Dreams of Fire (Maple Hill Chronicles Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

in his Roger Moore phase said, “Good evening, shoppers, and welcome to the Community Co-operative. There is a sale on hair and body care products on aisle eight and don’t forget to get some dinner for the missus. Have a delightful evening.”  
    Marianne smiled at the thought of James Bond reduced to PA announcements at a co-op and headed to the deli counter. It was a good idea to get something here and not have to cook tonight. The two women were grinning broadly as a small line of customers queued up. She got a container of curried chicken salad and Mediterranean green salad with lots of vegetables, olives, and feta and headed out again into the heat.
    Outside the co-op, Marianne decided to call her grandmother before heading home. She sat in a convenient wire chair and dialed.
    “Hi, Grandma, it’s me, Marianne.”
    Grandmother Selene’s warm voice with its trace of upper crust British curled into her ear and made her smile. “Hello, dear. Did you get to Maple Hill all right?”
    “Yes. The house is lovely. I think it will be perfect. Thank you so much for finding it for me.”
    “You’re welcome, dear. Lily will be glad to know it suits you. It’s so nice to know you live only twenty minutes away! You must come visit when you have a chance.”
    “I will, Grandma. You’ll have to come over when I get settled and see the place.”
    “I’m sure it will look lovely. It’s been such a long time since I was last in that house.”
    “You’ve been here before?” Marianne was surprised.
    “Yes, a long, long time ago. It was quite an elegant home inside and out.”
    “It needs quite a bit of work to become ‘elegant’ again. I would love to come visit you.”
    “If you come tomorrow, you’ll just catch me. I’m going to be away for a few days visiting an old friend.”
    “I’ll come tomorrow for sure. My place won’t be ready for visitors for a while. But maybe I’ll have a housewarming party.”
    “That would be splendid! See you tomorrow, dear.”
    Marianne hung up, still smiling. Grandma had the ability to make her feel warm and loved whenever she talked to her. She sighed. It was time to go home and face some boxes before bedtime.
    The walk down Primrose and Violet was shady and cooler now with late sunlight streaming through the trees, and she paused at her gate to look at her new house. The shadows hid the need for a paint job and softened the overgrown vegetation. She could picture it with roses and clematis and warm light glowing out of the windows. Maybe next year. Robins sang their evening songs, and the air smelled rich and fragrant with earthy green garden smells. It was a beautiful, peaceful place, and Marianne was determined to make things work out somehow.
    The house was dim when she entered, and she put down the two grocery bags to grope for a light switch. The overhead in the living room cast a wan light over a small mountain of boxes. “Oscar! I’m home!” she called.
    She went down the left hand hallway through the pantry and into the kitchen, switching on lights as she went. Plunking the bags on the counter, she called him again. It was strange. Usually he came running when she got home. Maybe he was just nervous about being in a new place. “Oscar kitty, where are you?” She peered into the bedroom and the office, leaving a blazing trail of light behind her. Finally she found him in the bathroom, snoozing in his carrier in the tub.
    “Hey, mister! There you are. Not a very homey place with all these boxes, is it? Let’s eat some dinner then we can unpack some things before bed, okay?” She knelt down and stroked his head and scratched him under the chin right where he liked it. She began to feel a little vibrato purr under her fingers.
    Marianne put away her purchases, leaving out the salads. Oscar came trotting into the kitchen promptly at the sound of the lid being pulled off the cat food. She joined him, sitting on the kitchen floor. From that perspective, she