Macy Vickers and the Book of Spells Read online

  “Let me take a good look at my favourite young girl.” She removed her hands and looked Macy up and down. “Oh my! You’ve grown since the last time I saw you. Still a bit thin though I see. Don’t worry—” she shrugged, “—My delicious cooking will soon put some extra meat on your bones.”

  “I can’t wait,” said Macy eagerly.

  Aunt Doris and Uncle Charlie didn’t have any children of their own and they both treated Macy like she was their own daughter.

  Aunt Doris moved her gaze and locked onto Olivia and Jack standing either side of Macy. “What gorgeous looking children,” she enthused.

  Smiles of amusement filled their faces as Macy’s mum ushered the three children out of the way so Aunt Doris and Uncle Charlie could come inside.

  — CHAPTER TWO —

  Underway and Time to Play

  It turned out to be a fleeting visit, not even twenty minutes. Uncle Charlie wanted to get onto the motorway as early as possible … before the inevitable holiday traffic descended on it and added hours to their journey back to Torquay. Though they did stay long enough for a welcome cup of tea and a slice of homemade carrot cake.

  But all too soon the time had come for the inevitable tearful farewell. It was after all the longest period that Macy was going to be apart from her parents. Though to be fair, it was the same for Olivia and Jack — both of whom had already said their farewells to their parents the night before.

  Hugging her mother for all she was worth, tears began to form in the wells of Macy’s eyes.

  “Now come on, Princess,” said her mum reassuringly. “There’s no need to cry. You’re going to have so much fun down in Torquay, I just know it. And remember … I’m only a phone call way.”

  Macy wiped her eyes. “I know.”

  Aunt Doris detested mobile phones and it had been agreed many weeks previous, with all the parents, that Macy, Olivia and Jack would not be taking any electronics, iPads and mobile phones, with them. The three children didn’t mind, they had all sorts of adventures planned out in their heads. Anyway, Aunt Doris had a house phone if they really needed to ring home.

  Macy’s mum bent forward and picked up a white carrier bag lying on the floor beside the front door and handed it to Macy.

  “Just a few little something’s I thought you might like, to stop you getting bored during your trip down the motorway.”

  Macy took a firm hold of the bag with one hand and used the other to wipe her tears away. “Thanks, Mum.” She turned to face her dad, and brother Jordan who’d sprinted back from his sleepover at his friend’s house to bid everyone a final farewell. She opened her arms, and with her dad knelt, she threw them around his neck and planted a well-aimed kiss on his cheek.

  Jordan didn’t get the same treatment though; a hug was the limit in his case. Being the older brother he wasn’t into kissing and tears, of which Macy seemed so fond. But for all his hardened exterior, he was still going to miss her.

  With all the formalities over and the car loaded with passengers and an assortment of suitcases and holdalls, Uncle Charlie started the engine. But before commencing with the journey, he made a final check that everyone had their seatbelts on, before slowly pulling out of the driveway.

  “Stop!” He hadn’t gone far; no more than three car lengths, when Macy let out a gurgled scream. “It’s Seymour... I haven’t said goodbye to him.” Macy’s pet dog looked as though he’d had the same thought as her and came bounding around the side of the house. The car had now come to a grinding halt, and Macy unclipped her seatbelt, opened her door and climbed out. “I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to you, now could I.” Seymour rolled on his back and Macy stroked his stomach. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon, you’ll see.” Not wanting to prolong her sadness any more than was necessary, Macy took Seymour by the collar and walked him to the back garden, before returning to the car. “Sorry about that, but I think I’m going to miss him more than Mum and Dad.”

  “Don’t worry, dear,” said Aunt Doris softly. “Seymour isn’t going anywhere. He’ll be waiting for you when you get back.”

  Jack wasn’t so understanding and tapped Macy on the shoulder. “We’re supposed to be going on our holidays and all you can think about is your dog.”

  Olivia was on Macy’s side and let Jack know it in no uncertain terms. “Don’t be so harsh. Just because you haven’t got a dog to miss, doesn’t mean you can make fun of Macy.”

