“That would be great,” she replied, “because I have them all here. I’ll bring her over. She took a note of his address and tidied herself up. “Come on, Marianne. Let’s start your new life.” The little, black-and-white cat gave her a solemn look and slid into the carrier.

  Declan lived out of town in a wooden house he had built himself. She sat in the car and took in the details. It looked a work of art. He came to the door and waved to let her know she was at the right place, and she took the cat inside.

  The three resident felines came and walked suspiciously around the cat carrier. Magda bent to stroke them.

  “Alli, Sally, and Molly.” Declan grinned.

  “And Marianne. Maybe she’ll be Annie.” She opened the crate, and they waited to see what would happen. Marianne stepped out. Looked around like she owned the place and decided the sofa would do nicely.

  “Well, she seems happy enough,” Magda said. She looked around. “Your place is great.”

  “Well, it’s the job so it should be,” Declan replied. “Made all the furniture as well.”

  “You didn’t?” she answered and ran her hand over the coffee table. “It is beautiful.”

  You might like to see what I did for the cats,” he said and moved to the glass doors. When they were opened she saw that the deck outside was completely enclosed in a cage made of pretty timber beams and almost invisible wire mesh. “They can come outside but stay safe,” he added.

  “That is just wonderful. I wonder if I have room for the same sort of thing.” The cats followed them out, and one of them ran up the wire to the top and then lay on the branch of a potted tree. “Lucky girls.” Her phone rang and it was Sam.

  “Hiya, gorgeous,” he said when she answered.

  “Hiz yourself,” she answered and told him she was standing at Declan’s.

  “What? I go away for one day, and you are off flirting with somebody else.”

  “I can hear you,” Declan called out. “She’s trapped in a big cage on the deck.” Sam laughed out loud.

  “You haven’t shown her that? Now she’ll want one the same.”

  “Already thought about it,” she replied.

  “Has Declan finished the doors?” She handed over the phone and looked at the cat area while the two men ran over the work.

  “So, the doors are sandblasted?” she asked when the phone came back.

  “And the new outside doors are in place.” Sam repeated what Declan had said.

  “Marianne is at her new home. I might look at the doors on the way back. Declan says he’s having a couple of days off,” she told him. Sam said he was starting back after he had something to eat.

  “Should be back around one in the morning.” They hung up.

  Declan gave her the keys. “You’ll need these for the new doors. Hope you like them.”

  She looked at him and asked if he had made them. The man nodded and started for the door.

  “I did see your great-grandaunt today,” he mentioned and she stopped in her tracks. “There was no cat, and she looked kinda sad and then faded away.”

  “I’ll see if she appears when I go in. We think she lost the man she loved because of her brother. Incidentally the boyfriend was a carpenter. Maybe she feels a connection. It is sad to think she was bullied by my great grandfather.”

  She drove back to the main street and found parking. Walking, she then turned down the alley at the hiking shop. As she turned into the courtyard area, she was brought to a standstill by the new double doors in a light-colored wood with colored-glass insets near the top. The colored glass matched the tables and chairs.

  “Good job, Declan,” she said out loud and opened them up to be struck again by the old doors sandblasted to their original and beautiful shade. She stepped inside the new extension, saw the tables and chairs set roughly in place. She opened up the original doors to reveal the gleaming counter. The floor had been polished in the kitchen, and the extension and the whole place was a sheer delight.

  Magda sat on a chair to take it all in and then she felt, rather than saw, her great-grandaunt come in the room as well.

  “Hello Great-Grandaunt,” she said. “Do you like what we’ve done with the old stable?” A warm breath of air crossed her face, and she felt something like a cobweb on her forehead. “I guess that means you do. Thank goodness.”

  She sat for a short while and then told her aunt that the opening would be the next week. Caraganic truffles will be set out in the glass cases. This time the breath of air was not so gentle, and she asked if Irina didn’t like truffles. The gentle wind came back, and she thought that it wasn’t the truffle that had made her aunt react.

