The Ipswich Witch

By Robinne Weiss

A weekend at the beach goes terribly wrong when Pearl and Otto’s parents disappear. The kindly Miss Brisket, owner of the Bed and Breakfast where they are staying, assures them everything is fine, but strange things start happening, and soon the children are in a race against time to save both their parents and Miss Brisket from the local witches coven.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robinne Weiss
• Release date: Dec 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9780473422592

Robinne Weiss

Over the course of my career, I have been pleased to call myself an educator, entomologist, heritage interpreter, and an agroforestry extension agent, among other things. Through it all, I have written stories and poetry for my own pleasure. I published my first writing as a child in the 1970s, and used to confound my science teachers with poetry, scribbled at the end of essay questions. Now, after completing several novels, I'm happy to call myself an author. My first love was the natural world, and it plays a large part in most of my stories. I have been fortunate to be able to explore the outdoors in much of the eastern United States, Canada, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Bolivia, Peru, and New Zealand. I currently live in New Zealand with my husband, two children, four goats, three chickens and one evil cat. I blog about food, gardening, the natural world, and rural life at https://robinneweiss.wordpress.com/. You can also follow me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/ RobinneWeiss) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ CrazyCornerFarm/).

Book preview

The Ipswich Witch

Robinne Weiss

Published by Robinne Weiss

Copyright © 2017 Robinne Weiss

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-473-42259-2

This book is also available in print.

For more information, visit my website at https://robinneweiss.com.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Cover Illustration: Brendon Wright

Glyph: Tasty Icons, Hand-Drawn Goods

Contents

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-one

Twenty-two

Twenty-three

Twenty-four

Twenty-five

Epilogue

Miss Brisket's Pancakes

About the Author

Acknowledgements

One

Bathing suit?

Check. Sunglasses?

Check.

Pearl and Otto were in Pearl’s bedroom making sure they had packed everything they needed for the beach when their mother called up.

Time to go!

Grinning, the twins zipped their bags, and then turned to face each other.

Wonder Twin powers … Pearl raised a fist in the air. Otto copied her movement, and together they cheered, Activate! They bumped fists and giggled. Earlier in the year, they’d stumbled across reruns of an old TV cartoon that featured twin brother-sister superheroes, the Wonder Twins. Ever since, they’d taken up the superheroes’ battle cry as their own. It was silly, but somehow it felt right. They ran down the stairs, still grinning.

Where’s your father? Their mother’s impatient question wiped the smiles from their faces. They shrugged, and Laurene called again. Stanford!

Coming, Stanford called from the bedroom. Just looking for my blue swimsuit. You know, the one with the yellow lightning bolt. Have you seen it?

Laurene frowned. "Stanford, we’ll be late. I saw you pack three swimsuits already—what do you need with a fourth?"

Stanford appeared at the top of the stairs. I can’t very well be seen twice in the same suit. His look was one of disbelief, and Pearl wondered for the millionth time how on earth her parents had ended up married. Dad, the underwear model (Pearl cringed every time she thought of it), and Mom the corporate executive. They were oil and water—never mixing.

Except they’d mixed once, and Pearl and Otto were the unhappy results.

There were no baby pictures of the children. There were no kids’ drawings proudly displayed on the fridge. There were no notes like Pearl had seen at her friends’ houses—Don’t forget: homework before Minecraft or Fresh cookies in the jar. Love, Mom. In fact, there was no indication at all that Pearl and Otto were more to their parents than fellow inmates at the same address.

But here they were, going to the beach together. It wasn’t exactly a family holiday—the trip had been paid for by one of their mom’s clients, and the kids were there simply for appearances.

This is a very important client, their mother had explained. They want to know that Clickbait Technologies is a family-friendly company. I need you and your father to come and play your parts.

For the whole weekend, Pearl, Otto and their parents would pretend to be a happy family. Pearl was determined to make the most of it.

The children hopped into the back seat of the car. Laurene snatched the car key from Stanford. You look in the mirror too much. I don’t trust your driving.

"Well, you’re always on your phone. What if I don’t trust your driving?" Stanford retorted.

Laurene humphed and got in behind the wheel. She clipped on her hands-free headset and was already talking to her secretary by the time they pulled onto the street.

It’s me, she said. Any news on the Johnson and Smith account? What are today’s figures? Twenty-three? We need to bring that up. We need at least fifty … How should I know?

Pearl sighed and tuned her mother out.

Dad, Otto said.

Stanford paused from his inspection of his face in the rear-view mirror. He turned the mirror to see Otto.

What?

Pearl and I both got awards yesterday at school.

That’s nice, Stanford said, turning the mirror back on himself.

Mine was for best—

Otto, I can’t hear you from up here. You can tell me later, Stanford interrupted.

Otto slumped in his seat. He and Pearl shared a frown, then stared out the windows at the scenery.

Half an hour later, Laurene got off the phone and commented to Stanford, They’ve put us in one room for the weekend.

