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We took our seats and dove into the pile of warm toast. The jam was sweet, the bread crunchy, and the room was warm. It was almost enough to make me fall asleep.
“Now then,” Mrs. Gebur spoke up as she bounced over to the table to refill the empty toast plate. “What were you fine folk wanting to know from my husband?”
“We heard something had attacked your barnyard a night or two ago,” Ben revealed as he took up another slice. “We were curious to know if it was true.”
She paused and shuddered. “I wish it wasn’t, but the truth is there was something out there that spooked the cows.”
“And the chickens,” Cip chimed in.
She resumed her stacking and nodded. “Indeed. Some hideous shadow was spooking them out of their minds so they almost stampeded through the fences.”
“Pa said it was only the fog playing tricks on the animals,” Cip reminded her.
She wagged her fork at him. “I know what your pa said and I know when there’s magic trouble to be found, and that was magic.”
“Then you don’t know what this shadow thing was?” Ben wondered.
She sighed and shook her head. “I’m afraid not. It slipped away before we could get a good light on it.”
“Where did it slip away to?” I asked between bites.
She nodded to the west. “That way and into the woods. I thought it might be a werewolf, but there was just something not quite right about it. Something notnatural, if you know what I mean.”
Ben nodded. “We get you. So you haven’t seen it since?”
Mrs. Gebur straightened and had an unfocused look in her eyes as she stared at a wall to her right. “No, but I get the feeling it isn’t far. Like that fog that’s been hanging around all too often.”
“Pa said it was just the cold air,” Cip piped up.
Mrs. Gebur rolled her eyes. “Your father’s always saying something’s natural until an imp pops up in the pasture making mischief with the milk cows. Now if you’ll be excusing me, I’m just about done cleaning your clothes.”
We soon finished our meal and our clothes were ready. There wasn’t a spot of bird poop anywhere on them and the clothes smelled of summer flowers. We returned to the parlor and slipped back into them.
“An admirable job, Mrs. Gebur,” Ben complimented her as he studied his clean and dried pants.
She clasped her hands in front of her and beamed from her place near the door. I’m glad you like it. Now would you care to stay for dinner?”
Ben shook his head. “We’ve taken enough of your time and your hospitality, but give our best regards to your husband. He’s very lucky.”
Her cheeks reddened and she followed us outside to our carriage. Cip stood in front of Ferox and was feeding the horse a healthy helping of fresh hay plucked from the nearby pasture. The horse nuzzled his neck and made him laugh.
“That tickles!” Cip cooed as he scurried back out of reach of the animal.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, sir,” Mrs. Gebur called to us as we climbed aboard our carriage. Cip scooted up to her side and she draped an arm around his shoulders so they made quite the charming pair. “Feel free to return whenever you wish.”
Ben smiled and bowed his head. “We’ll be sure to do that.”
Ferox turned around and trotted down the driveway. I set a hand on my full stomach and sighed. “If this keeps up I’m going to burst before mid-afternoon.” There was no witty reply from my companion and I looked up at him to find a distracted expression on his face. “You don’t know what it is, do you?”
He shook his head. “No. It doesn’t appear to be the fog that was so interested in making our acquaintance, nor does it seem to be a werewolf.”
“Should we go ask them?” I suggested.
He turned to me with a slightly raised eyebrow. “Are you sure?”
The serious look on his face made me lose some color from mine. “Can’t we? I mean, you probably know some of them, don’t you?”
The corners of his lips twitched upward. “Should I?”
