better when, one day, as I was saying goodbye to lunch guests, I saw Lochlan across the way waving frantically. I jogged across the road.
“What is it?”
“Puppies,” he said with excitement.
My stomach immediately filled with butterflies. “Puppies?”
“Well, come in.”
Angus wagged his tail as I passed him in the hallway outside the mud room. I stopped long enough to acknowledge the proud pop.
“How many?” I asked.
“Three. Perfect and healthy. Of course, they would be. They’re magic, you know.”
Aisling didn’t lift her head when I entered but looked my direction and I saw the tiniest tail wag.
As Lochlan had said, three pups, eyes closed, weighing about one pound each were sleeping as soundly as if they didn’t yet know they’d been born.
“Which ones are mine?” I whispered. Since I had come into my magical sight, I no longer saw the dogs in their Border Collie forms. Even though I continued to call them dogs, or wolfdogs, there was no getting around the fact that they were big, bad wolves.
Two of the pups had the same coloring as Angus and Aisling. One was a darker gray.
“These two.” Lochlan pointed to the two that looked like their parents. “You can touch. Just a soft finger stroke. You can’t bond too early.”
“You sure Aisling will let me?” After a go-ahead nod, I squatted down and gave each of the babies the lightest stroke of one finger. Mine. “What about this one? Where is, um, he or she going?”
“He’s going to an old friend. Fae nobleman I grew up with.”
“So when will they be coming home with me?”
“They’ll grow faster than you’d think, but it will still be after Hallowstide. You’re welcome to come and visit every day while they’re still with Mum.”
I stood. “It’s a great day, Lochlan. I feel like celebrating.”
He chuckled. “Understandable. So far as I know, no human has ever owned magical beasts such as these.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. “I didn’t know that. An unexpected honor. I will love them. You know that. Right?”
“Of course, I know.” He laughed. “You don’t think these marvelous animals would go home with just anybody!”
CHAPTER NINE Jack O’Lantern Junction
There was no getting away from the fact that Hallowstide was fast approaching when the village became one giant Halloween decoration.
“I’ve never seen Jack O’Lanterns made from turnips. The cute ones are fun. The others. Well, they could be the most hideous things I’ve ever seen. They look like shrunken heads.”
Maggie laughed. “Well, this part of the world does no’ grow the pumpkins this time o’ year. Before air travel, it would’ve raised considerable suspicion to have a village full of pumpkins. Now we can just pretend we paid a precious premium.”
“I’m guessing that means you didn’t pay for them at all.”
“Gift to Hallow Hill from the queen of the clan that occupies Tregeagle.”
“There must be thousands,” I said. “I mean it’s festive and fabulous. But it might also be overkill.”
“If ye mean to say less is more or some such rawmaish, we’ll be partin’ ways on the subject.”
I chuckled. “I concede. It’s great fun to have the village decked out.”
That meant window displays weren’t nearly enough to contain the enthusiasm. Every storefront, including the Hallows, had a gorgeous variety of pumpkins and gourds along with bright fall flowers. There were a few Happy Hallowstide signs and a couple of special seasonal items on the pub menu.
Shortly after the luncheon at John David’s house, he’d called.
“Hello?”
“It’s John David Weir.”
“Hi.”
“Hi. I’m calling from a mobile phone.”
“Oh good! Is this the number I should keep for you?”
“Yes. It is.”
He went on to ask what I thought about a murder-mystery dinner. It crossed my mind that the notion of a vampire staging a murder-mystery dinner was very Tim Burton. But for once, I was mature enough to school my features and keep that to myself. When he explained that he was thinking about hiring actors from Stratford and would try to persuade Olivia to cook, I said it was a smashing idea then crossed my fingers and hoped the locals would indulge him.
The gods never miss a chance to remind me how little I really know and that was never truer than in the case of John David’s party. The residents of Hallow Hill acted like the real Santa Claus was coming to town.
I suspected that most Octobers talk would be centered on the upcoming Court Meet and festivities. But everything took a back seat to the excitement about John David’s party, complete with 1930s-glam dress code.