Just one? You mean all of us together? You’ve got to be kidding. His dismay was unmistakable, despite the fact that Pearl couldn’t see his face.

Laurene shrugged. I think it’s a suite. But it doesn’t matter. The kids can sleep in the car.

Stanford nodded. Pearl turned to Otto in wordless horror. Otto wrinkled up his nose, huffed and slumped even further into the seat.

They passed the rest of the drive in silence.

What’s this? Laurene said, slowing to a stop at a police checkpoint. She rolled down the window and a young officer stepped over to the car.

Where are you headed?

The Inn at Castle Hill. We have reservations for the weekend.

I’m afraid you can’t go there. There’s been a fire. Place is gutted. The fire crews are still there, trying to put it out.

Now what? Stanford asked. Laurene frowned and didn’t answer. She turned the car around and drove back to the main highway. She pulled over and made a phone call.

Huh. No answer, she said after a minute.

Who did you call?

My client.

Are we going to have to go home? Otto asked.

I don’t want to go home; we haven’t even seen the ocean yet. And I’m hungry, Pearl said.

Quiet, their mother barked. We’ll do whatever I decide.

They drove into Ipswich and stopped at a restaurant for dinner. It was the first meal they had eaten together for weeks, and Pearl thought that maybe now she and Otto would have a chance to tell their parents about their awards.

They ordered, and the waiter left.

Mom, guess what I got at school? Pearl began.

Just a minute. Laurene tapped at her phone and didn’t look up. She put the phone to her ear and waited. Pearl fidgeted.

Dad, Otto said.

Stanford was looking at himself again in a pocket mirror. He was smoothing down his hair. He didn’t seem to have heard Otto.

Dad?

What? Is that a gray hair? Stanford jumped up and rushed to the restroom.

Their food came. Stanford stayed a long time in the bathroom. Laurene was still on the phone, talking between bites.

I want that report on my desk when I return on Monday. Tell Baker he’s got to bring the GlovePro account on board. Yes, I’ll get on that next week.

Pearl and Otto tuned her out. They spent the meal reminiscing about the one other time they’d gone to the beach, three years ago.

Do you think we’ll see horseshoe crabs? Pearl asked, taking a bite of her burger.

I bet we will. I want to find a sand dollar, Otto said.

I wonder if we can feed bread to the gulls.

Otto grinned. Three years ago, Mom had given them a whole loaf of bread and told them to go feed the birds. They knew it had been a ploy to get them out of her hair, but they didn’t care. Tossing chunks of bread into the air and watching the gulls swoop and fight over it had been the highlight of the trip.

So what are we doing now? their father asked as he returned from the restroom, presumably free of gray hairs. Laurene set down her phone.

Clickbait needs this client. We’ll stay the night, and I’ll contact them in the morning. I just booked us a room at another place … She consulted her phone. Brisket’s B and B—just down the road.

Is it near the beach? Pearl asked.

No.

Aw!

Laurene raised her hand and gave Pearl a stern look. We’re here to win this client. We’re not here so you can play in the sand.

Pearl slumped in her chair, and Otto slumped with her. No beach? Their hopes for a fun weekend faded.

As long as I can sit in a chaise lounge and get a tan, that’s all that matters, Stanford said.

They pulled into Brisket’s B and B around eight o’clock. The sun was low in the sky, and if they had been at home, Pearl and Otto would have been sent to bed at about that hour. It was the only parenting Laurene and Stanford did. Pearl was certain the early bedtime was so her parents could pretend she and Otto didn’t exist. Pearl hoped they would be able to stay up late—the excitement of a new place, even if it wasn’t the beach, banished all thought of sleep.

They drove down a lane lined with maple trees that ended at a large cottage with a wide porch around three sides. Bright flowers cascaded from hanging baskets on the porch, and more flowers spilled out of raised beds ringing a perfectly clipped lawn featuring Adirondack chairs and a croquet set.

Stanford spoke first.

Pink? You booked us rooms in this … pink … house?

The house was pink. Incredibly pink. It reminded Pearl of the huge frosted cake her friend Tilly had for her birthday last year. The walls were painted light pink, and the trim—intricate gingerbread moldings all around the porch and the dormers of the second story—alternated white and a deep fuchsia. Pearl grinned.

It’s a fairy cottage.

Stanford huffed. "But it’s pink."

As soon as Laurene stopped the car, Otto and Pearl shot out and ran into the yard to explore. The grass was thick and soft. Pearl kicked off her shoes, and Otto turned a somersault. The flower beds attracted both children like candy.

Look! They’re planted in a rainbow, Otto said. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. He pointed around the yard at the arc of flowers.

And there’s a big pot at the end, Pearl cried. She ran toward a waist-high iron cauldron painted iridescent gold.

There was no gold in the pot—just a pool of water and some lily pads.

Cool! A little pond.

Are there any fish?

I don’t see any, but look—the lily is going to flower soon. See that big flower bud?

At the far edge of the lawn, a narrow path of stepping stones led between two flower beds and under the arch of a tall hedge. Pearl and Otto skipped through the hedge and into the woods beyond. They just had time to gasp in delight at the mysterious path curving away into the green undergrowth when their mother called.

