Pulling The Wool: A Magic Garden Mystery (Book 1) (3 page)

O
nce Fern dropped
off her books to Willie, she set off home. Walking along the stream, she tried to gather her thoughts. Certainly, both Angela and Charles were acting suspiciously, but it was also a mystery why Lady Cecily was snooping around her things. She needed to get to the bottom of it – after all, it was to Fern’s benefit in order to clear her name from the suspect list.

On the other hand, when she thought about her successful sun charm, a grin spread across her face. It certainly was an eventful day at work.

O
pening the front door
, she called out for Zinnia, but the house was empty. Fern thought that she was most probably still in the field with Roman.

Zinnia was known as the unofficial animal trainer and healer in the village. Due to her gifts, she had a special affinity with animals and had been training them over the years, ranging from service dogs to royal cats. Her reputation carried her far past the village and at times, she could be away for up to two weeks at once. The only animal that seemed least affected by her, was Essie, who refused to give into her wiles. He proclaimed he was his own man. Fern had bit her lip at the time from pointing out that he was in fact, a British Blue.

Hanging up her coat, she glanced around.

“Essie? Are you home?”

She heard a strangling noise coming from upstairs. Fern’s heart rate immediately spiked and she bounded up the stairs in search of the noise.

“Essie! Essie! Are you up here?” She was met with another strangled sound.

Eyes sweeping over the hallway, she didn’t spot him in his favourite cat tree, which overlooked the stairs. The noise seemed to be coming from the direction of her bedroom, so Fern ran that way.

Pushing open the door, heart thumping, Fern spotted Essie lying down in the middle of her bed.

“Essie, are you okay?”

He groaned again.

“Essie! Talk to me!”

“I almost died today.”

“What?!” Fern ran towards the bed, eyes scanning his body for any obvious signs of blood or torn fur. “What happened?” She gently sat down on the bed and lightly stroked his back.

“Those awful barn cats. That’s what.”

“Wait. Barn cats?” Fern screwed up her forehead in concentration. “You mean the ones that live at the Manor with the Pince-Wittington’s?”

“Precisely. Those foul creatures. They practically attacked me earlier.”

“What were you doing there, Essie?” Fern spoke gently, waiting for his answer. Slowly Essie stood and rearranged himself, before plopping back down. Fern hated to say it, but he looked absolutely fine to her.

“I decided to do some investigating of my own. I thought I’d try and persuade them to talk to me so that I could provide some answers for you.”

“Oh, Essie. Thank you. Did you have any joy with them?”

He shuddered. “Well, no, not exactly. They rounded on me as soon as they saw me. Naturally, I could have very well held my own, but I was in no mood for a fight today.”

Fern nodded. “Of course. I’d hate for you to get hurt.”

“Thanks, dear girl. Well, anyway, they rounded on me and started hissing away. I tried to reason with them, but they weren’t having a bar of it. They spat out that I was living a privileged life and that I wasn’t their kind.”

“Oh, Essie. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, dear. I’m certainly not. I’d hate to be living a life like them – scrounging around for food and all sorts. Gosh, I couldn’t help but ask them when was the last time they even washed.”

Fern covered her mouth, stifling a giggle. “You said that to them?”

“Well, yes and let’s just say that things quickly went south from there onwards. I’m afraid I left with my head in the air – I’m certainly not going to go pleading with such low-lives like that for information.”

Fern bent down and hugged him. “Thank you for trying. Are you okay now? When you said you nearly died, I was scared stiff.”

“Yes, well, I
could
have nearly died. And it would’ve probably been from an infected scratch from their filthy paws!”

“Oh, Essie. I do love you, so.” Fern smiled and rubbed her face against his silken fur.

She felt him purring against her and was thankful that those cats didn’t attack him. “I’m so happy that you’re okay.”

“So, how was your day?”

“It was…
interesting
. Lots to tell you, but we’ll wait for Zinnia to get home.”

“I’m not sure I’ll be awake. I
have
missed out on a lot of snoozing time today, you know?”

Fern smiled. He could be very spoilt sometimes. “Okay, since you’ve had such a traumatic time, I’ll tell you my highlight of the day.”