  Jack folded his arms across his chest and went into a massive strop. “Whatever,” he hissed mockingly.

  An uneasy silence ensued as the car journey commenced, broken only by Aunt Doris who sporadically pointed out local landmarks and places of interest. But her descriptions were met with uninterested huffs and grunts of acknowledgment from Macy, Olivia and Jack crammed together like sardines in a tin, in the back of the car.

  Macy took her eyes away from the side widow and noticed the white plastic bag her mum had given her earlier by her feet in the footwell of the car.

  Her mum had thought long and hard about what they might need to keep themselves entertained during the car journey and had placed several items in the bag for them to use or eat.

  With the inquisitive assistance of Olivia, and a strop free Jack, the bag was opened, and its contents tipped unceremoniously onto their legs.

  “Wow, what’s all this about?” gasped Jack, picking his way through the goodies on offer. “Your mum really thinks of everything.”

  “That’s my mum,” laughed Macy, half obscuring her gaping mouth with her hand. “We won’t be getting bored on this car journey. I knew my mum had been shopping for things for the trip, but I never thought she’d bought all this.”

  Looking down at the multitude of games and brainteaser books in front of them, Olivia made an immediate beeline for the crossword and puzzle magazine closest to her. “That’ll do for me. You can’t beat a good puzzle mag.”

  There must have been over twenty different bits and pieces to keep all three of them busy. From board games such as draughts and chess, to packs of cards, dominoes, crosswords and reading books, puzzle and colouring magazines and an abundance of pens and pencils, they had the lot. And to top it all, three neatly packed lunches of cheese and ham sandwiches, crisps, apples, and a bottle of water each, made sure they wouldn’t go hungry or thirsty.

  The quarrels of earlier were soon forgotten and the remainder of the car journey flew past in no time at all.

  Uncle Charlie turned the steering wheel, drove by two large ornate black wrought-iron gates, and along an impressive tree-lined gravel driveway leading to Chandler House. A beautiful pond and water fountain nestled proudly in the centre of the courtyard as a spellbinding talking point for all who came to visit.

  Built in the mid nineteenth century, Chandler House boasted eleven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, four reception rooms, a games room, and a huge kitchen and conservatory. Two acres of walled gardens, some manicured and some wild surrounded the house, and was bordered on three sides by the Dean Forest … an area of beautiful unspoilt woodland.

  Chandler House and the Dean Forest had a very special place in Macy’s heart and she had many fond memories of family gatherings and childhood adventures there.

  The car ground to a halt at the foot of a flight of ten imposing white marble stairs leading to a grand archway and main entrance.

  “We’re here safe and sound,” bellowed Uncle Charlie. He glanced over his shoulder at the trio of children in the back of the car. “Right, first things first ... let’s get the boot emptied and your bags upstairs to your rooms.”

  Macy sighed. “Good idea. I need to get out of here. It’s too cramped in the back.” She followed Olivia and Jack out of the car and stretched her legs. “It wasn’t fun being squashed on the back seat with you too.”

  Jack frowned. “Look who’s talking. You took up most of the room. Anyway, you fell asleep during the journey and must have thought you were home in bed, the way you spread yourself out like a starfish
.”

  Macy shook her head. “I don’t remember that.”

  A smug grin broke out on Olivia’s face. “Probably because you were asleep.”

  Macy scrunched up her nose. “Whatever.”

  Uncle Charlie emptied the boot of the car, placed the children’s suitcases on the ground and walked round to the passenger side to help Aunt Doris. If her painful joints were playing up again his assistance would normally be required to get her out of the car, particularly after such a long journey. But on this occasion, he needn’t have bothered. Aunt Doris had made it out unaided and was halfway up the marble stairs. It looked as if her arthritis had decided to have a break, judging by the speed she reached the front door.

  The exterior of Chandler House was a gorgeous mix of red brick and sparkling brown granite moulded together to give the building a truly magnificent look. And a multitude of white gloss wooden bay and sash windows spread over three floors glistened in the mid-day sun.

