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Celeste stretched her hands out, one to each of them, and grasped them in greeting. A moment later she led them inside. Heading through the shop and out the back door, she ushered them in to a cozy room that served both as kitchen and sitting room.
r /> Seated around a large round table were several of the locals, looking towards the new arrivals expectantly.
The curtains at the window were pulled closed, but a lantern with a colored glass shade hung over the table, illuminating the faces of everyone gathered there. Multiple crystals hung around the room, reflecting the shifting colors and light. It was as if they’d come for a séance or some similar mystical happening. Sunny recognized everyone to be from the town. Willow was there, and she’d seen some of them in The Witch’s Brew Café. Others were shopkeepers, or she’d exchanged greetings with them, passing in the street. Some she’d chatted with at length, including the local librarian.
“Have we come at an inopportune moment?”
“Not at all,” Celeste replied. “Please, join us. Sit down before you pass out. You’ve turned quite pale.”
There were two empty chairs, apparently waiting for them.
Hesitantly, Sunny took up the seat.
Cullen sat alongside her.
Everybody around the table greeted them in welcome.
“I know you,” Cullen said, staring at Celeste. “You once told my fortune, here in this very house.”
“I did indeed, and as I recall you weren’t too happy with it.”
“No, but it has come to pass, I warrant you that.” Cullen wore a deadpan expression, but he broke into a grin, and laughed. “I did indeed disgrace myself in the name of honor, and brought a shadow of embarrassment over my family name.”
He seemed amused, which perplexed Sunny even more. She watched the exchange, trying to make sense of it. How could it be that Celeste and Cullen had met before? The answer presenting itself was so shocking she had to put her finger under her own jaw and shut her mouth manually. So, like Viscount Fox, Celeste had acquired longevity and had been alive for many decades.
Celeste gave them a gentle smile. “Relax. Take your time with this. Have some tea and a pastry.”
Sunny realized the table was set with pots of tea and coffee and several trays of tempting pastries.
“Tuck in, everybody,” Celeste said to the gathering. “We were waiting for you two to arrive.”
“But how did you know...?” A creeping sense of unease took hold of Sunny.
“Let’s just say I have a sixth sense. I’ve met Cullen before, a long time ago, and he’s every bit as handsome as I remembered.” Celeste nodded at Sunny, letting the message sink in. “Late 1700s, it was.”
Sunny swallowed. “It was you, you made it possible for me to travel back in time?”
“Not quite, no. I can’t take all the credit. But we’ll talk more about that in a moment. I did matchmake for you, and I have to say, you two were made for each other, so I hope you will forgive a little meddlesome matchmaking.”
“But how...?”
“Cornish magic, my dear. Cornish magic.”
“Are you a...a white witch?”
“Oh, you could say that. I prefer to think of myself as a healer, a granter of wishes. Some people balk at the term “witch.” Alas, it’s got rather a bad reputation.”
“You gave me the locket, so I could show him...so he would believe it enough to try?”
“That’s right. I thought it might help for you to have something from your time to show him.”
As the food and drinks were shared, friendly comments were exchanged. A mug of tea was put in front of her and Sunny sipped at it while she looked around the table.
One of the young women was the local librarian, a woman called Aveline. Sunny had many a chat with her, trying to establish the history of the cottage. Sunny was astonished to see her there. Aveline smiled at her. She had auburn hair and a taste for forties and fifties style clothing. She wore black-framed spectacles in the shape of cats’ eyes. Her makeup was always impeccable and her hair-do the same.
On the other side of the table was another familiar face. Eben ran the local blacksmith forge, a historical workshop open to the tourists. He forged knickknacks all day and tourists often purchased his goods after they’d been around the workshop. Eben hailed from Gambia and Sunny often chatted with him about their African heritage. Eben wore traditional blacksmith’s clothing, which made Cullen seem less obviously at odds in his old-fashioned garb. Adam Ward, a top chef and restaurant owner, was also there, along with the local barber and a young lass who did the baking for The Witch’s Brew Café, Rowena Meldrum. All those who were gathered were familiar to Sunny in one way or another. Raven’s Landing was not a big place.
The sweet tea helped ground Sunny...somewhat.
