Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered (7 page)

‘Oh,’ I said. ‘You want me to start the car? With magic?’

Suky looked at me as though I were simple.

‘Yes please,’ she said.

I took a deep breath.

‘OK,’ I said to myself. ‘Start the car with magic. How hard can it be?’

I waggled my fingers in the direction I thought the engine should be in. Nothing happened. I did it again. This time there was a pop, and a small column of smoke spiralled up from beneath the bonnet. Suky raised her eyebrows at me from beneath her furry hat. Embarrassed, I opened my door and got out of the car.

‘I’ll, erm, just go and sort it out,’ I said. I opened the bonnet – after a couple of attempts – wafted away smoke and peered inside. I couldn’t decide if it was riskier to try and mend it with magic or without.

‘Can I give you ladies a hand?’ I jumped in surprise and banged my head. Brent had pulled up alongside me in a Range Rover. He was leaning out of the driver’s window with a cheery smile.

‘We’re having a bit of car trouble,’ Suky said. ‘Unfortunate timing as I’ve got a hospital appointment to get to.’

‘Suky,’ I said crossly. I hated people knowing what I considered to be our business.

‘Esme had a hire car until yesterday but it’s gone back now,’ she carried on. I sighed.
Once Suky started sharing there was no stopping her. I just hoped she didn’t mention that I’d not returned the car to the airport – instead I’d come downstairs yesterday morning and found the car gone and the paperwork neatly stacked at the front door. Mum had
sorted it out
for me.

‘I’m no mechanic,’ Brent said. ‘But I am at a loose end. How about I give you guys a lift?’

I opened my mouth to say he was very kind, but really we could manage without his help, but Suky was already climbing out of our car and into the passenger seat of the Range Rover.

I let the bonnet close with a crash, and climbed in too. It was an enormous car with shiny leather seats. Maybe the rumours were true and Brent really was a millionaire.

I didn’t have long to wait to find out. As we headed towards Inverness, Suky quizzed our driver about what he was doing in Claddach.

‘I just needed a break, I guess,’ he told her. ‘My mom’s family were all from Scotland and I wanted to come see it.’

‘Do you like it?’ Suky asked.

‘I love it.’ From the back seat, I sighed. Of course he loved it. He loved everything. ‘It’s nothing like I’d expected, but I love it. I’m actually thinking about getting a place here so I can come back whenever I want.’

‘Goodness,’ said Suky. ‘Your work must be flexible?’

I smiled to myself. Good old Suky, fishing for information.

‘I work for myself,’ Brent said. ‘Which way from here?’

Suky directed him towards the hospital, but wouldn’t be put off from finding out more.

‘What line of work are you in?’

Brent smiled at her. ‘A bit of this, bit of that,’ he said. ‘I did have my own company but I sold it and that gave me the freedom to pursue some other interests.’

‘It’s the next entrance,’ Suky said. Brent pulled the car into the hospital grounds. ‘What other interests?’

Brent drove neatly into a parking space and turned off the engine before he answered.

‘Politics, mainly,’ he said. ‘I act as a consultant on some aspects of policy.’

Despite myself I was impressed. My knowledge of American politics came, I had to admit, mostly from one seminar at university and
The West Wing
, but I found it
fascinating. I resolved to talk to Brent about his job another time.

I jumped down from the Range Rover’s high back door and helped Suky out. Then I turned to face Brent.

‘Thank you,’ I said.

‘No problem.’ He kissed Suky on the cheek and she flushed like a schoolgirl. ‘Good luck with everything. What time shall I come get you?’

‘Oh we can get a taxi,’ I said. But Brent wouldn’t hear of it.

‘It’s no trouble,’ he said. ‘I’m going to wander round Inverness and I’ll get you later. Give me your phone.’

Meekly, I handed it over. He rang his phone from mine, then cancelled the call.

‘Now you have my number,’ he said. ‘Call me when you’re through.’

He got back into his car and turned the key.

‘See you later,’ he called through the window. And he drove away.

Suky linked her arm through mine.

‘He’s a nice chap,’ she said as we walked into the hospital.

‘He seems to be,’ I said, still not convinced.

‘Oh Esme, you never like anyone at first,’ Suky said with a smile. She was right. I was naturally very suspicious of everyone’s motives and didn’t trust anyone when I first met them. ‘You should lighten up a bit.’

