A Charmed Life (Halloween LaVeau Book 5) Page 5

  Did he really think I’d fall for that? I hesitated as I rolled the idea around in my mind.

  He smiled at me again, as if offering one last plea. He did seem kind of sweet. I hoped that I wasn’t making the wrong decision. If this was some kind of trick to get the Book of Mystics from me then this guy was in for a rude awakening. I thought I was a good judge of character though and I hoped that I was right this time.

  “I suppose lunch with you would be okay,” I said.

  “Great, I’m starving. How would you like to go now?” He moved toward the door.

  I suppose the guests would be okay until I got back. After grabbing my big LaVeau Manor B&B tote bag—I’d had them especially made to give out to guests—I met him by the door.

  He opened the door and said, “You really need time to relax. I can tell you’re stressed.”

  I stepped out onto the porch and he closed the door behind us. “What makes you say that?”

  “Just the look on your face says it all.” He pressed the key fob and unlocked the car doors.

  “Do I look that bad?” I asked as we walked toward his red Audi.

  He waved his hand toward the house. “Look at the size of this place that you have to take care of.”

  He did have a point about that. “It’s a lot, but I manage,” I said.

  Arthur opened the door for me and then hurried over and got behind the wheel. He started the car and took off down the driveway. I glanced in the rearview mirror, back at the manor. It was an imposing structure to say the least. A veranda ran the whole length of the house. The place seemed to have a presence of its own. It was unique to say the least with the lush landscape, the river in back, and the cemetery nearby. A stone wall separated my property from the main road, and a crushed-pebble circle drive spanned the length of the manor.

  Everything would be okay while I was gone, but I still had a strange feeling that I shouldn’t leave. I had a tendency to be a little bit paranoid, so I had to push that thought to the back of my mind. What could possibly go wrong with me not there?

  As I looked over at Arthur, he grinned at me. Then it hit me—should I really be going anywhere with this stranger? Once he got me out of the house he could do anything he wanted to me. My mother had said not to talk to strangers. Of course, that had been when I was six—now she encouraged me to talk to strangers. Until I’d met Nicolas. She liked him. She was already strategically leaving bridal magazines around.

  I didn’t know what I was worried about. Annabelle had brought him over here. Of course, she’d been in a separate car, but regardless, I was thinking too much about this.

  “You sure are the quiet type,” Arthur said as he watched the road ahead.

  I glanced at him. “Me? You’re the one who barely speaks.”

  He smiled and said, “I just don’t know what to say.”

  I was at a loss for words too. This was an awkward conversation.

  “Have you always wanted to run a bed-and-breakfast?” Arthur asked.

  I was almost embarrassed to say it had been a hasty decision, but maybe that would explain a lot to him. Why was he asking so many questions about me? Maybe it was time for me to ask him questions.

  As I was ready to start my interrogation, my phone rang. I pulled the phone out of my bag and saw that it was Nicolas.

  “I was just calling to check on you,” he said when I answered.

  I glanced over at Arthur. “I’m fine.”

  Nicolas paused and I knew he was suspicious. So maybe I wasn’t fine and he’d picked up on that right away.

  “I’m sorry, I just had that strange feeling again,” Nicolas said.

  Well, he certainly had a sixth sense.

  I cast a glance at Arthur. “No need to worry.”

  “Where are you now?” he asked. “It sounds like you’re in a car.”

  “Actually, I’m with a guest. We’re going out to lunch. He’s moving to Enchantment Pointe and has some questions.”

  Nicolas was going to be suspicious of that right away. Maybe I was too naïve. I was the leader of the Underworld, for heaven’s sake. I should be more astute. Then again, Arthur really hadn’t done anything wrong. Even so, I was looking at him suspiciously again.

  “He?” Nicolas asked.

  I couldn’t talk to Nicolas about this in the car with Arthur. I had to wait until I got to the café and away from Arthur.

  “My phone is breaking up. I’ll call you soon,” I said.

