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The first bed has cucumbers of a normal size, although without me knowing they were here, the cucumbers have grown too large to taste good. Many have been pecked at by birds or insects.
But in the centre of the greenhouse is a remarkable sight – one enormous cucumber easily the size (and roughly the shape) of a basset hound.
It’s magnificent. It’s the largest cucumber I’ve ever seen, and that includes the one Pax carries around in his tunic…
Ahem, never mind.
But it’s also in bad shape. The skin has started to wrinkle, and the leaves of the plant have shrivelled up and turned brown.
My mouth goes dry.
Dad must have worked so hard at this, and I let it die. How am I going to tell him—
Hang on, what’s that?
I step up to the sizable fruit and place my hand on the surface. A faint silver thread dances across the shrivelled skin. It looks similar to the silver threads that come from the ghosts and from people, although it’s a lot fainter.
My fingers tangle around the thread. I can barely feel it, but I close my eyes and concentrate. I close my fingers around the cord, and I give it a little tug.
“Brianna, what are you doing?” Edward asks mildly.
I can’t explain it, but something inside me shifts as I hold that cord. A warmth that spreads from my chest down my arms and into my fingers. I’m tingly all over, as if I’ve just walked through a ghost.
“By Apollo’s avaricious apples, it’sswelling,” Pax cries.
Stop it, Bree. Stop thinking filthy thoughts.
My eyes fly open. I can’t believe it. The cucumber reallyisswelling. The skin smooths out and the brown spots fade. My fingers that hold the cord sizzle with energy, and the silver cord glows brighter, almost as bright as Edward’s.
By the time I remove my hand, the cucumber looks as good as new.
“That’s intriguing,” Edward drawls.
Yes, it is.
I stare at my hand, unable to believe that once again, I brought back to life something dead. But how can that be? The cucumber doesn’t have unfinished business.
“This cucumber would feed an entire legion!” Pax claps his hands. “Let’s take it inside. Bake-Off last week had an excellent recipe for cucumber frittata I want to try—”
I throw myself in front of it before Pax can cut into it with the knife he’s no doubt concealed on his person. “No one is touching this cucumber. It goes from this greenhouse to the judging tent and that’s final.”
My life may be falling apart, but dammit, my dadwillwin the Grimdale Giant Vegetable Festival.
13
Bree
Bree: Hi Dani, just checking in cuz I haven’t heard from you. I really want to talk to you. I’m so sorry for dragging you into this mess, and I want to make us okay again. My parents are selling Grimwood, and it’s kind of breaking my heart, but not as much as knowing I hurt my best friend. Just text me when you’re ready to talk, okay?
“Mr. Pitts, I’m terribly sorry, but I’m going to have to cancel my tours today. My parents have returned from their travels, and they’ve decided they’re going to…” I can’t bear to say the words. “…sell Grimwood, and they need me to help them prepare the house for the agent.”
Mr. Pitts frowns. “Selling Grimwood? That’s a terrible shame.”
“Yeah.” I have to look away so he doesn’t see the tears brimming in my eyes. “It is.”
“I do wish you’d told me sooner. Thanks to that Ambrose Hulme video you posted, I’ve got two busloads of tourists down from London and a school group and I hate to cancel on them this late. I suppose I can do the tours, but I was hoping to make a start on stabilising the Witches’ Monument. It’s starting to list to the side, and if we don’t get on that, I’ll have Health and Safety on my ass.”
“Not to worry.” I step aside and gesture at Ambrose, who gives a deep bow. “This is my…um…my friend. His name is Ambrose too, isn’t that a wild coincidence? Anyway, he’s a local history buff and he’s taken the tour several times. He’ll have no problem leading the groups for me. And look, he even dressed for the occasion.”
