Banished: Book 1 of The Grimm Laws (6 page)

J
ust as the note said
, The Chocolate Fountain was located at the corner of Brooks and Hamilton. Hamilton was the main road going through town where clusters of shops and other businesses were located, and Brooks marked the start of an old residential neighborhood where all of the houses had been grand in their day with the artfully painted brick and wood siding, large windows, and wide porches. Of all the houses that Elle could see, The Chocolate Fountain was the grandest of them all with its salmon colored brick siding and massive porch with the intricate wooden handrails painted a gleaming white. No detail had been left undone. The gables and windows were trimmed in a cheery turquoise color, and she could see lace curtains on the large windows that wrapped around the ornate turret. The house reminded Elle of a decorated sugar cookie or one of those Painted Ladies in San Francisco. She stopped. Had she been to San Francisco? Funny how her brain was picking up on insignificant memories when she couldn’t remember any of the important things.

Elle walked up the steps, admiring the colorful pots of yellow and purple mums on the porch. It really was a show place. She opened the door and stepped inside to the vacant sitting area. The musky smell of chocolate was intoxicating. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the dozen or so ice-cream parlor tables and chairs that were artfully arranged. Various styles of plush chairs were spotted around the room. On the back wall, facing a large fireplace, was a more intimate seating area with a comfortable-looking couch and chairs. She looked up and was surprised to see a chandelier much like the one in her room except it was about three times larger and dripping in glittering jewels. The walls were painted the same pale pink shade that was in her room. She wrinkled her nose.
Weird
. She looked to the left. There in the adjacent room were the glass bakery cases, displaying various chocolates. Also, there were brownies, cookies, and delicate pastries. It was truly an awesome sight—a chocolate lover’s dream. Elle’s stomach grumbled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. She walked up to the stately wooden counter and cash register. Was “A” going to meet her here? It was 1:10. Surely “A” remembered that she was coming. She looked past the counter to the open door behind it but couldn’t see anything.

“Hello! Is anyone there?”

No answer.

“Hello?”

“I’m coming,” a voice called.

A middle-aged woman rounded the corner. When she saw Elle, recognition lit her face, and she smiled. “You made it,” she said warmly, peering over her sea foam blue spectacles.

Elle looked at her closely. This was “A?” She was about medium height and build, although it was hard to tell for sure because she was wearing a soft green dress that was so loose that it seemed to flow around her as she walked. She had shoulder-length hair the color of taffy, and it was curly and untamed. Her open smile with the deep dimples on either side was her best feature. She might’ve been pretty once but had an air of indifference about her that suggested she was too concerned about weightier matters than to worry with vanity. Before Elle realized what was happening the woman stepped around the counter and embraced her in a tight hug. A dainty floral smell enveloped her. A strange tingle akin to static electricity went through her body, and she could almost remember something. When the woman let go, the feeling fled.

“Do I know you?” Elle stammered, pushing her hair out of her face.

The woman studied her closely. “You don’t remember?”

She dropped her hands to her side. “No.” She looked away from the woman to the large cuckoo clock on the wall. There was something ominous about the way it ticked back and forth … back and forth. Her life was trickling away with every tick of the clock, and she couldn’t remember any of it.

The woman laughed and clasped her hands together. “Splendid!”

For a split second Elle thought she’d heard her incorrectly. “Did you just say
splendid
?”

She tucked a curl behind her ear. “Yes, Elle, I did.”

She made a face. “But I just told you that I can’t remember you.”

“I know, isn’t it marvelous?” She flashed a wide smile.

Was the woman nuts, or was this some kind of a joke? Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t think it’s the slightest bit marvelous,” she shot back, not bothering to hide the resentment in her voice. “In fact, I’d say it pretty much sucks! I can’t remember anything about myself. Ever since the accident, my life has been a big blank.” Elle could feel her cheeks glowing hot.

“A” waved the outburst away with the flick of her hand and a kindly smile. “Oh, I suppose that part has been a nuisance, but now you get to start fresh.”

Elle was trying to decide whether to laugh or tell her off when the woman took her by the arm. “Come, let’s go to the study. I’ve made us some salted caramel hot chocolate.” She gave her a knowing look. “Your favorite, although you don’t remember, and I made some special white chocolate and milk chocolate truffles just for you.”

