Page 16 of Pure Magic
“I felt Betty’s spirit when I came down the hall.” It’s half pity, half scolding.
“Knowing I should follow my own path without seeking her approval and living that are vastly different things. She doesn’t like a man living under this roof.” I never lie to Prudence.
Small and hunched, Prudence is still a force fully alive and vibrant. She leans forward and takes my hand firmly. “Your mother was a fine woman, witch, and good leader of this coven. She was my good friend, but it was her arrogance that took her life too soon. I’m so very proud of how you see all sides of a situation and not only the narrow path of your mother.”
“My way has put this coven at risk.” My breath comes out as shaky as my resolve.
“You lead by doing what is right and having the respect of your coven, while she led by fear. I think your way is far better.” She squeezes my hand but keeps it firmly in hers. “What did Goddess say?”
“That we should find strength in each other, and that trouble is coming. She said he shouldn’t take the blame for things he didn’t do.” I spread my arms. “She was cryptic, as she always is. Deciphering Goddess is the job of a lifetime, not a few hours.”
Prudence chuckles. “That is for certain. Yet she said enough to cause you to let him stay in Windsor and invite him to reside here.”
“He intrigues me,” I admit. “I loved Orin with all my heart when I was a girl. I mourned him when he left and again when he died after the demon left him. In the thirteen years between my romance with Orin and now, I’ve not met a single man who…” I don’t know how to complete the sentence.
“You wanted?” Prudence’s eyes fill with sympathy.
I laugh. “I’m not a saint. I’ve not been celibate for my entire adult life, Great Mother. I have taken lovers to fulfill my needs. I barely know Adam, yet I know I would never use him in such a way. Though, perhaps if I did, this longing would diminish.”
Eyes full of light and joy, Prudence listens intently. “As you said, you don’t know him. Perhaps that is the first step in this journey. If trouble is coming, and Goddess is never wrong, you will need as many friends as you can gather. We all will.”
She’s right of course. There’s nothing to do but get to know the witch I just invited to live at the coven house. My mother’s spirit sizzles around me, but I shake it off. She had her time here to rule as she saw fit. This is my time, and I choose a different path.
For the next hour, Prudence and I talk of Esme’s baby and shop. She tells me she plans to visit Minerva and Jonah in their apothecary shop in a day or two, depending on how tired she is. We see them all often, but I suspect part of the visiting is to teach June and Trina something, though I don’t know what.
On the new moon, I hook a basket over my arm and go to Livy Walter’s house to check on progress. It’s been ten days since Adam moved out. He returns daily to work with the carpenter I’ve hired. Not sure what to expect, I approach with caution.
Livy is standing on her front step looking up at a man on a ladder, who’s painting the faded wood a fresh white. When she sees me, she turns bright red and meets me in the street. “I never expected this, Miss Ware. You do too much.”
I hand her the basket, and the scent of fresh bread and butter makes her stomach grumble. I smile. “It’s a small gesture. You made a fine point when last we met. My mother is gone over ten years, and I have not taken care as I ought.”
“I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.” She opens the basket and breathes deeply the warm, yeasty scents.
The painter waves, and I wave back. “When these small changes bring you more clientele for rooming, and you are doing well, perhaps then we can speak of it. Perhaps you know the recipe for your mother’s jam and will favor me with a jar from time to time.”
A wide grin spreads across her face, and she’s almost pretty despite the effects of a hard life. “I’ve not made that recipe for many years. I don’t know why I stopped, since those things give me pleasure.”
“Perhaps the why is no longer important, Miss Walters. We all deserve a little joy, don’t you think?” I feel Adam before he steps from the front door.
“Indeed, we do, Miss Ware. I shall tell everyone that you are as good as your word.” With a small skip, Livy rushes up the steps and inside with her basket of treats.
Joining me to watch the painter, Adam grins. He’s far too handsome for anyone’s good. We have made it a habit of sitting after the evening meal to talk at the table. I’ve learned much about his childhood in Scotland but more about visiting cousins in the lowlands for less harsh winters. “You’ve turned an enemy into a friend, I see.”
“She was never an enemy, just disillusioned with life and looking for someone to blame.” The scent of hard work and sawdust mixed with Adam is almost too much to endure.
“I’m done here for today. I wonder if you’d favor me with a walk in the park?” He offers his arm.
“Are you courting me, Adam?” It sounds like I’m scolding, but inside I’m not immune to the thrill of a handsome man asking for a walk.
“I warned you that I would.” He lifts a brow as if to challenge me.
No one should be so charming. Men like Adam MacNab are dangerous, my mother would say. “A walk, but I’ll not take your arm.”
We stroll down the street away from Livy’s house and head east toward the park. Adam clasps his hands behind him and makes no attempt to touch me or woo me into touching him. “It’s strange this gift Goddess gave. I cannot hear most of what you think, but from time to time I feel an emotion or thought that’s not my own, and there’s comfort within it. Even now, I felt how little you trust me, yet your wariness didn’t distress me. I like having this small bit of you with me.”
“I can’t understand why she gave such a gift, as you call it.” It’s frustrating that my blocks are not fully successful. Though, I don’t disagree with his description of comfort even when the thought is not of a pleasant nature.
“I sometimes see your dreams, Sara Beth,” he admits softly.