Pearl! Otto!

We could pretend we didn’t hear, Pearl said with a sly grin.

Otto glanced back through the hedge, then at the path ahead. It’s gonna get dark soon, anyway. Maybe we should go back. We can see where this path goes tomorrow.

Pearl was reluctant to abandon their adventure before it even began.

Come on, Pearl. Mom’s calling.

Pearl gazed out into the woods again, and then sighed. Okay, but first thing in the morning, let’s come out here.

The children turned and walked back through the hedge and up to the house where Laurene was impatiently waiting next to a short, plump woman in a powder-blue dress and frilly apron. Her hair—brown with streaks of grey—was piled into a messy bun on top of her head.

A fairy woman to go with the fairy cottage, Pearl whispered as they neared the porch. Otto grinned.

What did you think you were doing, wandering off like that? their mother barked as Pearl and Otto climbed the porch steps. This isn’t some place you can just run around, trampling the flowers.

Oh, it’s fine, the fairy woman said, but Laurene took no notice of her.

When I take you children somewhere, I expect you to behave, not go gallivanting off like a pair of troublemakers.

Really, Mrs. Cohen, it was no problem.

Laurene ignored her again. And when I call you, I want you to come immediately and not waste my time. Is that clear?

Pearl and Otto nodded. The fairy woman made a face behind Laurene’s back, and Pearl struggled to suppress a smile. Laurene didn’t seem to notice.

Pearl and Otto, this is Mrs. Brisket—

"Miss Brisket," she corrected. Laurene scowled.

"This is Miss Brisket. Miss Brisket, this is Otto and Pearl. I expect them to behave themselves while they are here, but if they give you trouble, you have my permission to kick them out. They can always sleep in the car."

Oh, well, I’m sure that won’t be necessary. Miss Brisket smiled at Pearl and Otto, extending her hand to them. Very nice to meet you. You children are free to go wherever you’d like on the property while you’re here. I can show you where the best spots in the woods are in the morning. She winked, and Pearl grinned.

Her grin only lasted until her mother spoke.

I’m sure Miss Brisket has better things to do than show you kids the woods. You’ll stay out of there. You’ll behave like humans, not … livestock.

Miss Brisket made another face and changed the subject.

Well, if you’re all ready, I’ll show you to your rooms, she said brightly. She had a voice that seemed to laugh, and even though her smile for Stanford and Laurene was pasted on her face, the wink she gave the children was as warm as a hug. Mr. and Mrs. Cohen, you are in the Presidential Suite, and I’ve put the children near you in the Sylvan Room. I think you’ll find the rooms to your liking.

Miss Brisket led them into a large living room outfitted with frilly couches and chairs, and delicate side tables covered in lace doilies. This is our common lounge. You’re welcome to relax here whenever you’d like. I serve afternoon drinks and snacks here from three o’clock to five.

They carried on through another door into a hallway, then up a staircase of polished wood to the second floor. On the landing at the top of the stairs, a window gave a view out into the forest. The upstairs hallway turned to the left and ran down the middle of the house, with rooms on either side. Miss Brisket stopped at the first door on the right, opening it to reveal a richly furnished room decorated in red, white, and blue.

The Presidential Suite is on this side, and the Sylvan Room is just across the hall. She gestured to the door opposite, but Stanford and Laurene didn’t even glance toward the children’s room. They entered their room and shut the door.

Miss Brisket frowned at the closed door for a moment, and then turned to Pearl and Otto.

Well, she said, her voice bright and her eyes sparkling. Shall I show you your room?

She ushered the children through the door and into a room that made their jaws drop. Stepping into the room felt like stepping into a forest. Two massive four-poster beds were made of real tree trunks. The beds’ canopies looked like leafy branches. A green blanket that looked and felt like moss covered one bed, and a quilt of stitched leaves covered the other. A tall wardrobe looked like the bole of a giant sycamore, and the side tables were polished tree stumps. The floor was covered in a carpet patterned with autumn leaves, and the ceiling was painted as the sky—blue with white fluffy clouds.

Wait until it’s dark, Miss Brisket said with a wink. The whole night sky is painted on the ceiling in glow-in-the-dark paint. But this, she declared, leading them to the far corner of the room, is the best feature of the Sylvan Room.

A ladder of tree branches scaled the wall and led through a trap door in the ceiling. Miss Brisket waved Pearl and Otto up the ladder.

Go on. I’m too old to climb that thing any more than I have to.

The children clambered up. When they reached the trap door, they understood why Miss Brisket called this the best feature of the room. They emerged into a small round room that stuck like a turret above the roof. Windows around the room offered a 360-degree view around the house. The room was filled with comfortable bean bag chairs, and the walls were lined with interwoven sticks below the windows.

It’s a bird’s nest, Otto cried. Miss Brisket’s laughter wafted up the ladder.

Your very own nest, she said.

"Can we sleep up