Lavender Lass Books - Thursday Newsletter 22

Welcome to Lavender Lass Books - Thursday Newsletter! Abigail and I have decided to publish The Magic of Burrows Bay one chapter at a time. As always, you can find out more information on these and all our other books at the Lavender Lass Books website.

We’ve created a group on Facebook just for our Thursday newsletter! It’s a fun place to talk about all things Burrows Bay related…and as we progress through the story, you’ll find out why we post all those 1920s-inspired dresses. Hope you’ll join us!

And we have all our stories at our Lavender Lass BookShop! You can save 25% on all our ebooks if you use our coupon code when you check out.
Lavender
Not very original, but easy to remember!

Finally, here is the next chapter of The Magic of Burrows Bay! We’ll have a new chapter every Thursday, so we hope you enjoy the story!

Maggie McCrae knew her granddaughters were not ready for the legacy she must leave them. The house, the grounds and everything that went with it would now be theirs. She vowed she would do all she could to protect them and hopefully, give them the time they needed to fulfill their destiny. Gabriella and Moira must learn to trust themselves and each other as they discover the true magic of Burrows Bay.

And remember, you can always catch up on all earlier chapters here.

Chapter 22

Gabbi and Moira were still laughing the next morning while they made breakfast.

“I couldn’t believe Jack walked in and talked to my dad, after the look he gave him when you two were on the front porch.”  Gabbi smiled.  “Dad told me he likes him.”

Moira shook her head.  “I know I should have given him some warning, but he had just told me what I could and could not do in our own home.” 

Gabbi laughed.  “How long did it take you to straighten him out?”

“Not long,” Moira replied, smiling, “but I did promise I’d call him if we saw anything else suspicious.   However, that does not mean we won’t keep looking for answers as to who would want us to leave and why they’re walking in our woods at night.”

“Dad said he’s going to add cameras along the edge of the gardens to make sure we have some pointed at the woods.”  Gabbi smiled.  “He also told me there’s a path down to the water besides the one behind the house.  It’s rougher, but they used it as kids when they didn’t want Gran to know they were going down to the beach.”

“So, we were right,” Moira replied.  “That would explain the lights but not why someone would want to use it to get down to the beach.

“What did Detective Jack think about your drug smuggling theory?” Gabbi asked.

“He said it was a possibility, but he thinks we’re a little crazy to look for more drug dealers after the meth lab in the barn.”  Moira smiled.  “How did things go with your dad last night?”

“Good, for the most part.”  Gabbi paused.  “It was difficult coming back to the house though.” 

Moira nodded.  “My mom won’t come back.  She made that clear a very long time ago.”

“Dad told me about that day,” Gabbi said, lowering her voice, “when their father died in the plane crash.  And how your mom blamed Gran for not stopping it with her magic.”

Moira’s eyes were huge.  “She knew about the magic?  I wondered about that when we started reading the journals.”

“And that’s not all.”  Gabbi reached inside her shirt collar and pulled out her necklace.  “Do you see this?  Dad told me Gran was wearing it and let me play with it when I was about six months old.  She told Dad to keep it for me, which he did.  If my mom had thought it had any value, she would have sold it years ago.  Luckily, it looks like cut glass.”

“Oh, it’s pretty.  Look at the little silver leaves wrapping around the pink stone.  What do you think it is?’ asked Moira.

“Rose quartz,” replied Gabbi, knowingly.  “I looked it up last night, and it’s supposed to be the crystal representation of unconditional love in all its forms.  Romantic, platonic, love of family as well as giving the wearer a greater feeling of self-worth and self-esteem.”

“Makes sense why Gran would give it to you,” acknowledged Moira.  “She wanted to make sure you knew you were loved and part of the family.”

“Exactly,” Gabbi replied.  “So, where’s yours?”

“What do you mean?” asked Moira.

“Can you imagine Gran giving me something like this and not having a similar present for you a few years later?”  Gabbi looked at her with raised eyebrows.

“Definitely, worth a phone call,” Moira replied.  She passed her Uncle Montgomery as she started up the stairs and gave him a big smile.