“Do tell. I’m not getting any younger, here.”

“Have you ever heard of patience, Essie? I’m trying to build it up!”

He purred some more, his way of an apology.

“Okay, so remember the sun charm that I just couldn’t crack?”

“Yes, of course. You’ve been trying for months to get it right.”

“Well…
I did it
!”

“Really?” Essie even opened his eyes, giving Fern his full attention. “As in, I could go in there and bask in the warm sunlight?”

“Yes!” Fern’s grin split her face. “At least I hope it’s still working. It’s been going since yesterday.”

“That’s wonderful, Fern. I was waiting for you to get it right. God knows, sunshine in in this country is a rarity as it is. Can I come into work with you tomorrow? My old bones could do with a blast of warmth.”

Fern laughed. “Of course you can.”

“
Y
oooo-hoooo
! Is anyone home?” Fern heard the front door slam shut.

“Aunt Zinnia. We’re upstairs!”

Fern heard her movements downstairs as she peeled off her outer garments. A few minutes later, Fern heard the stairs creak as Zinnia made her way up them. A moment later, she came into view.

“Hello, loveys.” She walked into Fern’s bedroom and perched on a chair. “What’s going on? Everything okay?”

“Essie had a run-in today.”

“You mean I was practically attacked.” He interrupted.

Zinnia’s eyes widened with concern. “Oh my goodness! Are you okay, Essie?”

“Yes, I’m fine, thank you. But it could have been a lot worse.”

Fern quickly explained what happened and visibly saw Zinnia relax. She winked at her.

“Well, I’m glad you managed to get away in time.” Zinnia gave Essie a few scratches around his ears, which seemed to appease him.

“How’s Roman, Zinnia?”

A smile spread across her face. “He’s fantastic.”

“What? He came around at last?”

“Yes, he did. He was so much better behaved. I think the thought of being sold off to a different farm, made him reconsider his attitude.”

“That’s fantastic. I’m so pleased he’s changed.”

Zinnia reached over and patted Fern’s knee. “Thank you, darling. We still have some way to go, but Farmer Jerry was most pleased this afternoon.”

“Good work, Zinnia.” Essie yawned and stretched. “Fern had a busy day too. I’ve been waiting to hear all about it.”

Zinnia tucked her short hair behind her ears. “Anything exciting, Fern?”

Fern grinned. “I have successfully invoked a sun charm!”

“Really? It worked? The seeds germinated?”

“Not only have they germinated, but I have young tropical plants in the nursery.”

“Fern, that’s wonderful.” Zinnia stood up and held up her hand. “Put it there, girl!” Fern laughed and high-fived her aunt.

“You must stop by tomorrow so that I can show you.”

“I will-“

“Can you take one of my cushions with you, please?” Essie interrupted Zinnia with his request. “Fern said I can bask in the sun and have a little siesta there.”

“Of course, Essie.” Zinnia rolled her eyes playfully at Fern. “Your wish is my command, sir.”

Fern then told them about the events of her day. They were all silent afterwards, whilst they thought about it. Finally, Zinnia spoke.

“Fern, I’m really proud of you. You are getting a lot more in tune with your powers and you’re becoming stronger. Detecting that small band of Cecily’s aura is absolutely brilliant.”

Fern coloured lightly at her words. Zinnia was an incredible witch and mentor – for her to be so complimentary was a big deal. “It’s taken me ages to get any sort of grasp on it.”

“Trust me, Fern, not as long as I’ve experienced before. Some of the girls I used to teach just never got it. It was rendered a weaker power for those few.”

Fern nodded, happy with the confidence boost. Years ago, when Fern was still living with her mother and sister at home, Zinnia used to be a teacher. She spent a lot of time in Romania, tutoring the young witches there about prescient dreams and aura reading amongst other subjects.

“But anyway, back to the matter at hand. Why on earth was Lady Cecily going through your things?” Zinnia frowned in concentration. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“Perhaps she was looking for azalea? Do you think she wanted to kill the sheep, herself?”

Essie sat up a little straighter. “If only I could have got those low-lives to speak with me, I could have discovered who had been on the property.”