  “I don’t know what to say,” she said out loud. “Maybe Merle can find out for me. We’ll come back and try tomorrow night. Love ya, Great-Grandaunt Irina.” The cobweb touched her forehead again and then she knew the spirit had moved away. She took a last look around and worked out where the picture and other gifts would go and then she locked up and drove home.

  She told herself to stop wondering when Sam would be back and get some work done. The cats seemed to have settled together without any arguments, and she started on making chocolate to cover the truffles from the morning. The refrigerated display case was satisfyingly full and she cleared up, made a hot chocolate and settled to watch some news.

  She was sound asleep with the empty chocolate mug still in her hand when Sam let himself in and smiled. The plum-colored hair was flopped over her face, and he went to the bedroom, found some covers and slid alongside her on the sofa. She murmured in her sleep, and he held her in his arms and knew it was where he wanted to be for the rest of his life. Sam Barnes knew her so well and wondered if he would ever tell her how he really felt or if she would be frightened away for good.

  “Not worth the risk,” he told himself, enjoyed the feeling of having her close and slept almost immediately. She woke in the early morning to find herself held fast, smiled, said thanks that he was safely back and let herself have the luxury of closing her eyes and having an extra snooze.

  Over breakfast, he told her that the client had asked him to take on the job because he liked the plans. The trip had gone well and then he asked about her visit with Declan. She resisted the urge to make a joke about jealousy.

  “The visit was fine, and Marianne seemed to like the other cats, but I stopped to see the new doors on the way back and met with Great-Grandaunt Irina.

  18

  “If the ground is not soft, maybe we can go over tonight and ask Merle to see if she can figure it out.”

  “The ground is being done tomorrow. Tonight will be fine,” he told her. “I’ll go over and make sure everything works this morning, and if you don’t mind, I’ll crash for an hour this afternoon.”

  “Katie and I will box up some of the new stock and make some new ones. I’ll call the others.”

  She remembered that Declan had seen the spirit as well and thought she looked sad.

  “I wonder if he would like to be there as well. He seems to have no problem with seeing a spirit.”

  “I’ll give him a call and spoil his day off.” Sam grinned and went off to check the site, and Katie arrived with a box full of leaflets.

  “Give me a bill for this. They are just right. Thanks,” Magda told her. They proceeded to throw themselves into truffle production.

  Branston called in, scrounged a couple of chocolates and said they would be there about eight if that was okay.

  The girls stopped for a sandwich. Sam came back, had a drink, and went to sleep on the sofa with all four cats on top of him.

  “I’ll take some leaflets to the restaurant and the potter and drop in at the press office to see if they would like to give us some opening publicity,” Magda said and left her assistant busy in the kitchen. She put on smart and businesslike clothes and set off to start her publicity campaign. Just to have a quick look at the café, she stopped on her way home and was horrified to find that somebody had spray painted all along the alley on both sides. The men had fitted a temporary door across the end of the alleyway to stop people coming in to steal anything, and thankfully, the spray paint stopped at that point.

  She still had the keys and went inside to check all was well. Inside was as pristine as it had been the night before, and she locked up and took photos of the paint. Twice it said "bitch," and it crossed her mind to wonder if Loretta Dean was getting her back.

  “We need gates at the point of entry from the street,” she thought as she drove back. Sam was sitting at the table watching Katie work and she showed them the pictures.

  “Nasty,” Katie said.

  “It will clean off after we fasten off the entry,” Sam added.

  “Wrought-iron gates with the name on would be quite nice,” Magda decided and knew he would have a contact to get the ones she wanted. “The newspaper people are quite keen to come and do an interview when the place is finished.”

  They cleared up the kitchen, and she told Katie to be at the café at eight ‘clock if she wanted to come along again. Then, when her new assistant was gone, she kicked the side of the table hard and swore.