“Sweetheart, should I cook breakfast, or do you want to?” he asked Gabbi as he sat down at the table.  Then added, “Judging by that wonderful aroma you’ve already started something, haven’t you?”

“Spinach and feta frittata just the way you like it,” Gabbi replied.  “I remember you teaching me to make this dish when I was ten years old.”

“My little sous chef,” Montgomery said, smiling.  “So, how long until we eat breakfast?”

Moira was upstairs in her bedroom, calling her parents, as Gabbi and Montgomery chatted in the kitchen.  She was about to hang up, deciding a message wouldn’t be the way to handle this, when her mother picked up the phone.

“Hi, Mom.  How are you doing?”  Moira asked, wishing her father had answered.

“Busy as usual, dear,” Joselyn replied.  “What do you need?”

Moira rolled her eyes.  Yes, she did need something, but how did her mother know that?  “Mom, Gabbi has this pretty rose quartz necklace she got as a gift from Gran.  It has silver leaves that wrap around it, and I was wondering…did she gave me anything like that when I was a baby?”

She could tell her mother was a little thrown by the question, because she didn’t say anything for about five seconds.  “Mom, are you still there?”

“Yes, I’m right here.”  Joselyn knew this was going to be a problem.  Why did her mother have to leave the girls that house?  “Actually, I think she did give you something like that years ago.  It’s probably in an old jewelry box.”

Moira had the distinct feeling her mother knew exactly where it was.  “Can you look for it, Mom?  I’m going to be flying back in a few days to pick up my car, my books, some clothes and a few other items.  I’ve decided to stay here for a while, so I won’t be keeping my apartment.”

“Your father told me you were staying at the house for six months…” her mother began.

“Actually, Mom,” Moira replied, “I plan to stay a lot longer than that.  Maybe forever.  We’ll see what happens.”

“No, Moira.  I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Joselyn couldn’t help the worry in her voice.  “In fact, I think you should look into contesting Mother’s will.  It’s ridiculous that she expected you to put your life on hold for six months.”

What life? Moira thought.  Instead, she answered, “Mom, I’ll see if I can get a flight on Sunday.  Hopefully, I’ll see you then.  Kiss Dad for me.”  She quickly hung up the phone before her mom could make any more protests.

After breakfast, Gabbi was torn between wanting to watch her dad ‘help’ with the security cameras and visiting Opal Essence to meet the vintage clothing supplier.  In the end, the vintage clothes won when Moira pointed out they could stop by a jewelry store after they were done shopping.

Smiling, Gabbi asked, “Are you sure you don’t need any help, Dad?   Moira and I could stay and give you a hand with the installation.” 

Montgomery laughed.  “Oh right, and have you talk about Christmas 1996 in front of the installer?  No thanks!  Now, go and buy yourselves some new outfits and let the old man work in peace.”

As Gabbi and Moira walked into the clothing shop, Opal ran up, saying, “I am so excited to see you two. I was just telling my Harry that I met the cutest little cousins in the entire world, and he had to have something just perfect for them.”

Gabbi looked past Opal to the middle-aged man with the graying hair and long mustache.  “What did your Harry say?” she asked, smiling.

Moira nudged her, but Gabbi was enjoying herself.  Opal looked at Gabbi, her eyes twinkling.  “He said he had a bunch of wonderful dresses donated by one of those theater companies in Seattle.  And he saved them for my shop.  Isn’t that sweet?”

Moira smiled.  “It is. Very.”  She looked over at Harry, who suddenly seemed interested in something at the back of the shop.

Opal took each of them by the arm and walked them back to the dressing rooms. “I’ll bring the whole rack over here.  You two choose what you want, and I’ll give y’all a nice discount if you purchase over a hundred dollars each.”  She smiled over at Harry.  “Honey, why don’t you hang those dresses on the rolling cart in my office, and we’ll bring them over here for these gals.”

Harry hurried back to the office, apparently more than happy to have a reason to leave.  Gabbi chuckled.  “Your Harry seems a little shy.”

“Oh, he is.  He really is…at times.”  She smiled and Gabbi tried not to laugh. 

Opal, would you know any jewelers in the area who might be able to tell us the value of rose quartz?”  Moira looked over at her cousin.  “Gabbi has a necklace that might be worth more money than we thought.”

