

“What am I looking at?” Laura asked.

“See the holes in the ground?” Georgia pointed toward the ground. “They weren’t there yesterday. I spent part of the afternoon cleaning up these rows, and this morning, there were all those holes in the ground.”

“It almost looks as if someone or something was digging around, looking for something.” Laura frowned.

“Every day there’s something else, some other evidence that someone’s been poking around at night. But I never hear a sound. And for someone to sneak past a light sleeper like me is a real feat.”

“Did you call Chief Monroe?”

“I’ve called him just about every day that I’ve been here. He doesn’t even bother to come out anymore. He just adds each new complaint to his list. He’s pretty sure it’s some kind of animal, but I can’t imagine what.”

“Maybe I should have Matt leave Artie here for a few days....”

“Oh, of course. Why didn’t I think of that? I’m sure that Matt will be more than happy to send his dog here to protect me.” Georgia rolled her eyes. “Fat chance.”

“Sorry. For a moment I forgot what a bozo my brother is sometimes.” Laura turned back to the garden. “Maybe if you tied the gate closed with a
really intricate knot it will deter whatever’s doing this from coming back. Though what they could possibly be coming back
for
is a mystery to me.”

“Mommy! Aunt Georgia!” Ally came racing around the side of the old chicken house. “I saw a fox! A red fox! He was out in the field!”

“And he’s probably halfway to Cambridge by now,” Laura told her.

“No! He’s not. He went toward the woods. I didn’t scare him, honest. He was creeping toward the pond—” Ally’s eyes were round as dinner plates and almost as large—“’cause there were ducks on the bank. Near the cattails. And then some of the geese spied him, and they all started yelling at him, and he ran away. But I didn’t chase him. He didn’t see me.”

“Ah, I thought I heard the geese scolding a few minutes ago. I guess he was out looking for an early dinner.”

“Not so very early,” Georgia turned Laura’s wrist to check the time. “Why not stay and have dinner with me? Unless you are needed at the inn.”

“Actually, right now we have only Gordon Chandler and two people who are apparently going to be working with him. I’m sure that Jody can take care of the three of them, if, in fact, they are dining in tonight. Let’s go inside and I’ll give her a call. I’m sure she would appreciate one unexpected night off this week.”

“What are you making for dinner, Aunt Georgia?” Ally asked.

“I was planning on making a mushroom and broccoli stir-fry. Do you think you might like that?”

Ally looked skeptical.

“Do you like broccoli?” Georgia asked.

Ally nodded.

“Do you like mushrooms?”

“Sometimes. If they don’t have those little dark spots on them.”

“I’ll tell you what.” Georgia took a bag of mushrooms from the refrigerator and handed it to her niece. “You go through this bag, and you pick out the mushrooms you would like me to use. I will need about eight of them, so you count them out and line them up on the counter there for me.”

“Okay,” Ally brightened, “but I can count past eight.”

“I thought you could. But tonight, we only need eight mushrooms.” Georgia ducked back into the refrigerator to gather carrots, onion, and broccoli, then turned to Laura and asked, “Would you like that tea now?”

“Yes.” Laura nodded.

Georgia placed a pot of water on the stove to boil for the Chinese noodles that would accompany her stir-fry, then set about chopping vegetables while Laura put water on for tea.