Page 210 of Storm of Bells
Perhaps I should take Mr Ambrose on anextended tour of his faraway business interests.
‘And here. This is for you.’ Reaching intohis pocket, he withdrew a small parcel wrapped in old newspapers.He gave me an apologetic smile. ‘I had to rush here from Dover tobe here in time for the wedding. I didn’t really have time to wrapit properly.’
‘Don’t worry about it,’ I told him,remembering Amy’s idea of ‘wrapping’. ‘There are worse things thanyesterday’s newspaper.’
Particularly if it concealed such anintriguing form. Frowning, I started to unwrap the newspaper. Itrevealed something green and black and…weird. It appeared to be asmall statuette of some South American deity, with a face half likea snake, half like a vulture, and slit eyes full of evil thatseemed to bore into me. I had never seen something like thisbefore, yet it looked eerily familiar.
Still, even so….
I frowned up at Captain Carter. ‘This? Awedding present?’
The captain smirked. ‘Well, now that you’regetting married, you’ll be leaving your family behind, won’t you? Ithought this would remind you of home. Especially of—’
My face lit up. Of course! Now I knew whythat sneaky, venomous face looked so familiar! ‘Aunt Brank!’
‘Yes? What is it, girl?’
Clamping my mouth shut, I looked up—only tocome face to face with my dear aunt and uncle.
‘Ah. Um. Ehem. Auntie! I’m so happy to seeyou.’ My hand, still holding the statuette, swiftly disappearedbehind my back.
Oh joy! My dear family! What beautiful,luxurious gifts would I receive now?
Then, beside Aunt Brank, I caught sight ofUncle Bufford.
So much for that.
‘Here, girl!’ he rumbled gruffly, and heldout a slim package wrapped in kraft paper and tied with string.
I blinked. Suddenly, warmth the like of whichI’d seldom felt rose up in my chest.
‘You…youbought a presentfor me?’
‘Bought? Don’t be ridiculous, girl! This isjust a little something I had lying around.’
‘And which you decided to give to me. Forfree.’
Two bushy eyebrows drew together into abristly hedge growing straight across his forehead. ‘Don’t overdoit, girl! Do you want it or not?’
Grinning like a loon, I reached out. Themoment I had the present in my hands, I wanted to rip off thestring and tear open the kraft paper—then, I glanced up at UncleBufford, who was carefully watching me. Smiling, I started tocautiously untie the string, unfold the paper, and handed both backto Uncle Bufford.
He nodded. ‘Thank you.’
‘You are welcome.’
Then I finally took a deep breath anddirected my gaze on the precious gift in my hand. It was a slimvolume. On the plain, black and white title page, were displayedthe wordsHow to Save Money and Live a Frugal Life—Ten EssentialRules, by Dr Dr Thaddeus Tightwad.
I felt a lump in my throat. Slowly, I raisedmy eyes to look at Uncle Bufford.
‘Thank you,’ I told him, meaning it likenothing ever before. ‘Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I havea feeling that this is going to bereallyhelpful for along, happy marriage.’
‘Hm. It’d better be. Long-term investmentsare generally far more profitable.’
I couldn’t stop the smile spreading on myface. ‘I’ll keep that in mind.’
Then I turned my smile on my dear auntie, whostood right next to my uncle with a complex expression on her face,like someone who had just received a favourite chocolate, only tofind out it was positioned at the bottom of a bottle of castoroil.
She gestured towards the book in my hand.‘It’s from both of us.’
