Magic & Murder; Magic & Mystery; Magic & Mischief by Annabel Chase

Author:Annabel Chase [Chase, Annabel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Red Palm Press LLC
Published: 2019-01-27T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

I was massaging the cramp in my hand after drawing one too many runes for homework when a knock on the door startled me. PP3 ran to the door and gave it a hard sniff before deciding not to bark.

“No barking?” I queried. “Now I'm intrigued."

Simon stood on the front step in full butler gear. “Good day, Miss Rose. My lady would like to see you in her office posthaste.”

"Don't you have a phone?" I asked. "Did that relentless taskmaster make you walk all the way out here in your fancy clothes?”

Simon's expression remained blank. "I enjoy a good walk, miss. It keeps the blood flowing."

"If you say so,” I said.

We left the cottage and traipsed across the grounds toward the main house.

“Why do you call her ‘my lady,’ but she calls you by your first name?”

“Your aunt is the lady of the house,” Simon replied. “She asked for my preference many years ago and I answered her truthfully.”

"Am I in trouble? Is she mad that I haven't figured out who put the spell on Florian yet? Because I swear I’m working on it." More importantly, has she figured out that the frog in the house may not be Florian? My palms began to sweat.

"It is not for me to speculate, miss,” he said.

"So, do you have set working hours or are you at her beck and call?" I asked, trying to distract myself with idle chitchat. “Because you’re always around.”

"I live at Thornhold, but my lady is more than generous," Simon said.

“Do her silver bells annoy you?” I asked. “When you hear one now, do you just want to throw it across the room and smash it to pieces?”

He hesitated. "I have no such desire, miss. The enchanted bells assist me in serving my lady. I happen to enjoy being excellent at my job."

No argument from me there. Simon was an incredible butler, not that I had experience in such matters. My closest brush with a butler before now was playing Clue with Marley.

We arrived at the house and Simon led me to Aunt Hyacinth’s office.

I looked around eagerly. “Bonus! I haven't gotten to see this room yet."

"If you have a seat, my lady will be with you shortly."

I made myself comfortable in one of the leather chairs and waited for my aunt. The room seemed more like a library than an office. The walls were lined with bookshelves and a large mahogany desk sat in the middle of the room. The windows behind the desk provided a view of the grounds to the east. I imagined the view looked amazing when the sun rose in the morning.

"Thank you for coming so quickly, dear,” Aunt Hyacinth said, stepping into the office. She wore a golden kaftan that reminded me of an Indian sari. Her white-blond hair was pulled back in a French twist.

"It didn't seem like I had much of a choice," I said. "When Simon shows up on your doorstep in his fat tie, it's like the Terminator saying ‘come with me if you want to live.

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