Gabbi held up the crystal with the delicate wire and silver leaves wrapped around it.  “Moira always gets down to business.  I was going to try on the dresses before asking you.”

Opal moved closer to Gabbi.  “Can you hold the crystal up to the light, Honey?”  Gabbi took off the necklace and started to hand it to her.  “No, don’t give it to me,” Opal said, quickly.

“Why not?” Gabbi asked.

“All quartz has an energy, a signature of sorts.  It attunes itself to the wearer.  If you give it to me, it’ll change to work with my energy, cancelling out yours.  I don’t think you want that, Darlin’ especially with a piece like this.”  She looked at it more closely as Gabbi held it up to the light.  “I thought so.  This is lovely and valuable.  Where did y’all find it if you don’t mind my asking?”

“It belonged to our grandmother,” Moira replied.  “What makes it valuable?  I thought rose quartz was rather common.”

“Not like this.”  She looked at Gabbi and Moira, then back to check that Harry was still busy with the dresses.  “Is your grandmother a special person?  I mean can she do unusual things?”

“She seemed pretty special,” Gabbi replied.  “She passed away a few months ago.”

“Maggie McCrae, right?” Opal asked.

“Yes, but how did you know?” replied Gabbi. 

Moira looked at Opal for a moment.  “You said you’re from Alabama, but I’m guessing your family might have been from Anacortes.”

Opal smiled.  “That’s true.  My mama’s family, a few generations back, used to live in the MacInnes House.  She said her grandfather was the little brother of Sarah Callahan.  She and her two best friends were the descendants of the first Three.”

Gabbi and Moira were stunned.  “How do you know about that?”  Gabbi asked.

“Honey, that’s legend in our family but don’t worry.”  She smiled at them.  “My great-granddaddy was never interested in the things his sister enjoyed.  He married and moved to Georgia, then his son moved to Alabama and had my mama, but those stories fascinated us growing up.”

Moira looked around the shop, then said quietly to Opal.  “We’re just discovering more about the history of the house, but we haven’t found anything about a Sarah Callahan.”

Opal nodded.  “Have you found anything about a woman named Rachel?  That was her mama.”

Gabbi and Moira looked at each other, remembering the entry in the journal about the friend Agnes had named Rachel.  Harry brought the dresses out, then Opal walked back to the front with him. 

“Sarah,” Gabbi whispered as they looked at the dresses.  “The third little girl’s name in the turret.”

“Of course,” Moira whispered back.  “How could I have forgotten that?”

“I wonder how many other people might be aware of the story of the Three,” Gabbi replied, choosing a few dresses to try on, “and that just made the list of suspects, who might want us to sell the house, a lot longer.” 

“I know,” Moira replied.  “I can’t really tell Jack why we now have more suspects.  Oh, by the way, there are people who think our family might be full of witches.  Okay, herbalists.  That will make things so much easier to explain.”

“Well if you like him, you’re going to have to tell him sometime...unless you think he already knows?”  Gabbi tried not to smile at Moira’s exasperated look.  “Okay, later might be better,” she conceded.

“Let’s talk about this after we finish shopping.”  Moira slid past her cousin.  “I have to get my own dressing room.  We’re like sardines in here.”

“True, but the clothes are beautiful,” Gabbi said, looking at the dress she was wearing.  “At least, that’s going according to plan.”

An hour later, both women had purchased a lot more than they’d intended, but Opal gave them a wonderful discount.  She also promised to have tea with them and share all she knew about her family history on the island.  “You gals invite me over to the house, okay?  I’ve always wanted to see the inside, and in exchange, I’ll be happy to tell y’all everything I know about that side of my family tree.”

As they walked to the car, Moira said, “We need to read more of the journals.”

“I know,” Gabbi agreed, “but I have a stop to make first.  Do you like seedless Concord grapes?”

Moira smiled.  “I’ve never had them, but they sound delicious.”

“There’s a woman who is supposed to hold some for me down at the market.  We can pick up a few other things while we’re there.”  Gabbi smiled.  “Maybe a little something to surprise my dad at dinner, too.”

“Sounds like a great idea,” Moira replied. 