  Nicolas might have thought I was lying, but my phone really was acting up. I’d barely hung up the phone with Nicolas when my phone rang again. I expected that he was calling back, but I saw the number was Liam’s.

  “Are you okay? I’m picking up a strange vibe,” Liam said. “The same feeling as I had earlier. I know something’s wrong.”

  Now I had Nicolas and Liam feeling the same way. “Everything is fine. I can’t talk now. I’ll call you later.”

  “But…”

  The call dropped. Maybe they were picking up something that I wasn’t.

  When I glanced at Arthur, he asked, “Is everything okay?”

  “Well, one call was my boyfriend and the other was my friend and colleague. I guess they were just concerned about me. I was having a stressful morning, needless to say.”

  “So your boyfriends?”

  When I looked over at him, he quirked an eyebrow. I chuckled. “Boyfriends? No. Boyfriend, yes.”

  “So the other guy isn’t a boyfriend? He seems a little bit concerned as well.” Arthur smirked.

  “I guess you could say he’s a close friend, but that’s all,” I said.

  Why was I explaining all of this to him?

  We drove in silence for just a little bit longer and then Arthur said, “You don’t have to hide the witchcraft from me. This is Enchantment Pointe, I know what goes on here.”

  “You know about that?” I said.

  He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. “Yes, I know about it.”

  Just how much did he really know? “So is the witchcraft why you’re in Enchantment Pointe?”

  “Do you mean do I practice witchcraft?” He didn’t take his eyes off me.

  I’d like to think that I would have gotten a notice if witches were coming into Enchantment Pointe, but I never received the memo. They didn’t tell me about it. People could be sneaky. If they had nefarious intentions, they wouldn’t tell me about them.

  “No, I’m not practicing witchcraft. Sorry—like I said, I’m just here for business. My friend and I are thinking about opening up a place in Enchantment Pointe. If we decide to do that, I’ll be staying here to run the place.”

  Oh, well, that all made sense.

  “Why didn’t you mention that earlier? What type of business is it?” I asked.

  We arrived in the middle of the historic part of town. Arthur drove down Main Street, which was lined with specialty shops and boutiques. Cobblestone sidewalks with old-fashioned lantern streetlights added to the charm. An old stone wall surrounded the outer edge of town with the river running just on the other side, twisting and turning around the outer edges of Enchantment Pointe.

  “We’re actually thinking about opening a bar for witches,” Arthur said.

  My eyes widened. “You want to compete with the Bubbling Cauldron?”

  “It would be no competition.” He spoke with a bit of cockiness in his voice.

  “The Bubbling Cauldron has been around forever.”

  “Our place would be different.”

  Chapter 10

  We passed by my mother’s Bewitching Bath and Potions Shop. She made up potions for people all over town. Annabelle had recently started working there also. She had a natural knack for stirring up potions. What would my mother and Annabelle say if they saw me in the car with Arthur? They’d want to know what the heck was going on.

  We pulled up to the café and Arthur cut the engine. “I hope the food is good.”

  “Not as good as mine,” I said as I
climbed out.

  The restaurant was packed full of people. The smell of burgers and fries floated through the air. Of course the place fell silent when I walked in. Everyone stopped talking or eating and stared as we walked across the room. I’d always gotten stares. This was nothing new. Back then it would’ve been because of my bad magic. Now it was because I was some sort of magical expert.

  The waitress sat us at a booth in the middle of the room. The fact that people were staring didn’t go unnoticed by Arthur.

  After the waitress left the menus, he asked, “Why is everyone watching you?”

  I looked at him over the top of the menu. “Do you want the long story or the short one?”

  He glanced around the room. “Well, we have a bit of time. I suppose I could listen to the long story.”

  “Since you said you know about Enchantment Pointe, then I guess maybe you know there is an Underworld.”

  Arthur quirked an eyebrow. The waitress brought over glasses of water and took our orders, interrupting the conversation for a moment. Of course that left Arthur wondering what I was talking about. When the waitress left, he looked at me for the answer.

