It was late. Penny was sitting cross-legged in her window alcove of the Creighton-Wards Scottish retreat. She was reading The Princess and the Pea, waiting for her Father to wish her goodnight. He was heading off on another trip in the morning before breakfast so she wouldn't see him when she woke. She sighed looking out of the window, the story was interesting, but she was getting really tired and he was taking forever. It was so dark outside and she couldn't ever remember being up THIS late. As her Father entered the room she noticed a strange orange glow in the dark over the tops of the trees.
"DADDY! There's a fire! LOOK!" she quickly prodded the glass with her pointing finger to show him.
"Ah. It's okay sweetheart. That is just some of the village people having a small get together to welcome spring. I'll tell you more about it as you get older.
... ... ...
"Where would you have put it?"
"It HAS to be in here. I cannot think of anywhere else."
"Okay, think back. When was the last time you wore it." Gordon asked from his position half under the bed helping her look.
Penny looked to the ceiling in thought. "It would have been... The local Women's Institute's anniversary luncheon. I was asked along as a guest, and I can remember several comments about how perfect a pink rose brooch was for me. But after that my mind is a blank."
Gordon folded his arms on the edge of the bed and looked up at her pleadingly. "It's not under here and you've searched through your jewelry box about 20 times. It's nearly 11pm and you don't NEED it till tomorrow evening, so how about bed for now and we can look again in daylight."
"You're right, of course," she huffed. "Although how I'll ever sleep wondering where it is."
"Did I say anything about SLEEP?"
"Gordon Tracy, you are incorrigible!" Penny exclaimed in mock shock, "Be a dear and pull the drapes then."
Gordon jumped to his feet and made it to the window in 2 strides, Reached up to the curtains and paused, his forehead furrowing as he looked out the window.
"Errr, Penny... this will have to wait?"
"Pardon?" she asked his back as he was already almost out the door.
"Fire... in the woods ... need to make sure everyone's okay..." he shouted back as he bolted down the hall
"Gordon wait. It's not what you think." her protests were in vain as she heard the distant opening of the front door. "Well this IS distressing!" she spoke to herself and turned to her shoe closet and picked up the candy pink Hunter's Wellington Boots.
... ... ...
Squelching across a sodden field and down a well driven path in the middle of the night had not been Penelope's idea of a quiet evening. She eventually spied Gordon looking furtively through the hedges and trees surrounding the clearing in the woods. He was so intent he didn't hear her come up behind him and he jumped a mile when she tapped his shoulder.
Once he realized who it was he pulled her down to crouch hidden and pointed towards the hedges.
"THEY'RE ALL NAKED!" he squeaked out the whisper.
"Well of course they are Gordon. I would have explained all that if you hadn't been quite so impetuous."
"Why?"
It's a Beltane celebration. I don't know all the details, my Father only gave me the gist when I was younger about the locals using the clearing to have a bonfire and celebrate the coming of summer. It dates back long before Christianity entered the religious forum. Basically a celebration of the fertility of the earth, but I believe they have scaled down some of the activities."
"Not the nakedness." said Gordon, sneaking a look though a barer patch in the hedge.
Penelope laughed quietly. Of all the people to complain about bare flesh she wouldn't have expected it from Gordon. He who wasn't exactly shy about bolting in his birthday suit and jumping into the pool on the Island.
"Skyclad is the term I believe. Some of the residents of village still celebrate the old traditions. I don't think they have a mass fornication or anything like that, just dancing and singing around a big fire... naked," she paused, remembering, "You know, Parker joined in once, funnily enough he got rather flustered and refused to talk about anything that happened."
Penelope stood up and brushed her hands together to clean off the mud. "We should go before anyone spots us," she whispered.
"Too late," Gordon grimaced through his teeth, looking in terror behind her, "Is that ... oh no it IS that really old woman that runs that small shop!"
Penelope turned to see Old Mrs MacMillian's pendulous breast swinging freely. The wrinkled flesh of her upper arms jiggling as she waved at them, her muffintop, thankfully hiding her, err... muffin ... wobbled as she strode purposefully towards them.
"Miss Penelope!" she called "Och, it's wonderful tae see ye Hen. Will you be joining us this evening?"
Never in all her years has Penelope been more grateful to the years of etiquette training she had as a child.
"Why Good Evening to you, Mrs MacMillian. I'm so sorry, my pug Sherbet managed to escape and we were out looking for him. I'm SOOOO sorry we have disturbed you, but we must be on our way."
The wizened old woman nodded her head in acknowledgement. "No bother Dearie. Please send my love to that nice Mr Parker of yours. It's been awhiles since we've seen him about."
She turned and jiggled back off towards the fire.
"Nicely done on the alibi. You don't think Parker...?" started Gordon before Penelope interrupted.
"Oh dear God no, I don't even want to think about that! We should get back to the house now I think."
Mrs MacMillian called back to them as they turned.
"Miss Penelope. You should check the mat beside the blue stable door!"
"I shall, and thank you." answered Penelope as she grabbed Gordon's hand and almost dragged him away in haste.
"What was that about?" he asked as they squelched back across the field.
"There are local stories that she can do magic, and find lost things. My head tells me it's impossible, but I've had too many experiences otherwise, that I shall remain open-minded. Blue stable door. Hmmmm"
"Oh come on Penny, MAGIC?" scoffed Gordon.
"Shush," she chided. "Or maybe I'll mention the celebration to your Grandmother. She's always struck me as a very adventurous woman and I'm sure she would LOVE to join in."
"Thanks for that image. Bad enough that I'm never going back in that shop again, the thought of Grandma and THAT..."
Penny hooked her arm around his and purred into his ear.
"I'm sure we can find some way to blot out those images with some far, FAR nicer ones."
Gordon grinned. "When we were searching earlier there was a very small black lacy thing in the second drawer."
... ... ...
"Penny? Where are you going?"
"Just a second. I need to check at the kitchen door."
"But... black lacy stuff", he protested.
The door used to open in half many years ago, but decades of repainting now meant the two parts were stuck together.
"Blue door!" Gordon exclaimed.
Penelope held up her findings, "And one pink rose brooch by the mat."
It was rare, but for once Gordon didn't know what to say.
"Well I DID tell you, " Penny smiled sweetly as she turned to walk back to the front door, then teased, "And now I shall be able to sleep soundly."
"I don't think so. We have some Beltane celebrations of our own to cover first." laughed Gordon, grabbing her hand and guiding her quickly back inside.