“Don’t worry about the barn cats, Essie.” Fern gave him a small smile. “I’ll try and see if they’ll listen to me. Since they’re obviously quite hostile, I’ll think I’ll try that tin of tuna you suggested I take with me.”

“Okay, so Lady Cecily aside, what’s up with Angela and Charles?”

Fern turned her attention back to Zinnia’s question. She shook her head.

“No idea. It was very odd, though, how Angela couldn’t get out of the shop fast enough when I mentioned the weekend.” Fern was silent for a moment. “You don’t think Angela and Matthew plotted together to kill the sheep, do you?”

Cecily shook her head. “No. I know for a fact that Matthew was away for this weekend. I’d recommended he try Middlemay Market in Newcastle, to get a good deal on a concoction for the hoof issues his flock were experiencing. They were having a weekend sale. And as for Angela, she’d have been busy the entire time running the farm, and I doubt she’d have a minute to herself.”

“Hmmmm. Still, it doesn’t really explain her behaviour. Okay, well, what about Charles? Perhaps he was in a rush to get to his appointment, but I wonder why he implied he was glad to be rid of the sheep?”

“Ugh. Don’t get me started on Charles Pince-Wittington.”

Fern and Zinnia looked at Essie with surprise.

“You don’t like him?” Zinnia raised an eyebrow. “Have you had any problems with him?”

“No, it’s more that I have a problem with his general manner. Goodness, he’s such a layabout; I wonder how his parents put up with him! In my day, his attitude would not have been tolerated.”

“I don’t think he means any harm, Essie. He’s just wrapped up in himself.”

“Oh, Zinnia. If only you knew! That boy is only interested in polo and horseback riding, nothing else. Now in my day, an aristocrat had duties he had to carry out daily – time wouldn’t be flittered away like that carrying out non-consequential activities.”

Fern glanced at Zinnia, a smile on her face. She loved it when he talked about his past.

“What kind of things did you have to do?”

Essie waved his paw in the air. “Oh you know, I had to take care of the estate management, oversee the servants and butlers. Of course I also had my role within the local political parties. I was a very busy man.” He raised his nose in the air, giving him an appearance of grandeur.

“Times have changed, Essie.” Fern looked at Zinnia. “Maybe Charles is just fed up of the sheep and spoke out of turn?” She shrugged her shoulders.

“I think we need to look into his whereabouts discretely. Fern, if you can get to the barn cats, we may have a better idea of who to follow up on.”

“I agree. I’m also going to confront Cecily and ask what she was doing in my back room. After all, she had no right going through my things.”

Essie stood up and jumped down from the bed.

“Good, I’m glad we have a plan, ladies. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d quite like my supper, please? It’s been a deeply disturbing day for me and I’d like to retire soon.”

“Yes, my Lord.” Fern did a little curtsy, which made Zinnia laugh. “Come on, let’s go and see what we can cook up.”

“
Cook
?” Zinnia crossed her arms and shook her head. “Not tonight! After all, what good is it being a witch if you can’t just throw a spell out there for a gourmet meal?”

She winked at Fern and Essie as they made their way downstairs.

“See, Essie, you may not have a house full of servants to cater to your needs, but I think you’ll agree that you’ve landed on your feet with a couple of witches, right?” Fern lent down and patted his head.

“Indeed, my dear girl. Just a pity you kept me waiting for three hundred years before deciding to appear.”

F
ern walked
into the local pizza restaurant and soon spotted her friends at the table near the back. As usual they appeared deep in conversation. She weaved her way through the tables.

“Hi guys, sorry I’m late.” Alana and Stewart looked up, smiling at their friend.

“No worries, Fern. How’s it going?” Stewart stood up and gave her a quick hug before resuming his place.

Alana moved her coat and Fern took a seat next to her. “Busy, today, Stew. A lot of new orders came in this morning so I was in the middle of getting them prepared. Anyway, how are you both?”

“Fine, fine. Looks like word has spread about the sheep poisoning.” Alana gave Fern a small smile. “We’re still keeping our ear to the ground for any off-the-record info.”

“Thanks, guys.” Fern was about to say something else, when the waitress appeared to take their order.

