Page 16 of The Book Reader
Stepping out, I take a deep breath as the smell of the flowers hits my nose, making me smile. My smile gets bigger when I hear my aunt.
“Well, it’s nice of you to finally show up,” she laughs, putting down her basket of trimmings to give me a hug.
“It’s eleven o’clock in the morning, Aunt May, that’s not late,” I smirk as she pulls back to look at me.
“It is when you don’t come and visit often. It’s been almost six months.” She looks sad when she says those words. She’s right, it has been a long time, but I have my reasons as to why Ihaven’t come back more often. Moving to pick up her basket, I follow her into the kitchen and place it next to the sink.
“I know… I’ve been busy with the club an?—”
“Dating, I hope?” She cuts me off and looks at me with a smirk.
She looks so much like my mum did when she was younger, so much so that I often find myself wondering if my mum would have looked like this when she got to fifty. Would she have had the same salt and pepper hair? Glasses? Her frame is slight but strong.
I pick up another cookie and shake my head. “I don’t have time for men, Aunty.”
“Why not?” Her tone comes out sharp, but I know she means no harm. She thinks I need a man to look after me.
“I work too many hours, I hardly have enough time for myself, let alone adding in a man.” I nibble on my cookie, leaning against the counter, knowing that this isn’t over yet. I know I’m in for a lot of questions I’m not ready for.
“You have time for a young man, lady, you just haven’t found the right one yet. You will make time when he comes along.” She gives me a knowing look as she moves to pull the pudding out of the oven.
“You are just like your mother, you know. I remember her being all career-minded until your father came along. Suddenly she had time, and a few months later, she was married with a baby on the way. Life has a way of changing things, you’ll see.”
I chew on my cookie without answering. Yes my mother dropped everything for my dad, but they were meant for each other. Shrugging, I push off the counter and move to sit at the table at the back of the kitchen. “I just don’t want to waste my time, Auntie. I’ve dated. Just no one I’m ready to give everything up for.”
She turns to me and grins. “Want me to cast a little spell?”
I shake my head fast, horrified. “No, no magic… I want it to be natural if it’s going to happen.” Plus, what she doesn’t know is that I already cast my own couple of years ago, and all I got were dreams of a blue-eyed man.
“Well, just ask and it’s done.” She winks.
“Auntie?” She turns to face me. “Why did you never marry?” I ask her. I’ve always wondered.
She frowns for a moment and then comes to sit opposite me at the table, her eyes turning sad. “I dated and I thought I found the one,” she says as she leans back in her chair, and I can tell she’s choosing her words carefully.
“Just say it,” I prompt her.
She looks thoughtful for a moment and then sighs. “When your mother and father died, things changed a lot for the family. It was only your grandfather and me left, and we had to be careful who we trusted.”
I was young at the time when all this happened, but I remembered a huge fight. “You argued with him about it?”
My aunt May nods her head. “I had a boyfriend, and your grandfather didn’t trust him. He was right not to.” A small tear leaks out.
“What happened?” I ask.
“He was trying to steal something from us, from your grandfather.” Her voice turns hard. “He broke into this house when we were away. The wards let him past because I’d given them permission to let him in. He didn’t get far though. The cottage knew he was up to no good and locked him in the cellar.” She laughs and I let out a surprised giggle. This cottage has always had a mind of its own. I used to think it was ghosts when I was younger.
Picking up my lemonade, I take a sip. “What happened to him?”
My auntie stands, pulling her shoulders back, and I know that’s the end of the conversation. “He left,” is all she says.
“What do you mean, he left?” I stand up as well, wanting to know more, but my aunt just shakes her head.
“Don’t worry your pretty head, okay? He left, and that’s the end of it.” Her last words come out in a tone that tells me not to push, so I just nod.
“Okay, I’m going to go shower,” I say as I pick up my drink and take a sip.
“Ari? Sometimes things are better left in the past.” I decide not to answer. Best not to upset her further.