They went up the winding staircase to the second story and down a long hall before stopping in front of a heavy wooden door. The woman opened it and motioned for Elle to enter. From the moment she stepped in, she had the peculiar sensation of stepping into another world. Thick woolen rugs covered polished hardwood floors. Tall bookcases towered to the arched ceiling that was open with massive exposed beams. There must have been thousands of books and figurines lining the shelves. A sliding wooden ladder was attached to the bookshelves to allow one to reach the uppermost books. She forgot her earlier frustration. “Wow! This is incredible,” she murmured.

The woman seemed pleased.

She walked over to a bookshelf and began reading the titles.
Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Rapunzel
. She turned. “These are all fairytales.” She looked across the room to a round table that had a model of a house resting in the center of it. From where she was standing it looked to be a replica of a gingerbread house with two figurines in front of it—a boy and a girl. She pointed. “Hansel and Gretel?”

The woman nodded. “Let’s go over and sit by the fire.” They walked over to the vacant fireplace that looked as though it hadn’t had a fire in quite some time. Was the woman planning on making a fire? There was no wood in the fireplace. “Have a seat.” The woman pointed at the green velvet wingback chair that was facing the fireplace. Elle sat down, and the woman took her seat in the matching chair. Directly in front of them, between the chairs and the fireplace, was a large ottoman covered in a detailed tapestry. The rich greens and reds suggested that it might’ve been a forest scene, but Elle couldn’t tell for sure. Resting on the ottoman was a silver tray containing two mugs of hot chocolate piled high with whipped cream. Beside the hot chocolate was a china plate decorated with delicate pink flowers and green leaves. There were two truffles in the center of it—one white and one milk chocolate. Her eyes went to the wood mantel. She marveled at the detailed carvings. Some looked to be of fruits and vegetables, others might’ve been faces, but the wood carver had deliberately left the lines so vague that it was hard to tell for sure what the shapes were.

Elle looked back at the woman and was startled to see that while she’d been studying the décor, the woman had been studying her. She twisted in her seat. The woman’s open scrutiny was making her uncomfortable. “You’re ‘A,’” she blurted.

She looked surprised. “A?” She reached and turned on the antique glass floor lamp that was beside of the chair. It cast a warm glow over the room.

“Your letter was signed ‘A.’”

“Oh, I suppose I did sign it that way. I was trying to be discreet,” she chuckled, and her emerald eyes twinkled with amusement, “so that Sera wouldn’t know the note had come from me.”

“She tore it up without even opening it. I happened to come into the kitchen and see her, so I fished it out of the garbage.”

The woman’s face flushed. “There’s not a smidgen of honor in that wretched woman’s body. Imagine someone having the nerve to throw away
my
chocolate.”

Elle couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up in her throat. She was starting to like ‘A’ more and more. She’d lost count of the amount of times she’d thought nearly the same thing over the past couple of weeks. There was something cathartic about hearing someone else say it. “She is wretched, isn’t she?”

The woman laughed. “My name is Adele.”

Adele. The name fit her. “Do you mind if I ask how we know each other?”

Adele reached for a mug of hot chocolate. “I’m your aunt.”

“What?” Elle leaned forward in her seat. “My aunt? No one told me that I have an aunt.”

She took a sip of hot chocolate. “To hear him tell it, I’m his older sister. Or at least that’s how the story goes.” She rolled her eyes and looked upward. “Sister? To that soft piece of fruit? Hah! You’d think that Merek could’ve come up with a better cover than that.”

Elle shook her head. “I don’t know why they didn’t tell me about you. And why was Sera throwing away your invitation?”

“So many questions.” She cocked her head as if she were musing something over in her mind. “Let’s see, where to begin … where to begin. Shall I begin with the book? Is that a good idea?” She looked to the ceiling. “I’m not sure she’s ready.”

“What book? What am I ready … or not ready for?” she asked, but Adele kept talking to herself, as though she’d not heard a word Elle had said.

