The Language of Spells Read Online Free PDF

the sheet. The same looping writing that was on the note in the purse. There was no mistake: Iris wanted her to have the house. She really wanted her to stay in Pendleford and had even put an instruction not to sell into a legal document. A part of Gwen felt flattered. It was nice to be wanted, even if it was by a woman she’d been taught to avoid like the plague.
    Cam was frowning as he flipped through the file. ‘Where are the title deeds? They should be here.’
    Mr Laing senior shrugged.
    ‘Great. Iris must’ve left them at the house.’ He looked at Gwen. ‘You’ll need that when you come to sell. In May.’
    Gwen looked into Cam’s brown eyes and felt something thud inside her chest. ‘Six months. Right.’
    ‘You’ll need to find it,’ he said. ‘It’s pretty important.’
    ‘Right. I’m just not sure if I can—’
    ‘What? You’re too busy?’ Cam shook his head as he handed her the file. ‘This isn’t the usual way people react when they find out someone has given them a house.’
    ‘Oh?’ Gwen couldn’t stop looking at Iris’s handwriting. She felt as if the walls had shrunk, and when she looked up at Cam, the room swooped to the left.
    ‘They usually say “hooray”.’
    ‘Cameron!’ Mr Laing was shocked. ‘Ms Harper has lost her aunt.’
    ‘It’s okay. I didn’t know her,’ Gwen said.
    Just as Cam said, ‘It takes more than that to shake Gwen.’
    ‘Hey!’ Gwen said.
So, a little hostility still
.
    ‘Spare keys.’ Cam plucked a brown envelope from the desk and tipped it upside down.
    ‘Thank you.’
    ‘Well, if that concludes our business?’
    Cam’s face was older, harder. Gwen didn’t think it was possible, but she actually found him even more attractive than the Cam of her memory. Which was inconvenient.
    ‘I don’t want to keep you,’ Gwen managed.
    Cam bowed his head slightly and left the room.
    ‘Well…’ Laing senior looked baffled. ‘What was that about?’
    Gwen shook her head. She felt sick. It shouldn’t have been a surprise that Cam’s grandfather didn’t know about them; not many people talked in-depth to their grandparents about their relationships but, still, it hurt.
    She shook Mr Laing’s hand and thanked him for his time. It wasn’t his fault that she couldn’t convert the house into money and go rent a flat in Leeds or London or on Mars.
Six months. How bad could it be?
    Back at End House, Gwen closed the door, then leaned her head lightly against it. Perhaps the country air was getting to her, but it felt as if the house was breathing with her. She closed her eyes and saw Cam. Frowning at her.
    She went to the kitchen and flicked through the file that Cam had given her. There was a white envelope with her name on it, written in Iris’s handwriting. Inside, there was a small key and a single folded sheet of paper:
    My dearest Gwen. I’m sorry I never got to know you. I hope you are all that I believe you to be. With power comes responsibility. I want you to accept all that I bequeath you but, by doing so, you accept all that it brings. Yours in haste, Iris
.
    Nicely cryptic, Iris.
Thanks for that
.
    The back door swung open. ‘Knock, knock.’ Lily appeared, her spike heels gouging chunks out of the worn lino. ‘Only me.’
    ‘What can I do for you?’ Gwen asked, pushing the letter back into the file and flipping over the brown cardboard cover.
    ‘It’s what I can do for you. I have such happy memories of helping your auntie, I’m willing to offer you a discount.’
    ‘Sorry?’
    ‘To help you out.’ Lily looked pointedly at the mess of papers, used coffee mugs and plates on the table. ‘Looks like you could do with a hand.’
    Gwen felt pressure around her temples. ‘I don’t need any help, thank you.’ She stood up and tipped crumbs from the cake plates into the bin. ‘And I couldn’t afford it if I did.’
    ‘If I clean, it will free up your time for—’ Lily paused ‘…well, whatever it is you do.’
    ‘I’m fine,