Thirty minutes later, Gabbi was driving them back to the house with enough food to feed an army.  She wasn’t sure what she planned to cook tonight, but she wanted to have plenty of options. 

As they drove towards home, Moira was thinking about the rose quartz.  “I talked to my mom,” she said, looking over at Gabbi.   “I asked her about the necklace.  She thinks Gran may have given me one, but she’s not sure where it might be.”  She paused a moment.  “The thing is, I don’t believe her.  My mother is one of the most organized people I know and the way she behaved…I think she knows exactly where it is.”

“Why would she want to keep that from you?” Gabbi asked.

“I don’t know, but I intend to find out,” Moira replied.  “I told her I’m flying back on Sunday to get my car, some clothes and of course, my books.”

“Wondered how long it would take you to miss your books,” Gabbi said, smiling.  “Having another car would be nice.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Moira agreed.  “It’s going to take me a day to fly over and two more to drive back, not to mention probably at least a day to pack and take care of the paperwork on the apartment and a few other things at work.”

“Arthur said you could be gone up to a week,” Gabbi reminded her. 

Moira nodded.  “That means at least four days when you’ll be reading journals without me.” 

“I’ll wait, cuz.”  Gabbi laughed.  “I promise.  You know I hate trying to read that tiny cursive.”

They pulled into the drive just in time to see the security installation guy shaking his head and backing away from Montgomery.  “Thanks, but I don’t want your money.  If you need any other cameras or lights just let us know, but remember we do the install ourselves.”

The guy turned and gave the cousins a desperate look, then jumped into his truck and took off down the drive.

“Dad, what did you do to the poor guy?” Gabbi asked, trying not to laugh.

“I don’t know,” Montgomery replied.  “I just said we might need some more cameras by the cliffs.  I told him I’d be happy to help if it would make the job easier.”  He smiled at her.  “Just like this time.”

Moira grabbed a few packages, trying not to laugh and headed for the front door.  Gabbi covered her mouth, doing her best to keep a straight face.  “Dad, you do realize he was supposed to actually install everything, right?”

“Are you kidding?  We had a blast.”  Her dad winked at her.  “I bet that kid learned more today than he has since he started working there.”

Gabbi started laughing and hugged her dad.  “Did you at least give him a big tip?”

“I tried, but he said he was running late.”  Montgomery shrugged and started to laugh.  “You saw what a hurry, he was in.”

Gabbi shook her head.  “Come on, Dad.  Help me take in all this food and we’ll get some dinner started.  Moira and I stopped at the farmer’s market and bought some seafood and a bunch of produce.  Let’s go have some fun in the kitchen, and you can show us the cameras after we eat.”

They had a great dinner.  Gabbi and Montgomery made their favorite dishes while Moira was happy to sample each of them.  Gabbi seared scallops with white wine, Montgomery mashed baby red potatoes with garlic, and also prepared an acorn squash with shallots, grapes and sage.  They finished with a crème brulee, which Gabbi made to perfection. 

When they were finished, Montgomery showed them all the new security features and how they worked, then told them he would be staying at a hotel in Anacortes. 

“Dad, you know you can stay here as long as you like,” replied Gabbi.

“Absolutely!”  Moira agreed.

Montgomery shook his head.  “I called the hotel this afternoon.  This is your adventure.”  He smiled at his daughter and his niece.  “Mom wanted you two to get to know each other and spend time together.  I’ll be five miles away if you need me.”

“Thanks, Dad.”  Gabbi gave him a big hug.  “Maybe, you and I can go to dinner some night soon.  There are some amazing restaurants we can try in Seattle.”

Montgomery rewarded her with a big smile.  “You know I’d love that!  How about Saturday?  Moira, too if you’d like to go…”  He turned to his niece.

“Thank you, but I think this is definitely a father-daughter occasion…maybe next time.”  She smiled and gave her uncle a hug.

“In that case, my beautiful young ladies I will bid you adieu.”  Montgomery loaded his suitcases into the rental car.  “I had them drop this off a few hours ago,” he said, looking at the car.   “I needed something to drive and this way you can stay here and relax, Sweetheart.”  He gave Gabbi another hug.  “Drink a little wine and put your feet up.  Enjoy the house.  I’ll see you Saturday.”

