Chapter One
“ O ooh , it’s choppy out there!” Zinnia Amesbury complained as she slammed the front door, shutting off the cold wind. “Are you in the kitchen, Fern?”
Fern Amesbury popped her head from around the door, towards the back of the cottage, her long brown ponytail bobbing behind her.
“Yes! In here, Aunt Zinnia! I’ve brewed us a cuppa!”
“Thanks, love. Just what I need.” Zinnia shivered as she pulled off her coat, along with her matching rainbow-coloured knitted hat and scarf, shaking out her short blonde hair. Closing her eyes and muttering a few incantations under her breath, she snapped them open to watch the fireplace roar to life with a healthy burst of flames. Ahhh, that’s better , she thought, as she took her seat by the fire.
Fern walked into the front room, holding the two cups of tea, a plate of biscuits hovering in the air behind her, which all landed safely onto the coffee table. She settled into the sofa with a smile as she warmed her hands around the hot mug of tea.
“How was your afternoon? So nice of you to work on a Sunday. Any better luck with Roman?”
Fern was aware that Zinnia was having a little trouble with one of the horses in the field nearby.
Zinnia shook her head, pulling her eyebrows together. “No, not yet. He’s stubborn as a mule and I told him just as much, which seemed to affront him even further. We decided to give each other some space for the remainder of the afternoon.”
“I’m sure you’ll get through to him. Don’t worry - you always do. You know you’ve broken through to the toughest of animals.”
“Hmmmm. I’m thinking that I may have to throw in a little spell if he refuses to cooperate for much longer. Poor old farmer Jerry is at his wits end with him. He even mentioned selling him on if his behaviour doesn’t improve by next weekend.” Zinnia took a sip of her tea and closed her eyes. “Good tea, Fern. I can taste the mint and fennel herbs.”
Fern let out a little laugh. “I was trying to be discrete…but you picked up on them so fast.”
Zinnia shot her a grin. “My darling, I have been a witch for a lot longer than your eight years.”
“That’s very true. Can’t believe it’s been eight years already, since my sixteenth birthday. How time flies.”
A sad look washed over her face and she quickly ducked her head.
“I know, Fern. It’s zoomed past. I miss your mother all the time as well.” Her voice lowered gently. “But I know Iris is watching over us… and she’d be so very proud of you and your sister.”
“I hope so…I just wish I had a better relationship with Calla. I mean, she’s my only sibling…and yet she hates me.” Fern shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.
“She doesn’t hate you, my love…she’s just a little uncertain of where she stands with us. Of course, with you being the one to inherit the full set of the family gifts, just like I did in my family, it’s made her feel a little left out. Especially, with how close she was with Iris.”
Fern nodded her head slowly. She couldn’t help it that she was one bestowed with the magical gifts instead of her younger sister. It wasn’t her fault!
“I’ll try harder with her, when she returns back from her backpacking trip.”
“I know you will, dear. But it’s not you who has to make a bigger effort. We had a long talk before she left last week and she’s promised to help out with The Magic Garden when she’s back.”
Fern raised her eyebrow. Calla had turned her nose up at the suggestion of going into business with her. But not perturbed, and with Zinnia’s backing, Fern had bought the literally, d ying local florist business in their small village of Thackery and had renamed it The Magic Garden. She managed to turn it around and business was now flourishing with new customers and plants. Of course, it helped that with a little bit of magic, the plants and flowers always bloomed a little bit brighter and the flowers lasted
“ O ooh , it’s choppy out there!” Zinnia Amesbury complained as she slammed the front door, shutting off the cold wind. “Are you in the kitchen, Fern?”
Fern Amesbury popped her head from around the door, towards the back of the cottage, her long brown ponytail bobbing behind her.
“Yes! In here, Aunt Zinnia! I’ve brewed us a cuppa!”
“Thanks, love. Just what I need.” Zinnia shivered as she pulled off her coat, along with her matching rainbow-coloured knitted hat and scarf, shaking out her short blonde hair. Closing her eyes and muttering a few incantations under her breath, she snapped them open to watch the fireplace roar to life with a healthy burst of flames. Ahhh, that’s better , she thought, as she took her seat by the fire.
Fern walked into the front room, holding the two cups of tea, a plate of biscuits hovering in the air behind her, which all landed safely onto the coffee table. She settled into the sofa with a smile as she warmed her hands around the hot mug of tea.
“How was your afternoon? So nice of you to work on a Sunday. Any better luck with Roman?”
Fern was aware that Zinnia was having a little trouble with one of the horses in the field nearby.
Zinnia shook her head, pulling her eyebrows together. “No, not yet. He’s stubborn as a mule and I told him just as much, which seemed to affront him even further. We decided to give each other some space for the remainder of the afternoon.”
“I’m sure you’ll get through to him. Don’t worry - you always do. You know you’ve broken through to the toughest of animals.”
“Hmmmm. I’m thinking that I may have to throw in a little spell if he refuses to cooperate for much longer. Poor old farmer Jerry is at his wits end with him. He even mentioned selling him on if his behaviour doesn’t improve by next weekend.” Zinnia took a sip of her tea and closed her eyes. “Good tea, Fern. I can taste the mint and fennel herbs.”
Fern let out a little laugh. “I was trying to be discrete…but you picked up on them so fast.”
Zinnia shot her a grin. “My darling, I have been a witch for a lot longer than your eight years.”
“That’s very true. Can’t believe it’s been eight years already, since my sixteenth birthday. How time flies.”
A sad look washed over her face and she quickly ducked her head.
“I know, Fern. It’s zoomed past. I miss your mother all the time as well.” Her voice lowered gently. “But I know Iris is watching over us… and she’d be so very proud of you and your sister.”
“I hope so…I just wish I had a better relationship with Calla. I mean, she’s my only sibling…and yet she hates me.” Fern shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.
“She doesn’t hate you, my love…she’s just a little uncertain of where she stands with us. Of course, with you being the one to inherit the full set of the family gifts, just like I did in my family, it’s made her feel a little left out. Especially, with how close she was with Iris.”
Fern nodded her head slowly. She couldn’t help it that she was one bestowed with the magical gifts instead of her younger sister. It wasn’t her fault!
“I’ll try harder with her, when she returns back from her backpacking trip.”
“I know you will, dear. But it’s not you who has to make a bigger effort. We had a long talk before she left last week and she’s promised to help out with The Magic Garden when she’s back.”
Fern raised her eyebrow. Calla had turned her nose up at the suggestion of going into business with her. But not perturbed, and with Zinnia’s backing, Fern had bought the literally, d ying local florist business in their small village of Thackery and had renamed it The Magic Garden. She managed to turn it around and business was now flourishing with new customers and plants. Of course, it helped that with a little bit of magic, the plants and flowers always bloomed a little bit brighter and the flowers lasted
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