The Blue Raven: A Magical Realism Romance by St Clair Marnie

Author:St Clair, Marnie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Clair de Lune Press
Published: 2023-11-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

“Helen tells me you’re leaving us,” Rachel said as she rung up Mary’s basket of groceries. There was an unmistakable note of disapproval in her tone.

It wasn’t the first time that Mary had had to tell the people she’d started to grow close to that life was taking her elsewhere. She’d learned there was only one way to approach it – with firm but regretful confidence. “Yes.”

“I can’t tell you how sorry I am to hear it.” Rachel spoke with tremendous sincerity. “You’ve become an integral part of the Ladies’ Guild – and the whole town – in such a short time.”

“I am sorry too. I have loved my time here. But I must go. The Department of Education—”

Mary broke off when Rachel’s gaze went over her shoulder. She found herself suppressing a shudder. She did not turn; she did not need to. She had a strong sense of who the malinger behind her was, based on the dread seeping into her.

“Ginny, how are you?” Rachel asked brightly.

Since the funeral, Mary and Ginny had been moving in some strange dance around town. Observing from a distance but always managing to avoid each other, the secret they shared a live thing between them. And now here she was.

“Tired of waiting.”

The voice, thick with bitterness, seemed very close to Mary’s ear. She knew those words were directed at her. She chose to deliberately misinterpret them. “Why don’t you ring up Mrs McCluskey first, Rachel, seeing as we are talking.”

“If that suits you,” agreed Rachel cheerfully. “Pass me your basket, Ginny, and I’ll sort you out first.”

Mrs McCluskey reached across Mary to hand her basket to Rachel. There were precious few items in her basket – particularly given the number of mouths she had to feed – and it pained Mary to see it. But then she raised her gaze to look at the woman, and caught the smirking expression on her face.

Mrs McCluskey knew exactly what had motivated Mary to send her to the front of the line; knew that Mary wanted her done and gone before she said anything damning.

She had the power to ruin Mary’s life; her life in Woodleigh at least. And right now, she couldn’t read from the other woman’s fixed harsh gaze whether she planned to exercise that power.

“I was just trying to convince Mary to stay in Woodleigh. Don’t you agree she should, Ginny?”

“Depends,” she responded in her guttural tone, still looking at Mary.

“With your children at the school benefitting from her teaching, and the little ones to come, I’m sure you do,” Rachel continued obliviously.

Ginny turned her attention to Rachel. “Person shouldn’t leave a place too soon,” she said in a heavy tone. “Not if they’ve got unfinished business they should be taking care of.”

Mary braced, wondering what Rachel would make of that, but the other woman just chuckled and replied, “Right you are there.”

She hated feeling like this – vulnerable and powerless. All her life, she had worked to keep her secret, and she would not allow anyone to hold it over her head.

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