Page 44 of Ever After

“There must have been psychics over the years,” Blue says. “I’m not the only one who could have helped you.”

Branok gives that hearty laugh again and then sobers. “There is no one such as you,” he says simply. “You are a singular talent that I have never seen the like of in all my years. I am lucky that you somehow ended up on my doorstep.”

I feel a rush of pride but, as usual, Blue is unmoved by praise. “But there were others?”

“Aye, there have been others I have tried before. A psychic even stayed here once in the nineteenth century. I thought my luck had changed. I set my plight before him and asked for his help.”

“Why didn’t he help, then?” Blue asks.

“He refused,” he says in an innocent tone of voice.

“Why?” Blue’s eyes narrow. “What did you do?”

“Oh, he was what you call homophobic.”

“I don’t think we pronounce it like that,” Blue says wryly.

“Pfft. Why not just say bigoted, heartless varlet and have done with it?”

“Nice deflection and far too many words” Blue says. “What did you do?”

He waves a careless hand. “Oh, I just threw a few things around my cottage.”

“If he could see ghosts, he must have been used to that,” I say.

Branok smiles wickedly. “One of the things was him.”

I start to laugh and Blue rolls his eyes. “Perfect. A violent sarcastic ghost. My luck is, as ever, running true to form.”

Branok offers him a crooked smile. “Oh, I do not know about that, little psychic. I would say you have as much luck as any one man could wish for.”

Blue’s sardonic expression fades and the two of them stare at each other for a long moment. Then Blue sighs and stands up. “Okay, we’ll help you.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. We have negotiations to get through first.”

“Negotiations? It is still the French wars?”

“Not anymore, although you wouldn’t know it at Customs.” Blue folds his arms and I watch on with amusement. I love him in a forceful mood. “We’ll give you the afternoons.”

“The afternoons?” Branok says crossly.

“We are on honeymoon, you know.”

He gives a disgruntled sigh. “Very well.”

Blue points his finger at him. “And no hanging around the cottage at night being pervy.”

He rolls his eyes. “Am I to have no pleasure in this life?”

“No. Particularly not if that pleasure involves looking at Levi’s bum.”

They both turn to look at me, and I can feel my face burning. “Definitely not that,” I mumble.

Branok adopts an injured air. “This is my home. Where do you suggest I go?”

“I don’t know or care. Go and hang around a churchyard or something and scare the bats.”