They waved goodbye, then walked back into the house and sat down in the conservatory.  “Well, we should read the journals,” Moira said, “but a glass of wine does sound like a good idea.”

“I agree,” replied Gabbi.  “Let’s have a glass, then we’ll go up.”

An hour later, they were sitting in the library, reading the journals.   Although, they were hoping to find more specific details about the house, the next several months focused on architectural planning and trying to dig the foundation.

They knew that Rory was determined to build with brick despite the repeated objections of his architect.  The expense, the difficulty, the transportation issues, nothing would sway him from his insistence that a home only endured if it was built of stone or brick.  Moira and Gabbi had to appreciate his refusal to yield. 

“Can you imagine if we had to paint the entire house before we could even begin renovations?” Moira asked.

“We’ve been reading this journal for the last half hour…and the only thing we know for sure is that Rory went through three architects before he found one that he could work with, then that one threatened to quit over the bricks.”  Gabbi stretched.

“We also found out that Agnes is now six months pregnant.  She and T’Eqwem have learned a lot about the plants in the area, but they’re still stuck in the rental house.”  Moira laughed.  “We know she finally ends up with a beautiful home, but I think she was beginning to wonder.”

Gabbi nodded.  “So, it’s finally spring of 1900, right?  And they’re waiting for the ground to dry out enough to finish digging their test holes?”

“Last we read,” replied Moira.  “The next entry is dated March 11, 1900.

Rory came home today early from work.  Apparently, there had been some trouble in the canneries concerning a Native worker.  It seems the man refused to give up his shifts to a new worker who’d just arrived from England.  The foreman got upset and told the Native man, John Livingston, to leave the premises.  Rory saw the altercation and wondered why John was being forced to leave.  When he was told the reason, he said it was ridiculous to push out an experienced worker to make room for an inexperienced one. 

The foreman went to the owner, not realizing who Rory was, and the owner walked out looking quite upset.  When he saw Rory, he changed his ways quickly enough, but Rory was not happy with their management practices.  However, they are a good customer, so he told me he will just have to do his best to keep working with them.

When I asked him, what had happened to John, he smiled.  It turns out John is Swinomish and his family had worked some of the quarries in the area.  He has an excellent background in stone work, and Rory has had issues with the strange rocks he’s been finding in the test holes.  Rory is taking John out to the property tomorrow to see if he can determine what the problem might be.

“Nice, Rory,” Gabbi smiled.  “I like that he backed the Native worker since this was his country and everyone else was moving in from other places.”

Moira nodded.  “Me, too.  Let’s keep going.  It’s finally starting to get interesting.”

March 14, 1900

Rory told me this morning; we’ll have to move the house back about a hundred feet.  Apparently, there are some naturally occurring tunnels in the cliffs and one of them ends a few feet below our original location.  When they were digging yesterday, they hit the edge of the tunnel. 

They tested the area further back and the ground is much more stable.  So, our garden will be split in half, but the house will have an even better view of the water and the islands.  One side of the house will be for the kitchen garden and another for the formal gardens.  This will give us two gardens to plan rather than one.  Rory laughed and said that should make me twice as happy.  T’Eqwem and I will enjoy laying out the paths and beds on paper until we get further along with the construction.

“Well, that explains why they moved the house further back from its original location,” Gabbi said. 

March 19, 1900

We found out today the strange rock we’ve been uncovering in our original test holes is a type of quartz.  Rose quartz to be exact.

“Rose quartz?” repeated Gabbi. 

“It can’t be a coincidence,” Moira said.

“Do you think there’s quartz in the tunnels?” Gabbi asked. 

“I don’t know, but I doubt we could access them,” replied Moira.  “Not unless we found an entrance down by the water.”

They both looked at each other.  “Maybe we should go take a look at those cliffs when we have some free time,” Gabbi stated.  “We might even find a reason for those lights down there.”

“Exactly, what I was thinking,” Moira agreed.  “Let’s read a little more.”

