Page 24 of The Curse of Indy Moore
Before Mr. Hawthorne jumped down, he said, “Do not fret. This won’t take long. If your lovely tavern owner here doesn’t mind, I will return in a few moments to answer what I can.”
Ysabel nodded. While Mr. Hawthorne and my family headed for the stairs, Baxter took my hand.
“Be careful,” he warned, pointing his glare on Mr. Hawthorne’s back.
I squeezed his hand, then followed everyone upstairs. The rooms at the tavern were simple, nothing more than a bed, a nightstand, and a pair of muted brown curtains. Once, Ysabel had hunting memorabilia in the rooms, but one of the drunks knocked a deer head off the wall before nearly impaling himself on it. They were removed and replaced by paintings done by a local hobbyist.
My aunt took the first empty room, where I sat Susannah on the bed, while Mr. Hawthorne shut the door. Miss Beamy hopped into Maude’s lap to provide a perfect distraction. Giggling, the girls scratched under her chin. I couldn’t have been more grateful. Admittedly, also a tad jealous because she hadn’t been as keen for attention from me when I would so willingly give it.
Mr. Hawthorne placed his hands behind his back. “To speak bluntly, Miss Moore shall stay with me for the time being.”
My aunt’s expression darkened. “What? Where? For how long?”
“We aren’t sure.” I took her arm when she looked to be struggling to stand. She leaned against me but couldn’t decide whether to face me or Mr. Hawthorne.
“Trust me, this is for the best,” I urged and pointed at my ears. “These aren’t all that has changed. I’m not myself at night, and it wouldn’t be safe to be around any of you.”
Charlotte sat on the bed with the twins. Miss Beamy had their undivided attention, but Charlotte was too old to be caught in the play. She worried over her bottom lip, her voice coming out as a whisper, “You won’t be gone long, will you?”
“I will do my best to return Miss Moore to you sooner rather than later, and she can stay in touch. Sending letters is easy enough.” Mr. Hawthorne was better at dealing with this than I expected. He danced around the honest answer, that we did not know what to expect.
Aunt Agnes rubbed her hands together. “Thank you. I appreciate all you’re doing for my girl. The payment—”
“Is unnecessary,” Mr. Hawthorne interrupted. “I am a scientist, and Miss Moore’s condition is rare. As payment, I’ve accepted this case to further our knowledge concerning curses, although I want to reassure you she will be well taken care of. I can do nothing without her consent.”
If I didn’t have manners—and wasn’t desperate—I would share how he took more convincing than he played off.
Miss Beamy rubbed her nose against Maude’s cheek when she cried and whispered, “If he annoys her in any way, I will bite all of his fingers and toes.”
Maude giggled and hugged her tight, making the poor old girl wince. Charlotte tapped Maude’s head, reminding her to be careful, but I appreciated Miss Beamy’s presence. She eased the girls with her loud purring and let them twirl her tail around their fingers.
“While you safely went into the woods today, I would suggest avoiding it in the future,” Mr. Hawthorne added. “I do not believe the demon will come after any of you, but since your niece is fighting this curse, it would be best to be cautious.”
“I don’t think I want to go into the woods ever again,” Susannah whispered.
Based on my aunt’s expression, she wouldn’t let them go near it, regardless.
“I know this is a lot, but please don’t worry. There will be some, uh, helping hands arriving soon,” I said, earning a confused look from my aunt. I wasn’t much help, considering I wasn’t entirely sure what they were, either.
“Yes, a fellow artificer has offered to help in Miss Moore’s absence. They are mannequins enchanted to assist with chores both inside and outside of the home. Along with that, with your permission, I would like to lay a protective enchantment on the house as a precautionary measure. It would require runes written on the main walls of the structure,” he explained.
“Yes, yes, of course, if you think that is best. This is… I appreciate all you are doing for us. Thank you,” Aunt Agnes said.
“You are very welcome.” Mr. Hawthorne turned to me. He felt entirely different to the pouting man at Ivory House, more in his element. “I suggest you take this time to walk them home and collect your belongings while I speak with everyone downstairs. Remember, time is of the essence.”
“I will walk home with you,” Miss Beamy declared, except Maude had the cat in her arms so carried would be the more appropriate term.
Aunt Agnes said nothing when taking my hand. Together, we descended the stairs in solemn silence.
Yet again, I put her in a poor situation. She worried over me when I wasn’t meant to be the one she worried about. Carline’s deal looked better and better every moment. They wouldn’t be going through this if I accepted. There would be no worry, no strife, no struggling, just a life of leisure that they more than deserved.
Downstairs, Mr. Hawthorne took to the counter to accept questions, and Baxter waited near the door, his gaze fixated on me.
7
Where Indy Packs Her Life
Baxterwantedtotalk.I wasn’t entirely certain I wanted to listen. Being near him made my heart soar and drop all at once. We shared our first kiss by the Keinon River, where I stupidly imagined us doing the same when we were old and gray. On rainy days, he would ask for a dance, and we’d laugh as the droplets drenched us. Every week, we tried to meet in the field for a picnic while watching the kids fly their kites. Our time together was dream-like, romantic in a way we could actually ask for, but all that time meant more to me than him.
