Page 46 of A Time of Witches

Outside, the crunch of gravel under tires told Lilith Asher had arrived.

Anxious excitement tightened in her chest. She was desperate to return to the manor, to see if she could find Jacinda again. Perhaps locate…whatever it was she was supposed to find.

And yet, she needed to press Aunt Jacqueline again, to understand what the older woman had meant, not only about the peppermint tea, but also her cryptic claim that the house had been waiting.

Had she meant the house had been waiting for Lilith? Or for something else?

All Lilith knew was that she might not get another chance.

Licking suddenly dry lips, she addressed the older woman. “When you brought the peppermint tea, you said it would open my eyes, and that the house had been waiting. Do you remember?”

Aunt Jacqueline looked blankly at her, as she had done before.

“Did you mean Brackenmere Manor has been waiting for me?” Lilith asked.

This time, Aunt Jacqueline settled her hand over Lilith’s, cool and dry and threaded with ropy blue veins beneath her thin skin. “Yes, dear. The house has been waiting a long time. Since even before Asher—”

The front door opened and Asher rushed in with Toby at his side. “Aunt Jacqueline, thank God you’re safe.”

She shot her nephew an indignant look. “Why in heaven would I not be?”

Asher’s shoulders lowered, with relief or resignation, Lilith couldn’t tell which. “Because Lilith found you wandering around outside by the manor and you collapsed.”

It was the story Lilith spun for him when she’d called him at work. She said Aunt Jacqueline had been outside the manor rather than inside, which absolved them both of guilt since Aunt Jacqueline gave her the key.

Aunt Jacqueline scoffed and rolled her eyes. “I had important business to tend to. I assure you, I’m fine.”

His lips thinned at her words and he turned to Lilith, his gaze softening with gratitude. “Thank you for helping her.”

Lilith waved off his apology. “Happy to.”

Toby growled suddenly, drawing their attention to the doorway, where a stout skunk waddled over the threshold.

“No,” Asher said firmly.

“Just for a few moments,” Aunt Jacqueline pleaded, her voice suddenly frail in a clear tactic of manipulation.

“Absolutely not.”

Toby snarled louder, echoing his master’s sentiments.

Aunt Jacqueline huffed, exasperated. “Oh, he won’t spray.”

Lilith looked between the two, who appeared to be locked in an argument they’d had many times before. “Is this…her…pet?”

Asher heaved a beleaguered sigh, and Aunt Jacqueline spoke up, “Allow me to introduce you to Lord Wimbleton the third.”

“There’s been three of them?” Lilith asked in surprise.

“No, there hasn’t,” Asher replied dryly. “And he’s not coming inside.” He looked pointedly at his aunt, who sank back into her chair with a pout, like a sulking child.

“You’re the one who gave him to me,” she said in a petulant tone.

Lilith looked at Asher in confusion. “You gave her…a skunk?”

“As you know, skunks aren’t native to England.”

“Oh…right.” She hoped she sounded convincing because she, in fact, did not know skunks weren’t native to England.