The Selkie Spell (Seal Island Trilogy) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Spying her reflection in the hall mirror, she cringed.  God knows she needed it.
    Shoving her feet into slippers, she opened the door, ducked down the alley, and fumbled with the doorknob to the pub.  When she saw the light spilling out from under the doorway, she pulled open the door, and blinked.  The pots and pans were all hung in their proper places from hooks on the walls and ceilings.  The floor was spotless.  The counters were shining.  The stove was gleaming.  “What time did you get here?” she sputtered at the woman standing on the other side of the kitchen.
    “A couple of hours ago.”
    A couple of hours ago?   Caitlin struggled to do the math.  “That would mean you woke up at four?”
    “Something like that.”  Tara offered a hesitant smile.  “I made tea.  Would you like some?”
    Caitlin stared at Tara.  “You do know it’s Sunday?”
    Tara nodded, handing Caitlin a mug.
    Caitlin blew on the boiling water, eyeing the stack of books sitting on the counter.  “What are those?”
    “Cookbooks,” Tara explained.  “I found them in one of the cupboards.”
    Caitlin pushed at one of them with her finger.  “What are we supposed to do with them?”
    “Learn how to cook.”
    “It’s all up here,” she said, tapping her forehead.
    Tara glanced wistfully at the books.  “I found some interesting recipes in them.”  She picked up the book on the top of the pile.  “Most of them call for fresh herbs.  Do you have access to fresh herbs on the island?”
    “We do.”
    “Lavender?”
    Caitlin nodded.
    “What about rosemary?  Arrow root?  Burdock?”
    Caitlin nodded, taking the book from Tara’s hands and scanning the recipes.  “Most of these herbs grow wild around the island.”
    “Would you show me later?”
    Caitlin glanced up at Tara, the corner of her mouth twitching up into a smile.  “Why don’t we start with something simple first, before you go getting ahead of yourself?”
    “Okay,” Tara agreed, reluctantly.  “Where do you think we should start?”
    “We’ll start at the beginning.”  With the very simplest of recipes .  She turned to the first recipe, handed it to Tara.
    “Soda bread,” Tara read aloud.  “That doesn’t seem so hard.”
    “Famous last words,” Caitlin muttered, draining her mug.
     
    ***
     
    “I don’t understand,” Caitlin said, after the last customer left.  Shaking her head, she walked over to where Tara was staring at the gooey black mess clinging to the bottom of the trash can.  “I’ve never been much of a cook myself, but I’ve never met anyone who was as terrible in the kitchen as you.”
    Tara waved a hand over the steam rising out of the can.  “I didn’t know it would be this hard.”
    “It’s not.”
    Tara glanced up at Caitlin.  “Do you think he’ll fire me?”
    “I don’t know,” Caitlin admitted.  “Half the village sent their breakfast back this morning.”
      Tara groaned and covered her face with her hands.  She’d made it through four years of med school and she was being brought down by a loaf of bread?   Taking a deep breath, she reached for the book.  “Okay,” she said, squaring her shoulders.  “I can do this.  I will do this.”  She turned, walking back to the stove and turned when the back door swung open and Kelsey and Dominic raced into the kitchen.
    “Dad!” Kelsey shouted.  “Give me back the ball!”
    Dominic laughed, holding it up over his head.  “Not until you promise to take better care of it.”
    “I promise!” Kelsey pleaded, jumping up and trying to bat it out of his hand.
    “And how am I supposed to believe that?”
    “Dad!”
    “I’ve a mind to hide it and make you search for it.”
    “But I told Ashling I’d meet her an hour ago!”
    Dominic shifted the ball to his fingertips, grinned.  “She can help you search.”
    Caitlin put her hands on her hips and shook her head.  “Where was it?”
    “Floating in a tidal pool,” Kelsey said,