"Willow's Sleuthing Tail" 1

The morning that ended the sibling power challenge between Willow and Thistle had dawned bright and sunny, but decidedly grey and cloudy for Perfidia.

Things were not back to normal, even after that dark cloud of menace left her home. Perfidia had been prepared to go to Martha’s house to find out if Jon had waited there for her, and she was prepared to tell him the truth about her insecurities. How it was the reason she’d charmed a bracelet to keep his interest in her from wavering, but then her mother showed up, unannounced on her doorstep, and the news she brought was upsetting.

Someone had taken her grandmother’s recipe book, it hadn’t been lost on the day of her father’s funeral it had been stolen! And now, after all these years, the thief had entered one of the recipes into a contest in her mother’s home town. Her mother, Marigold, had driven all night to tell Perfidia what she’d learned and ask for help to locate the book, and the thief.  

The stolen recipe book wasn’t just filled with her grandmother’s recipes; it was filled with centuries of ancestor’s recipes, along with handwritten notations offering sage advice and anecdotes. The thick, leather-bound journal had been added to by each owner and passed down to the first-born child.

Perfidia remembered the well-worn cover and the first entry in the book. It’d been written by her great, great, great, great grandmother, Phoebe, and it was for a sinfully, delicious lemon meringue pie. Perfidia had tasted that pie only once. When she’d asked her mother to make it for her eleventh birthday party; the year before her father passed away.

Her dad died a month before her twelfth birthday and on the day of his funeral the recipe book had gone missing. Perfidia and her mom had searched everywhere for it and her mother assumed, in her grief, she’d misplaced it, but they never could find it. Now they knew why. It had been stolen.

 

 

“Don’t dawdle, Perfidia. You need to hurry and pack. I need you and Martha with your familiars at my house as soon as possible,” Marigold demanded before walking back towards the front door. “And I expect you all to be in Hibiscus Falls by this evening,” were her parting words before she drove off.

Perfidia turned to Martha with a bewildered expression. “Why would anyone want to take my ancestor’s recipe book? And why keep it hidden from us all these years to suddenly enter my grandmother’s Halloween crumble into a contest? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“It’s baffling,” Martha nodded, “And a mystery your mother expects us to solve.”

“That she does,” Perfidia agreed with a sympathetic smile, “but I understand if you aren’t up to taking on another challenge, after everything that’s happened this week. Willow’s cat-napping, her twin trying to usurp her powers, and then having to fight off an intruding darkness all night? I’m sure you need some quiet time to recoup.”

“I do need to sleep, but I want to help too. And everything, well mostly everything, turned out alright. Willow and Thistle are safe and no longer rivals for power and thankfully, that intrusive dark matter dissipated. And I might not have slept a wink last night, but neither did you.”

“I guess we can take turns napping and driving, if you’re sure you and Willow want to do this.”

Martha looked at the black cat sitting next to her. “Do you Willow?” she asked.

Willow had been listening intently to their conversation and gave a slight nod of her little, furry head telegraphing her agreement. 

Martha smiled. “It appears we both want to help. We’re also intrigued to know why the thief is taunting you with that recipe, after they’ve had the book for over a decade.”

“I’m wondering why too.”

Willow gave a curious meow and Perfidia smile. “I’m sure with your help we can solve this, Willow.”

Chaos’s grumble-meow made Perfidia reach down and pick up her familiar. “Your help is needed too and I’m thankful you’re here.” She scratched his little furry head making him purr. 

Pacified by the recognition, Chaos jumped from her arms and sat next to Willow.

“I’ll help clear the breakfast dishes before we leave and I can brew us a strong pot of tea so we can have a cup or two before we get started on that long drive.” Martha suggested.

“Tea sounds perfect,” Perfidia nodded and they walked back to the kitchen.

Perfidia thought it odd another havoc was occurring; it seemed they hadn’t stopped since she showed up on Martha’s doorstep last summer. Her frown deepened as she mulled over that fact.

“You know what I just realized, Martha, ever since the day I ran to your house to escape Roger’s mother’s wrath, we’ve been doing nothing but fielding havocs.”

Martha nodded. “That feels true. I guess Miriam’s misguided jealousy last summer opened a nest of havoc for us.”

“Yeah, a havoc that keeps on giving. And after last night’s forced revelations, everything isn’t back to normal, not for everyone.”

“You’re right. There are things that remain unsettled.” Martha agreed picking up the tea kettle and filling it with water.

Perfidia gathered the breakfast dishes from the table and brought them to the sink to clean as she considered the unsettled things lingering since last night. 

“You and Dylan aren’t as close as you were before that darkness descended on us, and Jon and I…” she glanced at the pantry door and sighed,” “Well, I’m not sure what’s going on with him since he didn’t wait to talk with me.”

“It seems our relationships are out of balance, and in need of tactful repairs and explanations.”

“What you’re saying is Dylan needs to explain his newest omission to you?”

Martha shrugged. “He wasn’t completely honest but I’m hopeful we’ll get back to where we were before this stumble, “ she gave Perfidia a half smile and added, “eventually.”

“And eventually, if you do...it will be where you were plus a dog,” Perfidia chuckled, “I’m not sure Willow can accept a canine added reconciliation.”