“Of course, if I give her a truffle …” She took another drink from the mug and held up a finger. “Yes, a truffle might do the trick, but it will only work if she’s ready. Of course, once things are set into motion, there’s no going back.” She set the mug on the tray and began drumming her fingers on the arms of the chair. “Is she ready?” She looked directly at Elle as if she were sizing her up. “Oh, dear. How did I get myself mixed up in this?” She glared at the ceiling. “How indeed, Merek!”

Elle’s heart dropped. Adele was crazy. That’s why Sera had thrown away the invitation. That’s why no one mentioned her. Disappointment settled over her. How nice it would’ve been to have an aunt that, unlike Sera, was kind. And for all her eccentricity, she could tell that Adele was that.

“Go ahead,” Adele prompted. “Drink some of your hot chocolate. I made it especially for you.”

It took Elle a moment to realize that Adele was talking to her rather than to herself. She reached for the mug and took a drink. To say that it was delicious would’ve been a gross understatement. It was amazing! And it was hot! Something wasn’t adding up. The mugs were sitting on the ottoman. From the looks of things, they’d been sitting on the ottoman the entire time that Adele had come out to greet her. “This is hot.”

Adele nodded. “Just the way you like it.”

Yes, she did like it hot, although she hadn’t known that about herself until this very moment. “But how? We talked downstairs and then by the bookshelves. How did you keep it hot?” She lifted up the cup to see the bottom, thinking perhaps it was battery operated, but it was a plain cup.

“This is all still a bit of a shock for you, but it will all become clear soon … well, at least a portion of it will be.” She looked directly at Elle. “I’m sorry I had to take away your memories. There was no other way, you see. You were going down the wrong path. And you were turning out …” She started chewing on her lower lip. “Well, you were starting to develop a bit of a mean streak. Of course that’s understandable considering you’ve been living with that horrible woman and her wretched daughter all of these years. Still, something had to be done.”

Elle arched an eyebrow, her senses going on full alert. “Wait a minute, you’re saying that you took away my memories?”

“I want you to understand that it wasn’t out of meanness, dear. I did it because I care about your future.”

A furrow appeared between Elle’s brows. This was ridiculous! Why was Adele saying such crazy things? “I fell. It was an accident. You didn’t cause it, it was a stupid accident,” she finished, growing more frustrated by the minute.

She patted Elle’s hand. “Of course it was, dear.” Adele put down her cup and hugged her arms. “It’s drafty in here. We need a nice warm fire to warm the bones. When you get my age, the blood doesn’t circulate so well … and then the joints tend to ache a bit, especially just before a storm. There’s a storm brewing!” She shivered. “The sooner we get on with this the better.”

Okay, she was old and more than a little crazy, but there was something endearing about her, and the hot chocolate was outstanding. It was spreading warmth through her that started at her toes and was working its way up.

Adele made a motion with her hands and then thrust them at the fire. A loud
whoosh
went through the room and suddenly there was a crackling fire where the empty space had been. Elle jumped and in the motion, spilled hot chocolate on her jeans. Even though it was hot, she barely noticed. She jumped up, fear drumming in her breast. “There’s a fire!”

“Yes, I thought it might help take the edge off, dear.”

“But there was nothing there, and then you waved your hands in the air and then … um … I’m not sure what just happened.” She swallowed, her mind refusing to accept what her eyes had witnessed. A cold sweat covered her. She was going crazy. First the mirror and now this. She was going crazy like Adele! A silent scream was building in her throat. She put down the mug. “I have to go.”

“No, don’t go. We need to talk.”

Elle rushed past her, practically running. “I have to go!”

“Oh, puddle wax!” Adele muttered, wringing her hands. “What to do?”

Elle was almost to the door when it slammed shut. She frantically turned the knob, but it wouldn’t budge. Left with no other option, she turned and faced Adele, her back plastered against the closed door. “P-please … let me go.”

“I’m not going to hurt you, Elle,” Adele said gently. “Come back over and sit down, and I’ll explain everything.”

“I don’t know.” She started shaking her head back and forth.

Adele held out her arms. “Come.”

She had no choice. Her feet started moving, and there was nothing she could do but comply. It was as though some unseen force was pulling her in. She sat down in the chair, her heart pounding. “Okay, say what you want to say!” She couldn’t stop the tear from rolling down her cheek.