  “You mean an actual world under this one?” He gestured toward the floor.

  I laughed. “No, nothing like that. It’s supernatural. They need someone to kind of oversee everything. I just happened to be that person in charge.”

  He stared at me the whole time. “You’re the one, huh?”

  I straightened the packages of sugar in the little container on the table. “That’s me.”

  He leaned back in the booth. “So you’re somewhat of a celebrity?”

  I shrugged. “Without the perks of being rich, sure. There are no paparazzi following me around, thank goodness.”

  The café door opened and a gust of wind rushed in. Napkins flew off tables and swirled through the air. When I saw who had entered, I tried to hide behind the menu. It didn’t help though. My mother headed for us. Her eyes were wide, but she wasn’t staring at me. She was looking right at Arthur. I knew she was on a mission to find out who this guy was.

  Annette stood by the table with her hands on her hips. She looked from me to Arthur and then back to me again. Did she think I was dating him? It was nothing romantic. I just wanted to find out what this guy was all about.

  I tossed my hand up in a wave. “Hi, Mom.”

  “Who is this?” She tapped her foot against the floor.

  “This is Arthur White. He’s staying at the bed-and-breakfast. I thought Annabelle would’ve told you.”

  She quirked her one real eyebrow. “I didn’t know you were having lunch with him.”

  This whole scene was turning awkward quickly.

  “Arthur, this is my mother, Annette.” I gestured.

  “Nice to meet you, ma’am.” He pushed to his feet and stuck out his hand.

  She glared at him for a moment and then finally grasped his hand. “It’s a pleasure.” I knew it was all she could do to utter those words.

  Just then, the wind picked up again. This time it was much more powerful. The force of air whizzed around the room like a mini-hurricane. Napkins and plates flew everywhere. It was complete chaos. My mother held her hair down with one hand and clutched the table with her other hand. Most people huddled under the tables.

  I knew what was going on… someone was practicing magic in the restaurant. But who? I scanned the room, looking for the culprit.

  Thankfully, the wind stopped and things settled down. People climbed out from under the tables and surveyed the damage. Silence filled the room. Suddenly the swoosh of fabric caught my attention. A woman rushed out the door. She wore a red cloak that covered her head. No matter the concealment, I still got the distinct impression this person was female.

  “What happened?” my mother asked breathlessly.

  I knew by the expression on everyone’s faces that they wanted to know the same thing.

  “I don’t know what that person was trying to do, but I have a feeling it wasn’t good.”

  Of course, I was the leader and everyone was looking at me. I needed to provide an answer, but that was something I couldn’t do right now. Somehow I would get to the bottom of it though.

  “What was that?” Jacob, the owner of the café, asked.

  “I don’t know, but I will find out,” I said.

  Arthur paid for the food while my mother and I hurried to the door. Everyone stared as I walked out of the café. I was sure they thought I was somehow responsible for what had happened. They were probably right about that.

  When Arthur came outside, I said, “Thanks for the lunch. I’m going to walk my mother back to her shop.”

  “No need for that. I’ll drop both of you off,” Arthur said.

  My mother eyed him up and down. “That’s not necessary.”

  “Please, I insist. After what just happened I wouldn’t feel right letting you walk all that way.” Arthur gave us a pleading look.

  My mother sighed and then said, “Thank you very much, young man.”

  We climbed into Arthur’s car and he drove over to my mother’s shop. After making sure that she was okay, we headed back toward the manor. There was one thing I had to do. I had to contact Nicolas. We needed a meeting so that we could go over who was in town. Maybe they had done something like this. Why would they have wanted to cast a spell at the café?

  I left Nicolas an urgent message to return my call as soon as possible.

  “What do you think happened back there?” Arthur asked.

  “She obviously cast a spell. What the spell was for and who it was against, I don’t know.”

  “Can’t you find out?” Arthur glanced over at me.

