ElsBeth and the Privateer, Book II in the Cape Cod Witch Series. J Bean Palmer

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СКАЧАТЬ what’s wrong?” he called out. “Your grandmother is not herself, and now you seem different and upset, too. All the marsh creatures are worried.”

      ElsBeth did have some things on her mind, but she didn’t feel she could burden the kindly bird with all that.

      “It’s OK, Thaddeus. It’s just the fairies again. Grandmother’s had a lot to handle with them lately. That’s all.”

      Thaddeus’s soulful eyes looked right through her. “I don’t think that is all, ElsBeth.”

      He paused a moment with her. “But remember, we marsh birds are here if you need us.”

      He flapped slowly away and called back. “We all love you and Hannah. Remember your friends.”

      Thaddeus swooped twice in a lazy circle, tipped his wings in salute, and was off to the nearby salt marshes for dinner.

      ElsBeth scuffed down the crushed shell drive, not seeing all the animals who watched her pass.

      Othello leaned over his pine branch perch. He didn’t miss much. The odd old owl blinked golden eyes that closely followed ElsBeth’s small figure.

      “There is something wrong with that young witch,” he hooted to himself.

      Persephone, the graceful yellow coyote, stepped along beside ElsBeth, but well hidden in the woods. She made no sound as she padded through the bushes, while ElsBeth crunched noisily down the drive.

      Persephone was a sensitive creature. She wasn’t going to intrude on the little witch’s thoughts, but she kept watch protectively over ElsBeth her whole way home.

      Three fat gray squirrels stopped their endless play and chatter and stilled as she passed them by.

      Thelonius Chipmunk, ElsBeth’s wildly talented neighbor, paused his musically percussive nut cracking to observe the witch’s unusually quiet mood.

      “That’s odd,” he said to Mehetabel, his mate. “ElsBeth always likes to hear my latest tunes when she goes by. I wonder what shakes?”

      Mehetabel turned from grooming her glossy red fur and began aligning her black stripes to best advantage.

      “You can never tell with witches. Strange and unpredictable creatures they are,” she added, vainly admiring herself in a pool of collected rainwater.

      Thelonius thought his mate was a more strange and unpredictable creature than any witch he’d ever met. But he carefully kept his mouth shut.

      A harmonious marriage in the chipmunk world required a lot of restraint. Maybe in any world. And he went back to gathering nuts and experimenting with a new beat.

      Thelonius operated on the guiding principle that one could never have too many nuts for a Cape winter. Or in the rhythm section of a chipmunk band.

      Sylvanas had been keeping an eye out for ElsBeth, too, waiting for her at the edge of the garden.

      But ElsBeth kept walking and didn’t even notice the distinctive cat, until she’d nearly stepped on his splendid tail.

      “Oh, sorry Sylvanas,” she said absently, but she continued walking, completely unaware the magical cat was waiting to speak with her.

      ElsBeth had been thinking she couldn’t easily talk with Grandmother now, and lately Bartholomew wasn’t much help either. She might have to try to take things up with Sylvanas again.

      She wasn’t happy about this, though. Sylvanas was exceptional in many ways, but not to talk to. That cat almost never gave a straight answer to any question put to him.

      Still, she needed to discuss things with someone, and decided it would have to be the mischievous Sylvanas after all.

      The big black cat had kept up with ElsBeth as she had blindly paced along the drive. She finally turned and saw him.

      Sylvanas somehow managed to look down on ElsBeth while actually looking up at the young witch. Sylvanas was tricky that way. Everyone always felt they were beneath Sylvanas somehow.

      Persephone watched the two magical beings. The small witch looked agitated, and the imposing cat looked … well … imposing.

      The coyote wondered what they were saying, but she had difficulty understanding English. She could see they were planning something, though. Coyotes were very good at picking up intentions.

      They had to be alert to survive in the world of people. But what were ElsBeth and Sylvanas up to exactly? She decided she had better keep an eye on these two. Something was definitely going on.

      A DISTURBING DINNER

      Hannah seemed even more distracted at dinner that evening. The whole-wheat pineapple upside-down cake was served right side up! Dessert was served before the main course, and they had no honey milk.

      There was no happy chatter, practicing of incantations, crystal ball readings or anything interesting. Things at Six Druid Lane were definitely not normal. Even for a magical family.

      Only Sylvanas was his usual self. He smiled secretly at odd moments. It was as if the cat had a cunning plan he was keeping to himself. He licked the heavy cream on his dessert, and purred with a satisfied grin.

      Chapter 8

      Boston or Bust

      On the day of the class trip ElsBeth woke up from a curious dream. She had seen a face that looked so familiar, but she couldn’t place it. Again she had seen a tunnel, and rooms and rooms full of gold and jewels. What did it all mean?

      And even though she had gotten up late, she took a few minutes to write everything down in her diary. She marked her place with the velvet ribbon and rubbed the silver bat at the end for luck.

      She threw on the first thing she found in her closet and ran down to breakfast.

      She found Grandmother in the kitchen, as usual. Her fluffy gray hair and face were decorated here and there with flour dustings. She looked pale and exhausted. But fresh-baked, hot cranberry scones were on the table, loaded with cream cheese and honey, just waiting for ElsBeth.

      For once she didn’t want to take her time and chatter away with her grandmother over breakfast. She gulped down her yogurt with nuts and berries and grabbed one of the cranberry scones.

      She kissed her grandmother on the tip of her floury nose and gave her an extra big hug, careful not to look her in the eye.

      She waved at the moon-faced grandfather clock in the corner, who winked back cheerily, and she was out the door.

      When ElsBeth got to the schoolyard, she found most of her classmates dressed as if they were going to see the President of the United States.

      Amy had on a pink satin creation from Laura Ashley, with patent leather shoes that shined blindingly in the morning sun.

      Veronica СКАЧАТЬ