you about your grandmother, she’s probably explained precious little else.’
It was still strange hearing people refer to her mother as Caroline.
‘Serenity… I mean mom,’ Ava corrected herself, ‘was a very private person.’
‘Nonsense,’ Bunty pursed her lips until they wrinkled, ‘your mother was a little madam who always wanted everything her way. Still, you’re here now,’ she patted Ava’s hand fondly. ‘Come on, let’s have a cup of tea. I have a bridge game in an hour with the rest of the ladies, but for now I think I can close up a little early.’
Before Ava could open her mouth to protest Bunty marched across the room, flipped the closed sign on the door and turned the lock with a tiny little click.
‘Come along, don’t stand there staring dear, follow me.’
Unable to do much else Ava skirted around behind the counter, following the older woman through into a small parlor and kitchenette.
‘Take a seat dear,’ Bunty nodded toward the round table covered with a lace tablecloth as she picked up the kettle and set it to boil. ‘Do you prefer tea or coffee?’
‘Either,’ Ava slid awkwardly onto a dainty white chair with a pink padded seat and glanced around the room. It was neat as a pin, just like the stranger in front of her, who was currently laying out cookies in a ruthlessly decorative formation on a china plate.
‘How long have you been on the island?’ Bunty asked as she continued to bustle around the small kitchenette, her back to Ava.
‘Since yesterday,’ Ava replied absently as she studied a delicate porcelain figurine of a cat standing on its hind legs playing a fiddle. ‘I met Killian Ryan this morning, and he suggested I speak with you about the house I inherited, um… the Lynch House?’
There was a sudden clatter as Bunty fumbled with the teacup. Her spine stiffened as she took a moment to place the cup and saucer carefully down on the tray in front of her, before twisting her head to look at Ava, her gray eyes unreadable.
‘Of course, you’d be curious about the house,’ she replied with a polite, if not slightly distant smile. ‘It’s only natural.’
‘It’s not just the house,’ Ava continued as Bunty turned back and lifted the now full tray. ‘I’d like to know about my family, about the people I come from. Serenity…’ she shook her head, and corrected herself again, ‘mom…’
‘Don’t keep correcting yourself on my behalf dear,’ Bunty shifted aside a small copper jug filled with cheerful flowers and set the tray down on the table. ‘Call your mother whatever you’d like. I don’t like to speak ill of the departed, but Lord knows I’ve had a few choice names for that girl over the years.’
‘You don’t seem to like my mom very much,’ Ava’s head tilted unconsciously as she watched Bunty.
‘It’s not like that, I loved that darn stubborn child. She was my God-daughter after all.’
‘She was?’ Ava’s brows rose in surprise.
‘Not that she would have ever acknowledged it,’ Bunty’s mouth set in a firm disapproving line. ‘Hari, your grandmother, was my dearest friend for more years than I can count, and I miss her every single day, but it was hard to watch your mother break her heart over and over again.’
‘Why did she?’ Ava replied curiously, ‘mom I mean. Why did she leave? She never spoke about her family at all; I didn’t even know about Midnight Island until after she’d died.’
‘There were so many reasons,’ Bunty waved her hand dismissively and brushed the question aside. ‘So, tell me where you are staying? The Pryce’s guesthouse over on Violet Avenue? It’s funny, I don’t recall Susanne mentioning a young lady staying with them.’
‘No,’ Ava watched as Bunty set a teacup in front of her and began to pour from a pretty lavender colored teapot, ‘I’m staying up at the house.’
‘What house would that be dear?’
‘The Lynch House,’ Ava muttered absently as she watched the stream of dark steaming liquid fill her cup.
Bunty set the teapot down so abruptly the table rattled.
‘Excuse me?’ She blinked owlishly as if she hadn’t quite heard correctly.
‘I’m staying up at the Lynch House. Seeing as I own the land it seemed silly not to make use of it,’ Ava shrugged.
‘But the house is… uninhabitable,’ Bunty finished after a moment’s deliberation.
‘For the moment,’ Ava agreed, ‘that’s why I have a tent. Although I have to admit Killian does have a point. A tent isn’t going to be very practical once the work on the