  I sighed. “I’ll try.”

  I hoped this wasn’t too serious. With any luck it was just someone playing a prank or just trying to scare someone. The pressure to find answers was a little overwhelming.

  “Could you ask the people at the restaurant if they think the spell was intended for them?” Arthur asked.

  “I doubt anyone would admit it. Besides, they might not even know they are the intended target.” I focused my attention back to the passing scenery. The beauty of the landscape helped ease the stress, even if it was only slightly.

  When we pulled up in front of the manor, Arthur asked, “Are you all right?”

  “That remains to be seen,” I said as I opened the door.

  As I was walking in the house, Nicolas called. I filled him in on what happened, but he had already heard a few of the details. News traveled fast in Enchantment Pointe. He said he’d be right over.

  Once inside the manor, I plopped down on the sofa. Pluto meowed, jumped down from the back of the sofa, and curled up beside me.

  Arthur stepped into the room. With all that was on my mind, I’d kind of forgotten about him.

  His eyebrows drew together in a frown. “If you’re sure you’re okay, I’m going up to my room.”

  I leaned my head back on the cushion. “I just need to think things through.”

  He stared for a moment longer. “Well… if you need anything…”

  I grinned. “Thanks.”

  Arthur walked out of the room and my phone rang. It was Liam. He’d probably heard what had happened too.

  “Word spreads very quickly,” Liam said when I answered.

  He’d had that feeling that something wasn’t right. Now he was convinced that his feeling had to be connected to what happened today at the café. Liam insisted on coming over too. That probably wasn’t a bad thing. I needed as much help with this as I could get.

  Pluto meowed and then hissed.

  “What is it, Pluto?”

  As far as I could tell, there was nothing to hiss at, but he was staring toward the foyer. I pushed to my feet and walked into the foyer.

  “See, Pluto, there’s nothing here,” I called out to Pluto, who was still in the parlor.

  Apparently the cat had decided to stay clear of the foyer for the time b
eing. What had spooked him, I had no idea. When I spun around to go back into the parlor, I bumped into Arthur’s chest.

  “Whoa, sorry about that,” he said as he grabbed my arms.

  “I thought you went upstairs,” I said, trying to calm down from the scare.

  Just then the doorbell rang. When I peeked out, I spotted Nicolas in front of the door. He had arrived in record time. I opened the door and he immediately hugged and kissed me. He paused when he spotted Arthur standing behind me.

  “Nicolas, this is the guest I told you about this morning, Arthur White. Arthur, this is my boyfriend Nicolas Marcos.” I smiled, hoping they would follow my friendly gesture.

  I’d finally gotten used to the word boyfriend. It had been a long time since I’d used that title for anyone.

  “Nice to meet you,” Nicolas said.

  “Same to you,” Arthur said in a polite tone.

  The men shook hands, but there was something about both of their postures that I found odd. They had tensed up around each other. I was fairly certain that they didn’t know each other, but they kind of acted as if they did.

  “I’ll just leave you two to talk,” Arthur said. “I have some unfinished business to attend to anyway.”

  He was extremely polite, so I couldn’t imagine what Nicolas could possibly find wrong with him. Arthur shook Nicolas’ hand again and then we watched as he walked out into the foyer and up the stairs. I wanted to wait until I was sure he had gone far enough away that he wouldn’t hear us. I felt Nicolas’ stare on me.

  “What?” I asked.

  He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know, it’s just that…”

  “You’re suspicious of Arthur?”

  He leaned against the arm of the chair. “Yes, there’s that.

  “You have to at least tell me why you think this,” I said.

  “Just a vibe I get, I guess.” He folded his arms in front of his chest.

  “Fair enough.” I stepped in front of him and touched his arm. “I’ve had those feelings in the past too.”

  “Then you know how I feel,” he said.

  “Of course I do… regardless, I can’t worry about Arthur right now. I have to figure out what happened at the café. I don’t even know what spell was cast,” I said.