  “Oh, I bet it was that Loretta being spiteful. I should have thrown her out on her backside.” She kicked the table again.

  “That’s my girl,” he said and stood up to hold out his arms. “Have a good shout and kick the furniture again and you’ll feel better.” She fell into the offered arms and the tears started to fall. “Come and sit down for a few minutes, and I’ll get you a drink of something.”

  “Everything is so beautiful, and some nasty person has to come and spoil the place. I could strangle them.”

  “It has been a busy time as well, and you have been working really hard.” He paused. “We are almost there. The place will clean up. We need security gates anyway, and before the opening, I think you need to take a couple of days off.”

  “You are right. Thanks for just being there, Sam. I keep thinking I am strong and businesslike, but it’s good to have a shoulder to cry on sometimes.”

  “Always there if needed,” he answered. He fished out his phone as they sat and called someone in the trade who would blast off the paint. “We had better tell Mikey and the bank that the walls are getting a wash.”

  She took a glass of wine that he brought in from the kitchen and smiled.

  “Back to normal, thanks.” She hesitated. “But if I find out who did it—"

  “I did notice a whole batch of pecan and marzipan.” He grinned, and she told him to go and help himself.

  “We need a product tester anyway.” Four truffles later they were feeling relaxed and started to think about the plan for the evening. “It was strange but not frightening knowing that she was there with me. I hope Merle can shed some light on the matter.”

  Merle, Branston, Declan, Katie, Melissa, and Rula made quite a large party along with Sam and Magda, and of course, they had to view the finished café before starting to figure out the spirit.

  Melissa had the tablet in her hand and was still scrolling through countless records and facts from the time Magda’s granddad was born.

  “Irina and her sister-in-law went back to Hungary for a visit that year. In fact, I think the granddad was probably born there. I’ll just keep looking while you try and make contact.”

  “I wonder why they went,” Magda said. “Maybe he was harsh on his wife as well. I don’t like Great Granddad Tomas very much.”

  “Tell me,” Merle said when they had viewed all the new work, “exactly what happened.” Magda went over the feeling that her aunt was there but hadn’t seen her, the slight breezes and the touches like cobwebs on her face.

  “Classic spirit activity,” Merle told her. Let’s see if we can find out a bit more.”

  “We can have seats,” Sam said, and he and Branston carried in chairs for everyone.

  “Make a circle.” Merle said. “We might as well try and do it properly.” They switched off the lights and sat still. Melissa closed down the tablet, and Merle called out to ask if Irina was there. When there was no response, she asked Magda to call out.

  “Great-Grandaunt Irina, come and talk to us. We really need to know what troubles you. Please come and see us.”

  “Try again,” Merle said quietly. “I think she is listening.” Magda called again, and Katie said that she could smell lavender. Merle nodded.

  “Can anyone feel a slight breath of wind?”

  Sam and Magda both felt the wind, and Declan added that he could see a slight shadow behind Magda.

  “Thank you,” Merle said and asked Magda to talk to her great-grandaunt.

  Aunt Irina, tell me why you don’t like Caraganic truffles?” Magda asked.

  “That worries her,” Merle said. “I can sense that.”

  “Is it the truffles?” Magda asked, and both Merle and Declan shook their heads.

  “She is shaking her head, I think,” Declan added.

  “Is it Caraganic?” Magda asked and felt a sharp breath of wind across her forehead. Sam said he felt it as well, and Merle got the distinct impression that the spirit was not happy.

  “Why?” Magda asked. “Was your brother not a nice man?”

  “Oh, that was a really cold wind,” Sam said. Melissa had swiped the tablet and gone back to the page about Hungary.

  “Ask if he had sent his wife away to Hungary when she was pregnant.”

  “Aunt Irina, did he send his wife away to have the baby? Was she unhappy? Was he cruel to her?”