  Macy thought the whole house was a masterpiece, and a favourite bit which stuck in her mind was the steep black slate pitched roof. It gave the whole house a sort of French chateau appearance and cast a long eerie shadow on the ground below during a full moon.

  Jack looked round for Macy and caught sight of her in a world of her own, sitting peacefully on the outer edge of the fountain. He tapped Olivia on the shoulder. “Come on ... let’s take look.”

  They ambled over, but just short of the fountain, Olivia turned back to face Chandler House and spotted Uncle Charlie struggling up the marble steps. He was clutching a suitcase in each hand and the smallest of three holdalls firmly between his teeth.

  “Do you think we should help? It is our stuff.”

  “No, it’s too late,” replied Jack. “He’s nearly at the top step.”

  They watched until Uncle Charlie reached the front door, bounced off one side of the doorframe and ricocheted into the other, like a ball in a pinball machine, before stumbling over the threshold.

  Jack covered his mouth to hide a snigger. But Olivia was more sympathetic. “We should’ve given him a hand.”

  Jack shrugged. “Well, it’s definitely is too late now — he’s pinged himself into the house.”

  They faced the front once more and continued over to Macy, and all three sat around the fountain and daydreamed about what they would get up to during the summer break. But their thoughts were short lived as a call sounded out from the doorway of Chandler House; it was Aunt Doris.

  “Macy, dear. It’s gone four o’clock, and I’m about to set the table for something to eat. It’ll be about thirty minutes. If you want to show Olivia and Jack around … now would be the ideal time.”

  “Okay,” shouted Macy over the top of Olivia’s head. “I’ll take them to see the tree house Dad built for me and Jordan.”

  The land within the boundary walls of her aunt and uncle’s estate was huge and Macy couldn’t wait to show Olivia and Jack as much as possible before dinner.

  Following a well-trodden path Macy hurried along, with Olivia and Jack less than enthusiastically picking up the rear.

  Out of earshot of Macy, Olivia whispered to Jack. “What’s so good about a tree house?”

  Jack whispered back. “Don’t know ... but we’ll soon find out.”

  The tree house was nestled high up in amongst a tangled cluster of long chunky branches, that reminded Macy of giant’s fingers, in an imposing looking oak tree, with a trunk as wide as a car. The tree house was constructed in the shape of a large box, from plywood, and had a black felt pitch roof. It had suffered somewhat at the hands of the weather, but it was still in one piece and ready to be used again.

  “What do you think?” asked Macy excitedly. “It took my dad nearly a week to complete.”

  Olivia chewed the inside of her cheek and wore a troubled expression on her face. “Is it safe?”

  “Of course it is!” frowned Macy as she untied a rope ladder, hooked on the side of the oak tree. “Are you two coming, or not?” She didn’t wait for an answer and began her assent.

  Jack waited for her to reach about halfway, then took hold of the rope ladder and gave it a tug. “I hope it takes our weight,” he quipped as he cautiously followed Macy’s lead. “If you can’t beat them, join them.”

  Olivia moved forward and waited for Jack to get near the top, then placed a foot on the first run of the ladder. For all her misgivings … she wasn’t about to be left behind.

  As it turned out the rope ladder climb was a less nerve-racking experience than Jack and Olivia had first imagined, given their fraught looks and comments whilst on the ground.

  Macy rolled up a protective sheet of green canvas guarding the entrance to the tree house and advanced inside. Jack and Olivia following moments later.

  “It’s a bit dark in here,” said Olivia nipping in front of Jack and stepping inside.

  Macy rolled up another green canvas sheet, this time covering a clear perspex window, and a blast of sunshine burst in. “Is that better?”

  “Much better,” Olivia enthused.

  A pair of large brightly coloured red and yellow bean bags occupied the centre of a scaffold board floor, either side of a small nest of plywood tables and a pair of matching chairs.

  “This will do for me,” said Jack keenly, and he pulled the bean bags closer together, sat down on one and stretched his legs across the other. With his hands clasped firmly behind his head he made himself comfortable and closed his eyes.

  Macy and Olivia left him to it and took in the spectacular views of the surrounding countryside from the vantage point of the tree house window. “I love it here,” Macy cooed. “Fresh air and magnificent views all round.”

