The Vexation of Vampires by Chrys Cymri

Author:Chrys Cymri [Cymri, Chrys]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-02-25T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

The Doctor Who theme rang out from my iPhone. I put it down on the kitchen counter and activated the speakerphone. ‘Hi, Peter. I can’t talk long, I have an appointment in Kettering.’

‘Just wanted to thank you for last night,’ he said. ‘You’re a big hit with Katherine. Alice was wondering whether you wanted her to be a flower girl or a bridesmaid.’

‘She’s a bit old to be a flower girl.’ I paused to swallow down the last of my coffee. ‘I’m happy to have her as a bridesmaid. And I suppose we’d better have Luke as a page boy?’

‘That could be asking for trouble. But I’ll run it past Alice. Thanks for agreeing to this, Penny.’

‘It can go terribly wrong,’ I warned him, ‘giving children places in the bridal party.’

Peter chuckled. ‘Not with you there. Children listen to you.’

Morey flew into the kitchen and landed on the table. His beak stabbed in the direction of the wall clock. ‘I need to go,’ I told Peter. ‘See you Sunday?’

‘Of course. Love you.’

‘You too.’

Morey hopped onto my shoulder and I went through the connecting door to the built-in garage. The gryphon made himself comfortable on the passenger seat as I backed the car out into the grey morning. A smattering of rain drops made me return to the house to grab my waterproof coat.

Traffic on the A43 to Kettering was light. The rain, however, became heavier as I drove past Little Cransley and the Kettering Golf Club. The wipers fought to clear the windscreen, and I slowed down as I looked for signs to Newton.

The directions provided by Sue Harkness’ office took me down a narrow country lane. Water was pooling in the dips, and I lowered my speed even further. ‘Red post on the left,’ I reminded Morey as I concentrated on the road.

‘Just up ahead. I suggest you look for parking.’

I found a patch of grass and hoped that it wouldn’t turn to mud under my car wheels. With some difficulty, I managed to pull my jacket on while still in the car. ‘Umbrella?’ Morey asked hopefully.

‘If I have one, it’ll be in the boot.’

‘Let’s hope you have one.’

‘Gryphons must be used to getting wet,’ I said. ‘I didn’t see your clan carrying umbrellas.’

‘We get wet, and then we get miserable.’ Morey cocked his head. ‘Do you really want to spend the day with a miserable gryphon?’

So I dashed out into the rain to open the boot. Fortunately, the black umbrella was resting near a pile of empty carrier bags and a box of half used candles. I unfurled it and made a show of opening the passenger door. ‘Your carriage awaits, Lord Morey.’

The gryphon snorted, but leapt up to my shoulder. I locked the car, pocketed the keys, and sloshed my way over to the brightly painted wooden pole. At least the umbrella kept the rain out of my eyes as I studied the stile and the rain-soaked field beyond. The air smelled of wet grass blended with a sweet tone from the yellow flowers of the nearby fields.

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