I didn’t feel very much like lightening up as we walked into the oncology unit. It seemed so wrong that Suky was going there.

Suky had gone quiet too, gazing out of the window at the gloomy views of dreich Inverness. I took her hand, squeezing it gently. She squeezed back.

‘Who’s your man, then?’ she said.

Surprised, I let go of her hand.

‘Which man?’ I said casually. I hadn’t told any of my family about Dom – I knew they’d disapprove when they found out he was married and, to be quite honest, I was a little bit ashamed of myself already.

Suky laughed.

‘The man you text all the time,’ she said. ‘The one who makes your face light up when he calls.’

I’d been rumbled. Blushing, I tried to change the subject, but Suky wouldn’t give up.

‘Come on, Esme,’ she wheedled. ‘Tell your old auntie some gossip!’

‘Oh look!’ I sang, as a nurse came towards us. ‘They’re expecting you!’

Suky gave me a sharp look.

‘I’m not giving up,’ she said, greeting the nurse. I ignored her.

Once Suky had been seen by the consultant and was ready to go in for her treatment, we had some time to wait. I went down to the shop to grab some mags and when I came back Suky was asleep, so I settled down next to her and opened
Heat
magazine.

‘Oh no you don’t,’ Suky said loudly, opening her eyes and taking the mag off my knee. ‘Tell me what’s going on.’

I grabbed the magazine back.

‘Nothing is going on,’ I growled at her.

She gave me a winning smile.

‘I have very little pleasure in my life,’ she said with a wink. ‘All I ask is that my favourite niece shares her news with me…’

I didn’t point out that I was her only niece. Instead, with an exaggerated sigh I gave in. It was actually a relief to talk to someone after days – weeks – months – of keeping my relationship with Dom under wraps.

‘He’s called Dom,’ I began. ‘We’ve been seeing each other for a while – quite a long while in fact.’ I paused.

‘So why do you look so miserable?’

I looked down at
Heat
and smoothed out an invisible wrinkle on the cover.

‘Is it not going well?’

Suddenly I felt close to tears. I looked up from the fat celebs on the magazine’s front cover.

‘He’s married,’ I whispered.

Suky covered my hand with hers. I looked at her thin fingers and the veins showing through her pale, papery skin, and I felt ashamed. My problems were meaningless
compared with hers. I squeezed her fingers gently but I couldn’t bring myself to meet her eyes.

‘Do you love him,” Suky asked gently.

I played with the chunky silver ring Suky wore on her middle finger, it was too loose now and it spun round easily. Did I love Dom? That seemed to be all I was asking myself at the moment.

I shrugged.

‘That’s the problem,’ I said. ‘I don’t know.’

‘Well, that’s what you need to find out.’

I nodded slowly. Suky was right. It seemed my relationship with Dom was at a crossroads and being away from him had brought everything to a head. I knew I had to decide if I wanted to be with him forever – and if he wanted that too, then we couldn’t keep going as we were, he’d have to tell Rebecca the truth – or if I wanted to call everything off and strike out on my own.

Suddenly I felt desperate to change the subject.

‘So when is Harry coming back?’ I asked brightly.

Suky looked at me closely, but she realised I was done talking about Dom and let it go.

‘She should be back any day,’ she said. ‘I’m worried about her but she won’t talk to me.’

I had to admit that was odd. Suky and Harry were as close as they could be; more like sisters than mother and daughter. Suky was young when Harry was born, and she’d brought her up on her own. No one really knew much about Harry’s dad – I didn’t even know his name, and I didn’t know if Harry did. Suky met him back in the 70s when she was following the hippy trail in India. She never talked much about what she got up to over there, but she came back to Scotland glowing and growing, and gorgeous, olive-skinned, dark-haired Harmony was born a few months later.

It was such a shame that after having grown up such close mates, she now makes me feel on edge, like I’m waiting for something bad to happen. And sometimes, not always, but sometimes, it does.

So I had to admit I was pleased she wasn’t around at the moment. But Suky was obviously missing her and I knew I’d be off the hook when it came to magic if Harry was here.

Suky gazed out of the window of the ward.

‘Harry thinks I could do with a bit of help,’ she said.

‘What kind of help?’

‘Ooh you know. Our kind of help.’ Suky didn’t look at me.

I frowned.