  “Your dad picked a good tree to build the house in,” said Olivia approvingly.

  A loud thud broke their concentration. Jack had felt so comfortable on the bean bags that he’d dozed off, rolled onto his side, and landed face first on the floor.

  Macy laughed mockingly. “What are you up too?”

  “It’s not funny!” bleated Jack as he sprang to his feet, dusted himself down and flopped back onto the bean bags.

  “There’s no time to lay about,” said Macy. “Dinner will be ready soon and I’ve still got somewhere else to take you.”

  Olivia took Jack by the hand and pulled him to his feet. “Come on, I’m starving. The quicker we get out of here and check the other place out, the sooner we get to eat.”

  Jack reluctantly agreed and trudged out of the door.

  Macy began to climb down the rope ladder. “Take it slow,” called Olivia, worried for her friends’ safety.

  “I’ll be fine.” Macy descended one ladder run at a time and reached the ground without incident. “It’s a lot easier coming down than going up.” She took a firm hold of the rope ladder with both hands to steady it, and first Jack, then Olivia descended to the ground. Chivalry wasn’t in Jack’s armoury.

  An old derelict herb garden next to one of the boundary walls was their next port of call. Roughly the size of a tennis court and completely enclosed by a weary, crumbling red brick wall, it was more commonly referred to as the Forbidden Garden.

  No one really knew where the name had come from, but over the years it had become dangerously unstable, and the decaying brickwork, overzealous ivy vines and rotting timber, made it out of bounds to enter. Certainly, no one had even so much as stepped foot through the cracked and flaky green painted door standing guard at the front entrance for as long as Macy had been visiting Chandler House.

  Weathered by time, the door was a shadow of its former self, and had slowly succumbed to the dark forces of nature’s fungi and white mould that engulfed all but a small part of its exterior. The door had also surrendered to the vicious onslaught of woodworm, with a thousand and one tiny holes dotted all over, as if it had been used for darts practice.

  All in all, the exterior of the Forbidden Garden was an unattractive sight, but still, it was a place that had always fascinated Macy when
ever she had visited Chandler House.

  Macy had never gone beyond the door and entered the garden herself. Aunt Doris had always made it quite clear to her the dangers the old dilapidated building held. Macy wasn’t stupid, more than a little mischievous, but not stupid. She had been told never to enter the Forbidden Garden and obeyed her aunt’s wishes without question. Instead, she would sit on a wooden bench on the other side of the path and was content to daydream about what might lay on the other side.

  — CHAPTER THREE —

  Things That Go Bump

  Macy sat on a bench opposite the front door to the Forbidden Garden, fresh from climbing the dizzy heights of the tree house, and set about announcing to the others the rules concerning it.

  “This is where I come when I want to sit for a while. The old walls of the Forbidden Garden always seem to help me relax. But I know I’m not allowed to go inside, because it’s not safe.”

  Jack winked at Olivia. “Forbidden Garden? Sounds spooky to me.” He edged forward and made a beeline for the mouldy old door. “Come on, let’s go inside and have a look around.”

  “No!” shouted Macy. She jumped up from the bench and sprinting over to him. “No one is allowed in there.”

  Olivia joined in on Jack’s side. “What’s the problem? We only want to take a quick peek.”

  Macy glared at Olivia and tried to stop Jack again, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. “You’re not allowed.”

  Jack was undeterred. He brushed Macy’s hand away and attempted to grab the door handle.

  “Stop right there, young man!” a loud voice bellowed out. It came from behind him. Instantly Jack recognised it, and it hadn’t come from Macy or Olivia. It was the unmistakable voice of Aunt Doris.

  Jack gulped down hard, pulled his hand away from the door handle and spun round. “Sorry.” He prepared himself for what he thought would be an inevitable ear bashing.

  “You’re for it now, Jack,” whispered Olivia slyly. “Macy did warn you.”

  Jack aimed a spiteful stare in her direction. He knew he was in the wrong, but Olivia had shown a keen interest in seeing what lay behind the door too.