“If you two don’t mind, I can’t stay long as I’m interviewing someone shortly.” Stewart glanced at his watch and smiled apologetically to the waitress. “I can’t stay for lunch, but I’ll have another drink please, same again.” The waitress nodded, looking bored out of her mind.

Fern and Alana ordered their usual pasta dish and then settled back into their seat once she retreated.

“So, have you seen Sir Chesterton at the studio?”

Both Alana and Stewart nodded. “Yep. He was in this morning for his usual slot.”

Every Tuesday morning, Sir Chesterton hosted a live call-in on the radio show to do with farming and animal husbandry. Being the local squire, he was very passionate about backing the local station.

“Oh, and how was he? Did he appear distressed?”

Alana considered Fern’s question. “He definitely seemed a lot less jovial than normal, but I didn’t have time to speak with him.” She looked at Stewart. “Did you manage to catch him before he went on air?”

“Yes, I did. I told him how sorry we were to hear about his beloved sheep. He quickly cut me off though, saying a mumbled thanks and that he would speak to me later.”

“Oh, yes.” Fern smiled at them. “For your big interview later today. Are you guys all set?”

Alana piped in. “Yes, we are. I’m looking forward to interviewing them for this evening’s news. But I heard that callers were warned beforehand not to make any reference to the sheep as the topic was off limits.”

Fern took a sip of water. “Poor guy. He must be distressed to have three of his prize-winning sheep go hooves up!”

Stewart glanced at his watch and quickly began to gather his things. “I’m sorry, girls, but I’ve got to dash.” He gave them a quick peck on the cheek and then made his way out of the restaurant.

The waitress appeared with their steaming bowls of pasta and Fern and Alana tucked into their favourite dish.

“Seriously, this is the best pasta dish, ever.” Fern closed her eyes and groaned in appreciation through her mouthful.

“That good, huh?”

She knew that voice. Recognised those soft Scottish dulcet tones from anywhere. Swallowing her mouthful, Fern opened her eyes slowly to see an amused Owen standing over her.

Next to her, Alana laughed at his comment, while Fern felt her cheeks heat with fire. “Hi Owen! She’s always like that – let’s just say Fern is quite vocal about her love of this dish!”

Fern turned to Alana and gave her the best death stare she could muster. Alana choked back her laugh and quickly reached for her water, busying herself.

“Um, hi Owen. How are you? How did your birth go?”

He grinned at her, before she could correct herself. “Well, my mother is still alive, so I guess it went okay?”

Fern didn’t think it would be possible to blush any harder. She cleared her throat, a small laugh escaping her. “I’m glad your mum is okay…I was actually, and not very well, referring to the horse you mentioned yesterday.”

He winked at her. “I was just teasing, Fern. The horse is fine – she delivered two beautiful foals.”

“Awwww, how cute!” Alana spoke next to Fern. “Would you like to join us?”

Fern held her breath whilst she waited for his answer.

“No, thanks Alana, another time. I’ve got pizza to go for me and Willie. But I’ll see you girls around. Enjoy your lunch.”

Fern nodded and smiled at him, locking her green eyes with his pale blue ones. “Sure, see you later, Owen.”

The girls ate quietly while he passed them. A minute later, pizza boxes in hand, Fern watched as he departed the restaurant.

“What was
that
about?” Alana dramatically pulled off her glasses and all but slammed them down on the table.

Fern looked at her with indifference. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Picking up her glass, she took a long sip of water.

“Oh
pur-lease
, Fern! Don’t play dumb! Can’t you see? He’s totally into you!!”

Fern shook her head, dismissing her comment. “I highly doubt that, Alana. Owen was just as happy to see you!”

“Uh-uh. I’m not buying that.” Alana picked up her fork and stabbed a piece of chicken. “There was definitely some mutual attraction passing between the two of you!”

This time it was Fern’s turn to be shocked. “What do you mean
mutual
attraction? I don’t believe I gave anything away.”

“Ah-ha!” Alana’s face spread out into a grin. “Caught you! You
do
like him!”

“Ooooh, you and your investigate skills, Alana Mallory!” Fern couldn’t help but laugh as Alana comically wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

“What can I say? I’m good at my job. So, you like him, he
clearly
likes you…what are you going to do about it?”

