Authors: Lori L Clark
Scent of Magic (18 page)
Francesca drove, Juliette sat beside her in the passenger seat, and Starley sat in the back. They were on their way to Bouvier's Curiosity Shop. Francesca pulled to the curb in front of the store and turned off the ignition. Tiny white lights twinkled in the storefront window, a stark contrast to the darkness inside the building.
"I thought you said we were meeting them here?" Starley said as she stared out the car window.
"We are," Francesca said. She glanced over her shoulder at Starley. "Don't forget to bring the gifts."
"I won't," Starley said, rolling her eyes. "Please tell me there isn't a gift from me to Landon inside this bag."
"Of course there is," Francesca said. "It would be rude to show up with a gift for everyone but Landon."
"You didn't sign my name to the card, did you?" Starley asked.
"Starley, please," Francesca admonished. "Just try to be civil."
Starley grasped the handle of the gift bag and opened the car door. "When have you ever known me to be anything but nice?"
"Did you want me to answer that?" Juliette called out just as the door slammed shut.
Landon unlocked the deadbolt to let them inside. He greeted the three women with a slight nod and stood aside to allow them passage.
Landon locked the door behind them and said, "Follow me."
"He's not very talkative, is he?" Juliette whispered to Starley.
"Ya think?" Starley murmured.
Francesca shot them both pointed look and nudged them forward.
The store overflowed with oddities from every corner of the world. Every inch of the shelf space contained item after item. Starley was mesmerized by the clocks of every shape and size imaginable that lined the walls from ceiling to floor.
Landon pulled back a heavy burgundy curtain separating the front of the store from the back and motioned for them to go through. They were alone when the curtain closed behind them. The room had been dimly lit by a few strategically placed candles.
"I smell nutmeg and cinnamon," Francesca whispered to Juliette.
Juliette nodded and slowly turned in a circle to take in the unusual furnishings. An old fashioned fortune teller behind glass sat in a corner. Juliette nudged Francesca and pointed toward the carnival-like display. A sign at the top of the machine read, "Grandmother's Predictions."
Francesca's eyes lit up, and she walked toward the machine. "It's in perfect condition," she marveled. She reached out to touch the ornately carved wooden base, and the thing suddenly came to life. Francesca started and stepped back.
Calliope music filled the small space and with a whirring sound the machine lit up, and Grandmother's hand began to move slowly back and forth over the arched row of playing cards before her. "Pick a card, any card," she said.
Starley stepped around Francesca and said, "That one right there."
Grandmother's hand stopped, and a card slid from the table, down a chute and flew out onto the floor at Starley's feet. She bent to retrieve it.
"Jack of Hearts," Starley said.
"You will meet
a fair-haired admirer and begin a new romance," Grandmother said.
Starley's eyebrows squished together. "I don't think that card was meant for me."
"The cards never lie," Grandmother said.
With that, the fortune telling machine went dark, and the mechanical gypsy grew silent.
"I see you've met Grandmother," Martin said. He walked over to Francesca and kissed her on the cheek. "I hope that card wasn't supposed to be yours."
"I hope it was," Starley mumbled.
"Landon, would you take our guest's coats?" Martin said.
Landon nodded and gathered their coats, and disappeared.
"We don't officially open until January second," Romero said, taking Juliette's hand. "I'll give you the grand tour. Things aren't exactly where I want them yet, but you'll get the general idea."
Starley pointed at the Grandmother's Predictions machine and asked," Where did this come from?"
Martin laughed. "That one came from a collector of carnival memorabilia. After he had passed away, his widow claimed the barn where the things were stored was haunted. She wanted every last piece gone immediately and practically paid us to take the items."
Francesca picked up a crystal ball. She was surprised by how heavy it was and held it carefully with both hands. "Was this part of the same collection?"
"No, I think we got that from a pawn shop in New Orleans," Romero said.
Francesca could have sworn the glass orb vibrated and warmed to the touch. She quickly put it back down and followed Martin as he made his way up and down the crowded aisles.
"We don't have everything unpacked and on display yet, but we will for the grand opening," Martine said.
They worked their way back to where the tour had started. The girls were pleasantly surprised to find a large table filled with a feast fit for kings.
Starley counted seven place settings and frowned. "I wonder who the seventh seat is for," she whispered to Juliette.
Juliette shrugged. "Who knows, maybe Grandma is joining us."
"Everyone please be seated," Martin said. "I don't know about you, but all this work has given me quite an appetite."
After the six of them had been seated around the oblong table, the mysterious seventh guest finally appeared. Starley's eyes widened to the size of quarters when she saw the tall, thin wizard-like man take a seat at the head of the table.
"Ladies, this is our father, Antione Bouvier," Martin said. "Dad, this is Francesca, Juliette, and Starley. The Duchesne sisters we've told you so much about."
Starley blinked and pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes. When she focused again on Antione, she was relieved to find a normal looking tall man, sans the pointy hat and white beard. She exhaled slowly and smiled.
After their delicious dinner, Antione made his apologies for having to eat and run, claiming he wanted to get back home to spend Christmas Eve with his wife.
Romero snapped his fingers. "We'll just get this table cleared, and then you lovely ladies can open your gifts."
Four short, robust men scurried into the room and quickly took away the uneaten food. Starley nearly spewed her mouthful of water. They were Munchkins. Straight out of Lollipop Land. She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temples.
"Starley, do you have a headache?" Martin asked.
Starley shook her head.
No, I'm just hallucinating, don't mind me
. "I'm fine."
Romero disappeared into a side room and returned a few minutes later carrying three brightly wrapped boxes. "Ho, ho, ho," he shouted.
Starley avoided looking at him for fear jolly old St. Nick himself might appear in Romero's place.
The group exchanged gifts and as soon as everyone had a present sitting on the table in front of them, Martin stood and held up a champagne flute. "Here's to our first Christmas in Prosperity and to our new friends, the beautiful Duchesne sisters. Let there be many more to come. Cheers!"
The sound of glasses tinkling and wrapping paper tearing followed by laughter filled the cozy room with warmth and noise.
When the night was over, each sister was curiously delighted with her own seemingly perfect gift and in turn, each brother was equally pleased.
As soon as Starley got settled that night, she took out the book that had been her gift. "The Lost Art of Cartomancy," by Grandmother.
She flipped pages with one hand and rubbed Larry's fur with the other. "Fair-haired love interest my foot," she said.
The Perfumery's list of satisfied customers grew and the Duchesne sisters felt right at home in Prosperity.
Francesca spent a lot of time with Martin and began to think she might even be falling in love. She even toyed with the idea of writing that full-length romance novel.
Romero taught Juliette how to ice skate, and for the first time, she began wondering if what she felt might be love.
Much to Starley's dismay, Landon became her new chemistry lab partner. Starley began to believe she was forever doomed in matters of the heart.
Bouvier's Curiosity Shop instantly became an overnight success. The brothers always managed to have the absolute perfect item a person shopping there needed. They just seemed to know.
It's their story we'll learn next!
Come Here, Go Away (Part One - Five)
Tyler Falls
Between the Moon and Shine
I Breathe You
Blood and Sympathy
Breaker
Different Roads
The Dead Tree
The Heart Knows What the Heart Wants
@LLClark_
Thank you one and all for reading my books!