Chapter Seven
Merlin and Ashley
Merlin arrived home and immediately found Ashley in his arms, deciding that was a very good place to be for a couple of hours.
Afterwards, she rested her head on his chest contently.
"I'm so happy to have you home,"Ashley said with a smile.
"Really? I hadn't noticed," Merlin teased her with a chuckle.
"How long are you staying?" Ashley asked.
"Why, do you want to go for seconds?" he inquired. She laughed softly.
"I meant how long are you staying on this side?" she specified.
"A year, I believe, and then after a short errand of to and fro, a year longer after that... assuming everything stays stable, that is... I know better than to guarantee that with the memory loss and all..."
"I know. But what do you mean by to and fro?" Ashley asked curiously.
"Oh, well, I stopped by Minerva's flat to drop off some Glass Silk and she inquired if I could see her home next summer, and I suspect she won't be the only traveler wanting an escort back and forth. But I plan to be back straight away after dropping that group off. I believe it's best if I stay on this side as much as possible for at least a couple of years," Merlin said.
"That sounds wonderful," Ashley said happily. "I guess we really do have time for seconds," she added.
"Most definitely," Merlin agreed, kissing her.
The next morning, Merlin woke up to an empty bed. He got dressed and stepped out of the bedroom to see Ashley looking out the window thoughtfully.
"Something wrong, Ashley?" Merlin asked.
"Oh... no, not really. I was just waiting for Halcyon to bring the Owl Post, actually," Ashley said, turning around and pouring him some tea. "You see, our Ambrose decided to go on holiday by himself just after the Craw and Willowby wedding, and he hasn't sent me a postcard yet."
"Oh. That," Merlin said with such open annoyance that Ashley turned and frowned at him.
"Is something wrong?" she asked.
"Sit down, Ashley, we need to have a little chat," Merlin decided. Ashley went to the stove long enough to take the eggs off and put their breakfasts on the table before sitting down.
"Our Ambrose isn't in any sort of trouble, is he?" Ashley asked.
"No. Well, yes. Sort of," Merlin said. Ashley sighed at his answer and poured her own tea. "Ashley, there comes a time in a young man's life where they want to get out in the world and spread their wings and the like, experimenting to try and answer the great mystery of life. And in that glorious time of risk-taking self-discovery, there is always going to be the potential of completely and irrevocably screwing things up." Ashley frowned at that. "Under normal circumstances, of course, my advice would be to let him make his own decisions and hope that he learns from his mistakes, and in many ways I still believe that. But being that he is our son, I must make certain that he doesn't pull everyone else down with him... especially us," he added for good measure.
"Do you think he's going to do something that reveals your identity?" Ashley asked worriedly.
"It is quite possible, as is the fact that others may have their lives negatively altered by his foolishness as well. The very reason that I can recall some of this is because that if this isn't well handled, it is going to have long lasting effects," Merlin explained. Seeing her worried expression, Merlin gently put his hand over hers. "I am going to need to close the shop to him, Ashley, at least for the near future. And I'm also going to move my closet into the back of the shop and stay there for now."
"What? But what about me? You don't expect me to stay here when you're stuck in your shop, do you?" Ashley asked with alarm.
"You can stay with me if you like, Ashley. Or you can stay here, if you prefer..."
"Now, don't be silly! Of course I'm staying with you," Ashley said firmly.
"Well, if that is the case, I suppose we ought to secure this house as well," Merlin decided and looked around thoughtfully.
"Eat first," Ashley said, reminding him he had food in front of him. "It sounds like we have a long day ahead of us."
"A fair point," Merlin agreed, turning his attention to his breakfast.
After they ate, Ashley quickly cleaned the kitchen while Merlin went to the bedroom, opening the closet door. With one single curving gesture, the contents of the bedroom was suddenly sucked into the closest like a giant magic vacuum, the larger objects squeezing in like rubber regardless of what they were made of.
Ashley then went into her sewing area and packed all of her essentials in an Unremarkable Brand trunk, so that by the time Merlin came to check on her, all he had to do was tap the one object and send it on its way. Then he bolted the inner door to the shop.
"I'm afraid you'll have to go in through the front door of the dress shop if you plan to work this summer, Ashley," Merlin said.
"That's quite all right. I should probably go let Minerva know where I'm staying, though."
"You may tell her, but ask her not discuss it with anyone else for now," Merlin warned.
"Of course," Ashley agreed.
"Go ahead and take care of that now and I'll meet you at the shop," he said. He went through the kitchen, his appearance changing dramatically as he walked closer to the outside door.
"All right, Ambrose, I'll be straight over," Ashley said.
Toby opened the door for his wife and she hurried towards the dress shop. He put away the dishes with a gesture, checked the burners, locked the windows, and then stepped out of the house and bolted the door. He then pulled out a sign attaching it to the doorknocker which read, "Closed for the Duration." Then he walked over to Toby's Trinkets, studying it carefully.
