The Magic Cottage

She shrugged, a small movement, almost a flinch.

'Midge, have you thought about what I said last night?'

Still not looking at me, she replied, 'You said so many things. Do you even remember?' Now she did turn her head my way.

Right then, I couldn't. I'd said such a lot it had become something of a jumble in my own head, not so much scrambled as mashed. Only later were those notions (perceptions?) to become clear again. My head ached and you could have done a litmus test on my tongue; I wondered how I could be hungover from one glass of wine last night. Then I realized what was missing from the garden.

'What's happened to our friends today? There's usually one or two still hanging around for food at this time of the morning.'

'There were no birds outside earlier,' Midge replied without expression.

I frowned. 'Maybe they've found a better menu elsewhere,' I said lamely, refusing to believe there was any significance in the sudden lack of custom, but having a hard time of it. 'I guess Rumbo's been around, though, huh?' I said hopefully.

She shook her head. 'Not yet he hasn't.'

That bothered me. There had to be something wrong if that greedy tyke hadn't shown. Bob's words over the phone came to me: 'Bad vibes.'

Midge stood, my hand dropping away from her arm like a discarded accessory. 'I have to get dressed and go into the village for some shopping,' she said stiffly, and was already turning before I could scramble to my feet.

'Hey, hold on a minute.' I grabbed her arm again, pulling her to me. 'We're buddies, remember? Not just lovers, but good friends, the best either one of us will ever have. Don't keep your feelings locked away, Midge, no matter how badly you think of me. Okay, I upset you with my views on a coupla things last night, but that shouldn't prevent us talking, should it? Whatever I do concerning you, I mean it for the best. Christ, I love you more than I can say . . .'

At another time she might have added, 'Love you every single day . . .' and I'd come in with, 'Love you twice as much tomorrow . . .' and we'd have sung the rest as a duet. Not that morning, though. Not even a smile. All I got was a troubled silence.

Then the tenseness seemed to leave her body for a moment. She looked down at the ground, avoiding my eyes.

'I love you just as much, Mike, nothing can ever change that. But I have to find out—'

I gripped her hard. 'You've done nothing to be ashamed of.'

'You won't listen, will you?'

I controlled myself. 'I'm only trying to make you see sense, don't you understand? You know what I think? I think you feel guilty about your own happiness. You've got it so good now—we've got it so good now—you figure in some crazy way that your mother had to die so you could achieve it. That's what's bugging you, Midge.'

She shook her head vehemently. 'That's stupid.'

'Is it? You got your freedom when she died—'

'Committed suicide,' she insisted.

'Okay, committed suicide. You were young, you had a great talent, so maybe you did wonder how things would be with no ties, no liabilities. Who the hell wouldn't in your position? But I said wondered, Midge. You never wished it. Ever. That's something you're just not sure of right now; it's been so long you can't be sure of how strong that wondering was. And I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't this creep Mycroft who instilled that little doubt in your mind.'

'He's not—'

'What d'you wanna do? Beg their forgiveness? When we first arrived here, you told me you wished there was some way of letting your parents know how happy you were. Remember that? Somehow that notion's become warped so that you want their forgiveness for being so goddamn happy! How did your feelings suddenly go off in that direction? Did it happen the day you went to the Temple on your own? When I was up in London?'

She tried to twist away from me, but I held her firm.

'He made me understand!' she shouted at me. 'You don't know him—'

'I don't bloody need to. What I do want to know is why he's doing this to you.'

This time she managed to tear herself free. She blazed at me, her body slightly bent at the waist like a recalcitrant child's.

'You said last night that there was something extraordinary about Gramarye.' It was almost an accusation. 'Those weren't your words, but it's what you implied. You also suggested that I was involved, I was a part of it.'

I vaguely remembered saying something to that effect, but right then I couldn't focus on the exact proposition.

'Do you imagine I'm a complete fool, Mike? Do you think I haven't noticed everything that's been happening around us?'

'Then why haven't—'

'Because it's too fragile to question! All right, I admit I've put up a barrier against it to some extent, but that was because I was frightened to lose . . . to lose . . .'

She shook her head in frustration, unable to find the words. Unable, I suspected, to clarify her own thoughts. I took a step toward her, but she backed away.

Her hands were clenched into small fists. 'Mycroft is the only one who can help.'

'No!' It was my turn to shout.

'He understands.' Her hands unclenched and dropped to her sides. As was becoming her habit, she didn't want to argue any more.

She slipped past me and I heard her bare feet mounting the stairs inside the cottage, a stairboard cracking noisily as she went. I thought of going after her, but the truth is, I didn't want to argue either. My head was too sore for that.

'Mr. O'Malley?'

'Speaking.'

'Mike Stringer here.'

'Mr, er, Stringer?'

'You worked on our cottage. Gramarye.'

'Ah, Mr. Stringer.' Then more slowly. 'Yes . . . Gramarye. By the forest. What can I do for you, now?'

'I'm afraid a few problems have come back.'

The lilt of his accent hardened slightly. 'I can't imagine what they could be, Mr. Stringer. We did a thorough job there.'

'Yeah, well, the wall in the main bedroom is cracked again. And some of the doors aren't shutting properly . . .'

'Hold on a sec, Mr. Stringer. Let me find the worksheet on your property.'

A clunk as the receiver was put down at the other end. I stood in the small hallway at the top of the stairs, free hand tucked into my jeans pocket, and wished the three aspirins I'd taken twenty minutes earlier would get to work on my headache. The mustiness in the atmosphere wasn't helping to clear my head, either.

'Right then, let's have a looksee . . .' came the Irishman's voice again. Static on the line made me hold the phone away from my ear for a moment or two. 'Ah well now, we did a splendid job on that bedroom wall. I'm surprised to hear it's opened again. I take it y'haven't had any other structural work done on the place since, Mr. Stringer?'

'Not a thing.'

'I see. Well, that's queer. What was the other item you mentioned?'

'The doors. They must have warped again.'