Black Curiosities
More Tea

"Do you have anything that can help someone get over," Martha started to say the very next day, although Cassie felt she was losing track of time there in Middleton. The mayor of Middleton stopped speaking, her head turning to look at the ceiling right before she sighed and threw up her hands. "I don't know what Sebastian Granger happens to have, beyond the fact Olivia's referred to it as a bug and vomiting was involved."

"I see," Cassie said, finding herself amused, although in the back of her head, she could already see whatever was bothering Sebastian Granger wasn't a matter of a bug. Still nervous, given what Stephanie had said the day before. There were still concerns in the back of her head that Stephanie took her advice the wrong way and might do something, may have already done something, that would put Sebastian Granger on edge.

Of course, there was her magic, telling her that this was the direction she should go with the situation, heading for the teas and already planning out a tea for dealing with nervousness rather than one for coping with the flu. However, she'd already felt drawn to toss in a bit of lemon for the citrus, which was thought to help someone recover from being ill. Her magic spoke, and she did rather than a question.

"Well, it's not that I don't ever question. I certainly questioned my magic when speaking with Stephanie, but I learned a long time ago to just go with the flow." She carefully prepared the tea and turned to Martha. "How about tea to calm the nerves?"

"Yes, but," Martha frowned. "I was actually looking for something that would, you know, help someone when they've got a bug."

"Well, you did say he was throwing up, so I'm not sure he can keep much of anything down," Cassie said. "But, you also said the other day that he was nervous. Or perhaps that was another one of my customers who noted he could become flustered. And it's the thought that counts?"

"Right," Martha nodded. "It's the thought that counts."

"And if it's cold instead of the flu, there is dry lemon in there as citrus is thought to help improve the immune system when one isn't feeling well. It certainly helps treat scurvy," Cassie said, smiling at the woman.

"Well, that's an interesting bit of information," Martha said, pulling out her purse. "And Sebastian is easily flustered." She lowered her voice. "He and Olivia took a trip to London a couple of summers ago to get school supplies for Hermione. The year between Hermione's first and second year. It didn't go well. He was out for days; his nerves were on edge so badly," Martha said. "And such a sweet boy. Tom and I wish he were one of ours. Or that we had a girl Olivia's age, and she'd marry him. Olivia and her parents are so lucky!"

"The town seems fond of him," Cassie said, not saying out loud, "And some more than they perhaps should be."

"We are!" Martha said. "Their daughter goes and buys her school supplies now, but when she's home, she takes care of that father of hers to see that he doesn't get overwhelmed. When she is home, that is, as she's always away at school, the dear. Wish my boys were as sweet as the Grangers are."

"They aren't?"

"They're little rapscallions," Martha said. "And if they ever bother you, Cassie dear, do let me know, and I'll tell them what for." She then paused. "Or Tom will. He seems to be much better at disciplining the boys."

"You should have more faith in yourself," Cassie laughed.

"You know, you're right, dear!" Martha said as another customer came in, looking around. Martha waved at the teen who was looking at some writing journals. "Rebekah Teagan! How is your summer break going so far, dear!"

The girl looked up, and Cassie's mouth twisted into a frown to match the smirk on Rebekah's face. Something told her things weren't going well, confirmed when the girl said, "I'm not sure what I'll write for the essay I need to write for my summer homework."

"Oh, dear," Martha said. "What is the matter?"

"Topic-wise, nothing that interests me that isn't an outright bore," the girl said, looking back at the journals.

Cassie tilted her head. "I'm not sure having a journal to write in will help with the writer's block you've got going, but at least you've got the entire summer to come up with a topic."

"That's true," Rebekah said, still frowning, as if she were still looking for inspiration.

"We've seed packets," Cassie said, for some reason thinking the seed packets were what the girl needed, yet for the life of her, she didn't know what a teenager might need with seed packets, particularly with how gardening was more of something to expect of an older generation. Her magic said those seed packets were exactly what Rebekah needed.

Rebekah blinked before turning and heading over to look at the seed packets. She reached out and picked one up in her hand. "I remember. My grandma had a garden she used to keep when I was little, and it would always bloom with the most beautiful flowers every year."

"Oh!" Martha said. "I remember! She was always winning awards for it as well. I used to ask her how she did it, and she would always say magic."

"Magic?" Cassie asked.

"Oh, I'm sure it wasn't magic."

"It wasn't," Rebekah said before turning to Cassie. "You know. I'll take some of these packets and a journal as well."

"Sure thing," Cassie said, ringing her up and letting her old-fashioned cash register cling. She smiled as she did so.

Martha turned, tilting her head. "How do you do it?"

"What?"

"You managed to get Rebekah Teagan to smile. I've not seen that girl smile since," Matha turned to look at Cassie, her eyes wide. "Since her grandmother passed away!"

"Well, sometimes when we grieve, we push aside the happy memories and only focus on what's not there anymore," Cassie said. "But I'm sure Rebekah was thinking of that garden she planted with her grandmother."

"But will she be able to plan them herself? I mean, I never knew how her grandmother did it—made all those flowers look beautiful as they do," Martha said.

"Have a little more faith, but don't be disappointed if the results aren't what you expect," Cassie said. "And we don't even know if she will go ahead and plant those seeds. Some people collect seed packets just to collect them, which can be quite beautiful, and some older ones sell for a pretty penny. Well, compared to what a seed packet would cost. You couldn't make a profit off them."

"And there's another random yet interesting fact," Martha said, then paused. "Wait? What did I come in here for?"

"You came in for tea or something else that might soothe an ailing neighbor," Cassie said, placing the tea she had prepared on the counter."

"Oh! Yes!" Martha opened her purse and began digging around. "And that's a nice way to put it; I think, this whole soothing an ailing neighbor. So poetic."

Cassie tilted her head, not agreeing that her words were poetic. Yet, if Martha thought so, she wasn't going to argue, mainly when her purchase was a definite sale for her and a reason for her to find herself liking Middleton, even though she still wasn't sure why her magic was telling her this was where she needed to be. " Although, " she thought as Martha left, the bell over the door jingling. " I am helping people and fulfilling the needs of various individuals. And I 'm having a positive effect. There is also…. "

Cassie looked around her place.

"There's a magical aura to Middleton, one of safety, which is different than what I've felt before in this country."