Stepping past the wall so that no one could see what he was doing, he took out his wand and pointed it at the door of the shop. A transparent wave of magical power enveloped the building with enough force that the entire structure shook. After it faded, Toby inspected it again.
Just then, Toby heard someone clearing his throat. He glanced up to see the brown-cloaked figure standing just inside the brick wall. Toby furrowed his brows.
"Not now, Deuce. I'm busy," Toby told him.
"Actually, you wanted me to come test security to make sure I could still perform my duty in case there's an emergency while this is going on," the brown-cloaked figure explained.
"Fine, but hurry up before Ashley gets here," Toby said. He watched as the figure went in and dropped something off. The Deuce grabbed something else and came back out again.
"All set. Good luck," the figure said. Toby waved him off, watching him slip behind the shop not long before Ashley stepped out of the dress shop.
She walked over as Toby opened the door and studied the door again carefully. He held it open until Ashley finally walked in and followed her through, shutting it behind them. She looked at him questioningly.
"It's done. He cannot get in here right now," Toby said with certainly. Ashley let out a sigh, feeling a sudden wave of remorse. "I'd better put the closet down in the back. Feel free to arrange it as you like, Ashley, I expect it's a little bigger now that the both of us are using it."
"I'll do my best," Ashley said, sounding more sullen than she meant to.
"Now, Ashley, it'll be alright," Toby reassured her, kissing her forehead. "It's just a bit of a storm. I'm sure it'll blow over... hopefully without taking too many trees with it..." he added.
But Ashley hadn't missed the flash of worry that crossed his gaze when he thought about it, returning immediately to his cheerful, reassuring Toby demeanor.
"Come now. Go straighten the closet, and I'll sort the back room and her in the shop. I really need to get the shop back open soon; there's going to be a need of it this morning," he decided as he glanced at the shelves.
"Alright, Mr. Tinker," Ashley said and went inside.
By the time she came out of the closet, the back room had a measuring table in it, a couple of dress mannequins, a fabric shelf, a floor mirror, and a notions cabinet. Smiling at that, she peered out the doorway where Toby stood at the counter, sorting the shelves underneath it.
"This is lovely, Mr. Tinker! I'm not sure that I needed two dress forms, though. I could have made do with one."
"Well, I thought it'd save time. One is set to your measurements, and the other is set to Jennifer's. Besides, it's the only two sets of women's measurements I know by heart," Toby said. Ashley rolled her eyes, shaking her head with a chuckle before stepping into the shop. Then she noticed the cushioned rocking chair in the corner, next to her embroidery box.
"Oh! Is that for me too?" Ashley said brightly.
"Yes, but we do need to have a chat about rules if you're going to sit with me in here while the shop is open," Toby said.
"Of course," Ashley said understandingly.
"The first rule is that you may listen as much as you like to the conversations I am having with customers, but please don't comment on them and by no means take any information you gain from them out of this shop. If you are curious about something that I was discussing, feel free to ask me about it when the shop is empty and we're alone," Toby said.
"Then might I keep a record of my questions so I don't forget them since sometimes an empty shop can take some time?" Ashley suggested.
"Yes, all right, just make sure to get rid of the paper at the end of the day," Toby replied.
"The second rule is not to comment on what people purchase, especially when you're outside of this shop. Believe it or not, you may find that trying it times... especially if I'm right and our first customer of the day is who I think it is. What people buy in here is strictly confidential, and as you know, I'm all about Free Will, so sometimes you'll see people buy ridiculous things when what they really need is on the shelf next to them. I alone make the call as to what leaves this shop and what stays... but you can ask me questions about those incidents later too if you have a mind," he added.
"Of course," Ashley agreed.
"Third, you may become aware that I have an employee of sorts who comes in and trades items off the shelves. Please ignore him so he can do his job, and don't be nosy to who it is. I have him tied to security and other secrets that I can't divulge to anyone at the moment," Toby asked.
"I understand," Ashley said, but couldn't help but be curious to what he was talking about.
"And lastly and most important, I reserve the right to get a feel in if you're behind the counter with me and the shop is empty."
"Yes, that's very funny, you just threw that rule in just for fun, Mr. Tinker," she scolded teasingly.
"It's the demon in me," Toby decided. "Do you agree to my terms?"
"Yes of course," Ashley said, immediately having to protect herself from a playful onslaught. "I thought you wanted to open the shop?" she reminded him with a laugh.
"I do. The moment those doors open, it is not going to take anyone long for everyone in the entire country to know I'm back, so I expect a rush. "I'd even bet that my apprentice will be here in about ten minutes or so," Toby warned, stepping out from behind the counter.
"I'll take the under on that bet," Ashley chuckled.