In its rough form, the quartz was hardly recognizable, but Rory said John was able to hit one piece just so and the crystals were revealed.  It’s beautiful!  I wonder if we can somehow incorporate rose quartz into the garden.  T’Eqwem said it’s supposed to hold a special place in lovers’ hearts and that when two people are destined for each other, the rose quartz will make their love stronger. 

I find that a very sweet idea, and T’Eqwem glanced over towards John right after she said it.  He’s brought papers over for Rory to sign a few times, and I’ve noticed T’Eqwem lights up when he’s around.  I wonder if we might have a romance blooming.  It’s too soon to tell, but Rory says John is a very good man and that’s what I want for my friend.

Rachel is coming next week for tea, so we’re hoping to have some of the garden ideas down on paper before she gets here.  She’s excited to show us what she has planned for her own home.  When the weather gets a little warmer, maybe we can have tea at the property almost like a picnic.

“That woman loves her gardens,” murmured Gabbi.  “Is there anything else about the quartz?”

“Not so far,” replied Moira, skimming ahead.  Then she smiled.  “Although you might like this next part.”

March 22, 1900

Rory said they decided to move the carriage house further to the east, so we can have a good, sunny space for the kitchen garden.  He smiled and said it would also line up very well with an idea he had.  I don’t know what he’s talking about, but he was in a wonderful mood tonight.  I told him we should use that to our advantage.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” Gabbi started laughing.  “That woman is six months pregnant, and she still has more romance in her life than I do.”

Moira smiled.  “She didn’t write that’s what happened.”

“We’ve been reading these journals for a while,” Gabbi replied.  “We both know that’s exactly what happened.”

Moira laughed, then looked at her watch.  “It’s getting late.  Why don’t we go to bed and get an early start tomorrow?”

Gabbi agreed.  They were both tired after the past few days and soon fell asleep.  Everything was quiet for a few hours until the sound of soft music playing in the upstairs landing moved slowly towards Gabbi’s room, then faded away. 

Gabbi could see the water rising all around her.  She was on the front porch of the mansion, trying to find a way to get to her car.  Suddenly, her car was gone, and everything was covered with water.  She yelled for Moira, who appeared right beside her.

“Moira, you have to help me.  We’ve got to get out of here!”

“Why?” Moira asked.  “I thought you wanted to stay.  We can go upstairs and be far above the water.”

“That makes sense.”  Gabbi walked towards the door.

“Help!  Help me!  I need help!”  Gabbi turned back towards the drive and saw Callie, who was desperately trying to swim in the water.  “Someone, help me!”

Gabbi grabbed Moira.  “We need something we can use to reach her.”  Moira nodded and ran inside, coming back out with a broom.  “This might work.”

Gabbi took the broom, giving Moira a funny look, then held it out towards Callie.  “Grab the end.  This is all we can find.” 

Callie started floating away.  “I can’t reach it.  Help me Gabbi.  Help me!”

Gabbi looked around, hoping to find something else they could use.  “The rope!  Hand me the rope!” Gabbi pointed to the rope, which was suddenly at Moira’s feet.

Moira nodded and gave it to Gabbi.  “Hold on Callie. I’m going to throw this to you.  Grab it, and we’ll pull you to us.” 

She threw the rope…and woke up.

Gabbi looked up at the dark ceiling.  She was in the bedroom she’d been staying in since she got to the mansion.  She couldn’t believe how much the dream had upset her.  It seemed so real.  She got up and walked into Moira’s bedroom.

“Moira.  Moira!  Are you awake?”  Gabbi shook her by the shoulder. 

“What?” Moira had been sound asleep.  “What’s wrong?  Is something on fire?”

“No, I had this terrible dream,” Gabbi replied.  “It was a nightmare.  We were surrounded by water.”

Moira opened one eye and looked at her cousin.  “We’re on an island.  Of course, we’re surrounded by water.”

Gabbi started to say something, then realized how ridiculous it would sound.  “Okay, but I want to tell you more about this in the morning.”

“Fine, fine,” Moira waved her away. “Go back to bed.” 

Gabbi walked back to her room but left the light on.  Angus and Prissy jumped on the bed, curling up on each side of her as Gabbi tried to get back to sleep.  As she finally drifted off, she could have sworn she heard very faint music.

Join us next week for the another chapter of The Magic of Burrows Bay!