‘I thought we couldn’t meddle in medical stuff,’ I said, confused.

‘Well, no. Not usually.’ Suky looked proud. ‘But Harry’s being doing some research and she says she’s found something that could work.’

I was dubious.

‘Have you spoken to Mum and Eva about this?’

Suky shook her head.

‘Talk to them before you do anything,’ I begged. Magic was out of my comfort zone at the best of times. Changing the rules was way too much for me to take in.

‘I’m not going to do anything,’ she said. She looked very sad for a moment. ‘My magic isn’t really working just now.’

I had realised her power was dimmed, so I nodded.

‘It’ll come back though, right?’ I said. ‘Eva’s came back.’

‘Hopefully,’ Suky said. She rested her head against the pillow on her chair. ‘Once all this is over. But…’

‘What?’ I asked. Suky was always so confident, it shook me up to see her so unsure of herself.

‘Before I found out about the cancer, I knew something was up,’ she said. ‘Some of my spells were going wrong.’

‘Wrong?’

‘Not working. Sometimes working too well.’

‘Harry said there had been a bit of trouble at the café,’ I suddenly remembered. ‘Is that what she meant?’

Suky nodded.

‘What sort of thing?’

‘Stuff I did myself,’ she said. ‘Not the other bits that Eva and your mum do. Just the things people actually asked me for help with.’

I grimaced. Somehow the fact that it was help that people had sought that had gone wrong seemed worse.

‘The first one was that prickly woman from the newsagent,’ she said.

‘Was she prickly before her spell went wrong?’

Suky made a face.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘And worse after. She wanted a happy holiday. She said she and her husband had been saving up for this trip to see their son in Australia and they wanted it to be the holiday of a lifetime.’

‘And was it?’

‘Well, yes.’ Suky screwed her whole face up. ‘Not in the way she meant, though. More in the emergency landings, lost travellers’ cheques, cancelled hotel bookings and, erm, snake bite, way.’

I stared at her.

‘Yowzers,’ I said. ‘That’s not good.’

‘Another one came to ask me for good luck for her daughter who had a job interview…’

‘And?’

Suky gave a small cough.

‘Well, let’s just say she didn’t get the job.’

Despite myself I giggled.

‘It doesn’t sound too bad,’ I said. ‘What about the spells that worked too well?’

‘One woman wanted to add a bit of spice to her marriage,’ Suky said, lowering her voice. ‘I think she’d been reading that
50 Shades of Grey
.’

‘Oh no.’

Suky nodded, grim-faced.

‘She was insatiable,’ she whispered. ‘Dragging him down alleyways, even. I’m not sure he minded, but when the spell wore off poor Millicent must have been mortified.’

‘Millicent?’ I said, thinking of the woman with the tam o shanter.

‘Yes, she’s the reason I’m so worried,’ Suky went on. ‘Have you noticed anything about the café?’

‘It’s not very busy,’ I said, trying to be diplomatic.

She winced.

‘That’s what I’m afraid of. You know what Claddach is like – everyone knows everyone else. Well, some of the spells that went wrong were for people who like to talk – especially that Millicent and the prickly one from the newsagent. There’s nothing they like more than a good gossip.’

‘And you’re worried they’re telling people their spells didn’t work?’

‘Well, worse than that, really,’ she said. ‘I’m more worried they’re talking about us – and turning folk against us.’

She paused.

‘In my experience,’ she said. ‘People are accepting of witches as long as we’re doing what they want us to do. If things go wrong, they turn very quickly.’

Suky looked so worried that I wanted to reassure her, even though I’d seen how quiet the café was. I was fairly sure worrying over work wasn’t the best way to spend the time while you were waiting for your radiotherapy session.

‘I’m sure it’s nothing,’ I lied. ‘It’s probably just a blip and a few unfortunate coincidences. I think perhaps all the worry over your illness is making you a bit paranoid.’

‘Maybe you’re right,’ Suky said. She looked slightly happier.

We spent the rest of her time in the hospital chatting about anything and everything trivial and inane. Celebrities’ haircuts. The latest drama in
EastEnders
. Whether that reality star was pregnant again. But I kept thinking about what Suky had said about the customers at the café. Could she be right about people turning against them?

When the session was over, I called Brent.

‘I’m just around the corner,’ he told me. ‘Be there in five.’