The kettle whistled and Martha shut the burner. She picked up the kettle and poured hot water over the tea leaves in the two cups she’d prepared . “I understand Dylan’s dog, Frankie, was pivotal in the successful outcome of the sibling power struggle this morning, so I believe Willow will accept that dog."

“Really, the dog helped the cats?”

“He did. Frankie intervened at a critical moment helping Willow and Thistle break the curse.”

Perfidia’s brow went up in surprise. “Okay, that’s something in the dog’s favor.”

“It is.” Martha agreed and brought the filled teacups to the kitchen table while Perfidia plated two blueberry scones for them.

“I’m happy Willow wasn’t harmed, and she and Thistle can be friendly siblings. And I’m glad you’re hopeful you and Dylan will eventually find a silver lining in last night’s reveal.”

“And I’m sure you and Jon will work things out too.”

Perfidia scoffed, “I wish I could be as optimistic as you but with Jon’s disappearing-act this morning, I’m not seeing the reconciling possibilities for us.”

“But you’re going to my house to see if he’s waiting for you. Aren’t you?”

Perfidia took a long sip of her tea then shook her head. “No. It’s too late for that. I need to pack and get on the road. It’s a six-and-a-half-hour drive to my mother’s house and you heard her, she expects us there by tonight,” she concluded picking up a scone.

“You should let Chaos reopen the portal and see if he’s there. You need to know.” Martha insisted.

“What I need, is another cup of your strong, spirit lifting tea, not a conflicted conversation with Jon. I don’t have time to waste. I have to walk to Avery’s hidden abode, which is now located in my back acres, and ask Daphne to keep an eye on my house, and open the store for me too.”

Martha knew it wouldn’t do any good to disagree or offer an alternate opinion again, so she didn’t.

“Since Daphne agreed to help Odessa with the flower arrangements for Gloria and Roger’s wedding, to make up for nearly ruining it when she stole the ghost orchids, working in your store could help her make amends sooner. And If you’ll allow Odessa to pick some of your rare blooms for the table arrangements, I know that would please her.”

“I’ll tell Daphne she’s welcome to offer anything from my green houses to Odessa for the wedding. “

“Odessa will be very pleased. I know, even though she got the ghost orchids back, there was time wasted and it set her back. The wedding is only three weeks away.”

“So it’s a good thing Daphne is staying to help her.”

“And it’s nice that she and Avery are back together and making a new start.”

Perfidia hid her frown behind her tea cup and nodded. ”Sure, but even better, it means I can ask her to help me while we’re away at my mother’s house.” Perfidia shrugged and finished her tea.

Martha picked up the tea pot and poured more tea into their cups. “Speaking of Daphne and Avery, it’s nice you’ve let them stay on the back acres of your land.”

Perfidia shrugged. “You want me to admit it was selfish? Okay, it was a little selfish. I like having my cousin around, even if it means Avery’s home has to stay settled on my land, it gives us a chance to be friends again.”

“You know they’ve taken the stray familiars, Thistle and Ram, into their home too?”

“Daphne always had a soft spot for strays.”

“Is Daphne her legal name now?” Martha asked.

“She told me she’d legally changed it from Priscilla last year.”

“Then Daphne it is,” Martha smiled, “and I’m happy she and Avery uncovered the truth in their misunderstandings and re-discovered their feelings,” she said as she began to clear the empty teacups.

“Yeah, that’s great,” Perfidia grumbled, still miffed her cousin and Avery had caused Willow’s disappearance, the sibling rivalry between Willow and Thistle and the interfering darkness that put the rift between her and Jon. and yet they, Avery and Daphne, had come through it unscathed.

“Speaking of getting to the truth,” Martha nodded towards the pantry door, “Why don’t you take a minute to visit a certain someone before we hit the road?”

Perfidia’s eyes narrowed on that door and she shook her head. “I think distance is the best solution for us right now.”

Martha frowned, “I’m not sure it is.”

Perfidia gave her a stubborn look. “If you’ve forgotten, it was Jon who put this distance between us. If he’d wanted to resolve our issues, he would have kept the portal open between my kitchen pantry and yours and given us a chance to talk it out, he didn’t. And he was the one who asked Daphne’s parrot familiar to close it; his decision, not mine.”

“But Perf-” Martha wanted to ioffer her thoughts but Perfidia continued uninterrupted.

“I know you think Jon did it to provoke a gesture of love from me, a show of emotion, but…I’m not moved to do that anymore. What I am moved to do, is pack and get on the road. Like I said, it’s a six-and-a-half-hour drive to Hibiscus Falls and if we want to get there before dark, we need to leave soon. “

Martha was sure Perfidia would regret her decision once they left but she could see in Perfidia’s eyes the subject was closed for discussion. “Alright, Willow and I will take the path through the meadow to my house and be back as soon as we can.” She began walking towards the backdoor with Willow by her side but Perfidia’s quiet words stopped her.

“Martha, if Jon is there, waiting for me…”

Martha turned. “Yes?”

“Tell him, if he wants to talk, he’ll have to wait till I get back from my mother’s.”

Martha nodded. “Alright, I’ll tell him…if he’s still there,” she mumbled the last under her breath and stepped outside.