Then she noticed a tea set on the counter. It poured her a cup as she walked over and she took it, settling into her chair and setting the cup on the tiny table that had appeared beside her. She could get used to this, she decided with a smile.
"All right, here we go!" Toby said, unlocking the door and tapping the sign. The brick wall became more transparent, but still visible enough that he could keep his eye on it for a while. He stood at the window only a minute or two before a teen-aged girl ran by and then skidded to a stop when she noticed the shop. "At least I was right about who my first customer was going to be," Toby said, smirking softly as he walked back to the counter. He had barely gotten into place when the door opened. Halcyon greeted Hope Willowby warmly.
"You're back!" Hope declared. Hearing her voice from her chair, Ashley was immediately glad she had picked the 'under' on that bet.
"Yes, I do seem to be," Toby agreed. "Good morning, Hope! And how is your summer?" Hope reached over and grabbed a potion bottle off the shelf, putting it on the counter. "That good, eh?" he asked mischievously. That was when Ashley looked up and blinked when she realized it was a bottle of Oat's Bane.
"It's just a summer fling," Hope explained sheepishly.
"And does the boy in question know it's just a summer fling?" Toby inquired.
"Trust me, he knows," Hope promised, then looked serious. "You aren't going to tell anyone, are you? I mean... I can't exactly get this at my father's shop, can I?"
"I quite understand, Hope, and to be perfectly honest, I'd rather you be buying them here than trusting your luck out of a catalog. I'll make sure they're stocked for you, but be careful who else in here when you buy that from now on. I can't guarantee other customers won't notice," he warned.
"Thanks. So you won't tell, right?" Hope asked again.
"Pardon the pun, but I hope that you know me be better than that," Toby said. "Shall I wrap it for you?"
"Don't bother," Hope said, putting in the same amount of sickles that it cost at her father's shop and ran out with it. Toby broke out into a chuckle the moment the door closed, glancing over at Ashley who was shaking her head.
"Let me guess. Corey Martin," Ashley said disapprovingly. "He's going to college next year to study to become an ordained minister."
"Yes, thus the summer 'fling' as she calls it," Toby said with amusement.
"She didn't seem to notice me being here," Ashley commented.
"Yes, that's going to happen from time to time," Toby said, glancing up front to see that more people were wandering by. They gave the shop a curious glance before reading the sign and wandering off again. "I was a tad afraid that she'd be put off by your being here, Ashley, so I made sure she didn't see you. I'd rather she be coming to me than going to some unknown source."
"To be perfectly honest, so would I," Ashley agreed, finishing her tea so she could start on her needlework. But before she could get that far, Halcyon cried out happily again.
"It appears I owe you a galleon," Toby told her. Ashley smiled, knowing who had just walked in even before he stepped over to the counter.
"I see you are back," Severus said. He glanced over at Ashley who smiled at him. He turned to look at Toby. "And settled in, apparently."
"I got back yesterday, actually, but I decided to see to certain marital concerns first. Really, Severus, you know how it is. But I am glad to see you, because we have something rather important to talk to you about," Toby said, Severus watching him fixedly. "You see, I rather think that it's highly likely that Ambrose is going go off the rails this summer, and because of that fact, I've been taking some precautions. Therefore, Ashley and I have moved into the back of the shop for the interim." Severus' shoulders slumped.
"Is that your way of telling me that you want me to handle it?" Severus asked flatly.
"No, you misunderstand," Toby said, tapping his forehead in thought. "This situation is rather similar to the year that you went off the rails, which led to all of that ring business." Severus blinked. "No, there are no demons involved this time, Severus, or anything of that nature. But I am afraid his reckless little screw up might accidentally expose who I am, so I'm taking measures to make sure that it doesn't. However, just like it was incredibly important that we let you make your own decisions and own mistakes that year, it is just as important that Ambrose be allowed to do the same. I'd rather not interfere in this matter unless there is no other option."
"I notice that you used the word 'interfere' instead of 'meddle' this time," Severus noted.
"Then perhaps you understand why I'm taking precautions," Toby said.
"Any other hints to just how, exactly, he's 'going off the rails', as you put it?" Severus asked.
"No, I expect you'll find out about it at the same time everyone else does, at Corey's birthday party. Speaking of which, I believe I have a present for Viorica down here... ah," Toby said, pulling out the wrapped package. There could be no doubt from the close-fit paper that it was a journal, so Severus immediately began looking around.
"I'd better go ahead and see that Aurelius gets this," Severus decided, picking up the emergency box and putting some coins in.
"Thank you, Severus. Come in anytime, I'm going to be here for a while... well, obviously," Toby added, glancing around the shop. Severus nodded and left, then Toby glanced over at Ashley.
"Nothing left to do but see how things play out, I suppose," Toby decided, changing the sign from "Open to Extended Family" to one that read: "Open," along with the words: "void where prohibited" now scrolled along the bottom.