Amanda Cadabra and The Strange Case of Lucy Penlowr by Holly Bell (best english novels for beginners .txt) 📕

‘Oh, I’m still going out, just later. And yes, he’ll wait.’ Amelia added with the suggestion of a wink in her voice.

‘I’m sure he will!’

‘Right. I’m on the case. Bye-bye, sweeties.’

Hogarth hung up and put his phone aside.

‘Good. That’s settled. Thomas, I would like you to take Amanda out for lunch at the Smuggler’s Coast tomorrow, to celebrate our remarkable progress so far. Then both of you come here.’

‘That sounds nice,’ Amanda responded with pleasure.

‘Really?’ queried Thomas, ‘But —’

‘No questions, now. Time for you both to be off. I have the dining-room walls to do.’

‘Oh ... er, shall I move the furniture away from the walls,’ she offered. ‘If you don’t mind the smell of magic for a bit?’

‘My favourite scent. Most kind. Would you take the dishes out to the kitchen on the way?’

‘Of course.’

Once she was out of earshot, Hogarth leaned towards Trelawney.

‘Thomas, I need Amanda to have a heavy lunch, with at least one glass of wine.’ He got up and tucked five 20-pound notes into Trelawney’s top pocket. ‘Expenses. You have the steak; it’s excellent.’

Trelawney raised his eyebrows but nodded.

‘All right, Mike. Well, thank you. I gather you want Miss Cadabra to be … relaxed when I bring her here?’

‘Indeed.’ Hogarth chuckled. ‘I appreciate your protective instinct, Sir Galahad, but I promise you I intend nothing untoward. And I will not press Amanda to do anything she is not happy to do. But I believe she will be willing, wine or no.’

Thomas was visibly reassured. Amanda returned, overhearing their lowered voices. Later, in the car, she asked,

‘Well! What was all that about?’

‘He seems to think we’ve made significant headway and wants us to party a little. Your Uncle Mike’s treat. Look.’

Keeping his eyes on the road, he passed the notes to her.

‘For lunch? Wow! That’s nice.’

‘Pick you up at 12.30?’

‘I’ll be ready!’

Chapter 40

Hogarth’s Plan

Amanda’s curiosity got the better of her, and she sought counsel as soon as she and Tempest were settled back at Gwel an Donn Cottage.

‘Granny! Grandpa!’ They solidified either side of her on the sofa. Granny’s lap seemed to be full of white string on top of a small stick.

‘Yes, dear?’

‘What is it, bian?’

‘Do you know why Uncle Mike wants photos of my parents and the rest of the Cardiubarns?’

‘I can make a shrewd guess,’ replied Senara, ‘but you’ll find out.’

Grandpa sighed. ‘It was our children’s own choice to throw their lot in with the Cardiubarns, but it’s a pity when your offspring don’t turn out as you hope they will.’

‘I expect all parents of homicidal maniacs say the same thing,’ observed Granny matter-of-factly. ‘I shouldn’t have been surprised when your mother married her cousin Ughel. To this day, they still don’t know where he buried his sister. Then again, if she’d got to him first, you never would have been born,’ she added brightly. ‘So there you are, dear. Everything always works out for the best in the end.’ She looked down at her lap. ‘You know, I don’t think macramé is for me.’

‘You’ll get the hang of it,’ Grandpa encouraged her. ‘But we must be off now.’

‘Having another archery lesson from that nice Wilhelm,’ explained Granny. ‘Switzerland is so pleasant this time of year.’

Amanda looked at her in surprise.

‘You mean William Te—?’

But with a wave and a smile, they were gone.

The next day, feeling it was an occasion, Amanda wore the best clothes she’d brought with her: an orange bandage skater dress over burnt sienna tights with tan heeled boots.

Tempest watched with sleepy-eyed ennui from the bed.

‘Earrings and necklace too much?’ Amanda asked him.

He stared at her pendant with distaste, as though the modest amber cabochon in a delicate gold setting on a matching chain was the very height of vulgarity.

‘All right, all right. For goodness sake, I’m taking it off. Just the earrings, then.’ She turned to face him. ‘Yes?’

It was sweet the way humans made an effort to distract from their deplorable lack of feline physical attributes. His human did better than most. On a good day. At least … she tried.

With suppressed excitement, Amanda proceeded to the entrance of the Smuggler’s Coast. Trelawney held the door open for her and Amanda thanked him as she passed through into the warm, inviting, fifteenth-century interior. She smiled with delight at the stained-glass window of a ship with billowing sails, and the copper pans hanging over one of the fireplaces. He had reserved the corner table under the oak-beamed ceiling.

‘Remind you of home?’ Trelawney asked, as they sat down.

‘It does indeed have a flavour of the Sinner’s Rue, of course with added nautical paraphernalia. Charming. Was it really used by smugglers?’

‘There’s a tunnel leading from the cellar to the quay. You may draw your own conclusions!’ he replied significantly.

‘Aha.’

Under Trelawney’s careful encouragement, Amanda chose both a starter and main course. Together with the waiter, they selected a bottle of red wine for her.

‘Are you sure?’ she asked. ‘A whole bottle for me? Seems rather ambitious.’

‘You don’t have to drink it all. You can take home what you leave, or take it to your Uncle Mike’s this evening. I’m sure he won’t say no.’

Some time later, Trelawney asked for the pudding menu.

‘I’m not sure I can manage pudding,’ Amanda demurred, ‘but the orange Cointreau chocolate pots do look good’

‘We have plenty of time.’ Thomas leaned back, at his ease. ‘Let’s rest for a bit, then maybe you’d like to have a pudding wine to help it go down?’

‘Oo! Wouldn’t that be a bit extravagant?’

‘We have an ample budget, remember,’ he reminded her with a smile.

‘Hmm ... all right then. Thank you.’

It was after 2:30 when they rolled up at Hogarth’s,