Fern dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “Nothing.”

“What. Why not?”

“
Hello
, Alana?” Fern lowered her voice to a whisper. “
Toil and trouble
…I’m a witch, remember?”

“And?”

“Well…I’m sure any man would run for the hills once they found out.” She pressed her lips together. “I’m happy being single.”

The girls were quiet for a moment, before Alana spoke up. “Just because it didn’t work out for Zinnia, doesn’t mean it wouldn’t for you. Just because you’re different, it doesn’t mean you can’t find love, Fern. And besides, look how happy your mum was.”

Fern smiled slightly at the comment. Her father passed away from heart trouble when Fern was very young. She barely remembered him. Poor Calla’s memories were even more vague. “My mother wasn’t a full witch.” She spoke softly.

“It doesn’t matter, Fern. Your father accepted her for what and who she was.”

Fern nodded slightly. She still wasn’t convinced.

Just then the waitress appeared to clear their plates and they settled the bill.

“Are you in a rush to get back to the studio?” Fern was conscious that Alana still had to prepare for the special news report they were doing on-air tonight.

Alana glanced at her watch. “No, I’m okay for a bit for. I have a spare hour or so, before I need to get back. Why?”

“Can you take a walk with me by the river? I want to ask you something.”

“Of course. Let’s go.”

T
he girls left
the restaurant and walked through the high street, keeping their conversation casual while still in earshot of the passers by. Once they were out of the main area, they walked towards the stream and found a seat on a vacant bench.

“So, talk to me. What’s on your mind, Fern?”

Fern looked around to make sure they were alone.

“It’s about the Pince-Wittington investigation. Yesterday, I was in my back room and I got a distinct aura trace of Lady Cecily hovering over my desk.”

It took Alana a moment for her words to register. “Wait, back up a moment. Can you see aura’s clearly now?”

Fern smiled. “I think so. I mean, it was the same bright blue band of energy that always surrounds her. It’s hard to explain but auras are really distinctive, like a signature scent. And I’m ninety-nine percent sure it was hers.”

Alana was thoughtful. “Why was she in your back room? Was she snooping around?”

“Yes! She purposely sent me out to the greenhouses, so she knew I’d be gone a while. When I came back, I recall that she was in a real hurry to leave.” Fern looked at her with worry and concern. “What if she was looking for azaleas out back?”

Alana inhaled sharply. “Wow. That is really suspicious behaviour. What are you going to do about it?”

“I’m definitely going to confront her about it. Like I said to Zinnia, she’d no right to go snooping amongst my things.”

“I agree. Just be careful with your accusations.” Alana snapped her fingers. “I know, just say you were looking through your CCTV images and that’s how you discovered her.”

“Good idea, I’ll do that.” Fern watched the water peacefully moving along. The sun had disappeared behind the clouds and it was getting chilly. She tugged her coat tightly against her.

“When are you going to see her?”

“I was thinking I’d go after I close The Magic Garden, this evening.”

Alana agreed with her. “You need to find out what she was doing there. Goodness knows, she could be the killer. And if that’s a possibility, you better be careful. I wish I could come with you.”

Fern knew she had enough arsenals at her disposal not to be worried, but she appreciated Alana’s concern.

“I promise I’ll be careful.”

“Do call me later and let me know how it goes.”

“I will.” Fern picked up her bag. “I better get back to the shop. And good luck with the report tonight. We’ll be watching.” They stood up together. Impulsively, she hugged Alana tightly. “You’re a good friend, Alana. Thank you for all your advice today.”

“No problem.” Alana pulled away slowly. “Oh, hey, Fern?”

“Yes?”

“What colour is my aura?”

Fern stepped back, trying to keep her eyes as normal as possible. She grinned. “Pink.”

“You know why, right?”

Fern shook her head, puzzled. “No?”

“Just call me
Dr.
Lurve!”

“Ugh. Yuk, Alana.”

“Hey! You hurt my feelings. But seriously, just think about what I said earlier about Owen. Promise?”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Fern waved her off and began to walk away. “Oh and Alana? The same goes for you too. Bye.”

“Laters, Fern.”