Page 43 of Potions and Proposals
“She does make a great mimosa!”Though it’s more alcohol than orange juice.She silently thanked Rosie for making him feel welcome. Rosie knew what it was like to be new in town.
“I’ll see you tomorrow!” Emerson waved, heading down the path. Lucy waited until he’d secured the gate behind him before she closed the door.
“He is so handsome; that sandy hair reminds me of your grandfather,” Grams sighed, lingering at her back. “If I was forty years younger…”
“Ha. Don’t let that stop you,” Lucy teased.
“Don’t encourage her,” Wilhelmina said.
“I was just saying to Lucy, Wilhelmina, what a lovely young man he is. Exactly what we asked for, in fact.”
“He also held up impeccably well under Benedict’s scrutiny,” Wilhelmina agreed.
“Youcan’t think the spell brought him too,” Lucy groaned.There’s no spark between us!Then again, she and Benedict might have spark, but it was more like full-blown forest fires. Maybe her mum and Grams had a point. “Dad recommended him to the university weeks ago. He would have come whether or not the spell was cast.”
“Still, the timing is interesting,” Grams pointed out. “But even if it was the spell, the choice is yours.”
“Don’t you think he’s…tooperfect?” Lucy asked, replaying dinner and their earlier introduction. Benedict had managed to get a rise out of him, so she knew there was at least some anger beneath his passive demeanour.
“I’m sure he was nervous, but coming here shows courage. Nothing’s stopping you from getting to know him. Forget about the spell and let your feelings guide you,” Wilhelmina said, echoing what Grams had said in the kitchen.
“What about the binding and my responsibilities to the coven?” Lucy fretted, pulling at her sleeves. “If they even get a whiff that I’m getting close to someone, it could ruin my chances.”
“The world won’t end if you don’t bind yourself to Benedict, or decide against leading the coven,” Wilhelmina said, resting a hand on her shoulder.
Lucy was taken aback. They’d been talking about her taking her mum’s place since she was in nappies. Her palms began to sweat; she really couldn’t handle any more ifs. She resolved to only focus on what she did know.
“I’ll do as I promised the coven unless Benedict changes his mind. Emerson is only here to collect the grimoire and work at the university. That’s all we know for certain. I already have to deal with—” Lucy stopped herself before she said too much. Thankfully, they didn’t catch it.
“Everything seems overwhelming now, but a good night’s rest can make everything better.” Grams wrapped her arms around her granddaughter.
“Let’s see where the next few weeks take you. I’ve no doubt things will work out as fate intended,” Mum said, leading them towards the staircase.
“Do you always have to be so cryptic? I wish you’d tell me what to do,” Lucy whined, hugging her mum goodnight.
“It’s my job to let you find your path, as we chose ours.” Mum looked at Grams with a soft smile.
“Are you speaking as a mum or High Priestess?” Lucy asked. They might understand what it was to be a High Priestess, but they’d inherited their seats, whereas she was meant to either marry Benedict or face an election. It was a totally different set of stressful circumstances.
“Both.” Mum winked. “Get some rest.”
Lucy nodded, before heading upstairs to her room.
“Please don’t jump!” Benedict appeared from the shadows by the balcony as Lucy stood by the circular window seat.
Thankfully,her room was protected with a sound-proofing spell, so Lucy’s squeal shouldn’t disturb the rest of the house. However, Chaos – peacefully asleep on her cat tower– jumped as much as her owner with a hiss.
“How did you even get in?” Lucy snapped, before noticing the balcony door by the right of her bed was open. However, the smell of smoke distracted her.What’s burning?
Benedict rushed past her. She gasped in horror as he ripped her smoking curtains from the window and stomped out the sparks.
“Damn it, Lucinda, you’ve to be more careful!” he barked, gathering up the singed material. “You could’ve set the house on fire.”
“It’s a pity it wasn’t you,” she grumbled, glad he hadn’t used her magic to put them out and accidentally flooded her room.
He tossed the curtains under her desk to conceal them from sight and straightened his jacket. Seeing him rattled, cheeks flushed, was new and worth nearly setting her room on fire.
“I didn’t do it on purpose, and I wouldn’t have set them on fire if you hadn’t surprised me!”