  The wind swirled around in the room and everyone felt it. Sam took Magda’s hand and asked if she was okay. She nodded.

  “I want to find out what troubles her. All this time and she is still upset.”

  Melissa suddenly shouted out aloud.

  “Listen, folks. Listen. This has to be it. I’ve found it. Can I have the lights on?”

  Sam went to switch on the lamps, and they all looked at Melissa.

  There is reference everywhere to the two women going to Hungary. There is only one place that shows the ship that brought them back and the passenger list. She paused for dramatic effect and looked at their faces and then at Magda.

  “Irina is listed as disembarking with her son. He is listed as Irina’s son in that one place. His birth certificate shows Tomas and the wife as the parents.”

  Magda drew in a sharp breath and grabbed for Sam’s hand.

  “He is not my great grandfather. Irina is my great grandmother. He sent the man away that she loved. That’s why she hates the name.”

  Merle pulled her chair beside Magda.

  “Switch the lights off again, Sam. Let’s find out.”

  Magda was shaking, and tears were making little streaks down her face, but Merle held one hand and Sam held the other.

  “Irina, did you hear Magda? Let us know you are still here.”

  “She is,” Declan said, “the almost outline is behind you.”

  “Speak to her, Magda. She is your great grandmama and was never allowed to let anyone know.” Magda drew a breath and gripped Sam so hard he almost cried out.

  “Irina,” she started in a shaky voice, “is this right? Are you really my great grandmama? I hope so. I really hope so,” Magda said and waited.

  “Ask again,” Merle prompted, and the second time the response was overwhelming for all of them. The room filled with a most delightful smell of lavender, a warm breeze floated across all of them and everyone felt it. Declan said he could see the vague outline, and it had changed to a sort of glow although nobody else could see it.

  “Oh, Great Grandmama. I hope that makes you happy and takes your sadness away. You had a baby boy and could never say he was yours.”

  Sam spoke up for the first time, and Magda glanced across at him through eyes filled with tears.

  “Irina, I am Sam Barnes. Was Samuel Carter the father of Magda’s granddad?”

  Katie and Rula both gasped from the other side of the circle as he asked this, and Declan and Merle both nodded.

  “'Yes' I am getting in my head,” Merle said. “Samuel Carter is your great granddad, Magda.”

  “So, so, so—” Magda stuttered, “I am not Caraganic at all. My granddad and dad should have been Carter.” The gentle, warm breeze swept across her face.

  “That’s why she doesn’t like Caraganic. He ruined her life,” Katie whispered. “He must have been a heartless sort of man.”

  “When you inherited and started coming to the stable, it must have begun stirring up the past,” Rula observed.

  “The cat was the key that started it off,” Declan said. Magda stood up.

  “Great Grandmama, if you can hear me, I built my chocolates on the name, but it will be changed. I promise you that. The little cat is called Pushkin now. This café is the start of a whole new era for me and and, and—” Sam stood up and wrapped her in his arms.

  “History is not going to repeat itself, Irina. I promise you that.”

  The room was filled once more with that scent of lavender. Declan and Merle both said the spirit was fading away. Merle went across and switched on the lights, and all of them were wiping at their eyes.

  “Well,” Branston said, “that was some session.”

  “Thank you, Melissa,” Magda said. “If you hadn’t broken your legs, we might never have found out.”

  That broke the tension, and Rula wondered if the coffee machine worked. Declan said he had a supply of powdered milk and coffee and went to find it, along with some cookies, in one of the cupboards. Rula and Katie asked him to get the hot water going, and suddenly the place seemed like the café that it was.

  “Sam asked if she was all right. Magda nodded and wondered what on earth she was going to call the truffles now.

  19

  “Carter Truffles hasn’t got quite the same ring to it,” Magda remarked.

  “You could use the café name and be Chocolate Magic Truffles,” Katie suggested.

  “What about Truffles a la Carter?” Branston added, and they all looked at him in admiration.

 

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