The Chocolate Magic Cozy Mystery Box Set Books 1 to 7 Read online

  “It is a possibility we would be able to get away for two weeks.”

  “Very exciting,” Magda said and sat beside him on the sofa. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him. “Except,” she added, and he waited. “Crystal was very interested in the shamrock shapes and the letter.”

  “Coincidence. She always knows when the mail arrives,” he laughed, “and she will have to stay here.”

  For the rest of the evening, they looked up Kilkenny on the internet and Sam talked about his Aunt Alison and what he could remember of her.

  “She met and married an Irishman from just outside of Kilkenny and went to live there. He was called Padraig. Spelled one way but pronounced Porrick. I was just about fifteen when they married. He was a cheerful man and easy to like. I remember my mom saying that it was good that Alison had found somebody who made her happy.”

  “She must miss him terribly now,” Magda mused. “Would you like to go?”

  Sam gave it a moment’s thought and nodded.

  “If you would like it as well, yes. Ireland looks beautiful. Two weeks away sounds rather good.”

  Magda kissed him on the cheek. “Let’s do it. I’ll make sure the rest can cope in our absence. We’ll ask them tomorrow and then we can book the flights and let your aunt know that we would love to visit.”

  The next morning, they went over it again and agreed to sound out their respective staff.

  Magda felt the little flip of delight she always enjoyed as she walked down the little alleyway between the bank and the hiking shop. The alleyway opened up into a courtyard of colored tables and chairs set amidst potted plants. Lanterns were strung overhead. The building gave the impression of an old-world mining cabin but inside everything was streamlined and modern.

  Sam had transformed the old stable into the café that she had always dreamed about. The new extension gave them more space for tables inside and the actual original stable was one enormous kitchen with a chocolate vat in the center.

  Her best friend Rula had given up her job at the hotel to run The Chocolate Magic Café to allow Magda time to make the truffles. There was such demand that Katie, who was an artist, had joined the production and decorating side of things. Rita -- the pocket rocket -- zoomed around as a waitress joined by eighteen-year-old Josh.

  Rula had the coffee and chocolate machine fired up. Sitting at the counter with his favorite brew was Mikey from the camping shop next door. That was no surprise because he and Rula were spending almost all of their spare time together. Magda knew that he would help out when they were gone. She grabbed a coffee herself and asked the others what they thought about her being away for two weeks.

  “Well that is an interesting holiday,” Rula said. “A honeymoon, a holiday and possibly a new house.”

  “Sounds wonderful,” Katie chimed in. “Ireland is so romantic with its tales of magic, leprechauns and,” she paused and looked at Magda, “you were already talking about making shamrock truffles.” Magda nodded and said that Crystal had been looking at Ireland on the tablet when the letter came.

  “Oh, no,” Rula exclaimed. “She was ahead of you again.”

  “Will you manage the cats if we go?” Magda asked and Rula kissed her on the cheek.

  “Of course, we will. Declan will help. Go my children. Go out into the world and enjoy yourselves.”

  Magda laughed and thanked her.

  “I will lend a hand as well, if needed,” Mikey added, “but I better go right now and do some work.” He waved his cup in the air and took it with him as Declan came in to pick up something similar himself.

  “Talk of the devil,” Rula exclaimed and asked if he would help with the cats. He nodded.

  “Already had an email from Sam but we’ll finish the job we are doing together before he goes. The cats are no problem.”

  “What good friends I have,” Magda told them and then asked them to try the filling for a shamrock truffle.

  “Yuck,” Katie said. “No thanks.” Magda laughed and said the crème de menthe was no good.

  “I’ll try something else green.” She said.

  Declan, the carpenter, left with his coffee as the first customers were coming in. Magda settled to ordering the supplies and then moved on to making truffles. Sam’s favorite pecan and marzipan were going down fast, and the orange liqueur ones needed replacing.

  By lunchtime, they were catching up. She had a call from Sam to say that he had emailed his aunt to ask when the best time was to visit.

  “I checked the flight prices as well.” He told her that Declan was a bit jealous because his family was all Irish and he had never visited.

  “Well, if we get the holiday home, he can visit Ireland then,” Magda replied. They agreed to finalize the plan in the evening and then went back to work.

  It turned out, that after a crazy two weeks, they were boarding their flight and heading towards Dublin International. Magda grabbed Sam’s hand as they sat waiting for the final checks and everyone to settle in before takeoff.

  “How wonderful to be getting away together,” she murmured. Sam smiled and wondered why they had wasted all of those years fighting with each other instead of falling in love. It always made him feel good to see Magda happy.

  Dublin airport was efficient and charming. From there, they arranged for a taxi to his aunt’s house. When they showed the address to the driver, he told them in a lovely Irish accent that it would be about an hour.

  “Visit Dublin City while you are here,” he said. “We are very proud of it.”

  The two visitors watched enchanted as the taxi wove its way through beautiful countryside, some smaller towns and a world that looked completely different from America.

  “I know we live in an area that is a magnet for tourists, but it is enormous. Everything here is so cozy.” Magda said.

  The taxi entered a small town where the streets were narrow, and the driver had to stop and start several times to let other vehicles pass.

  “Some of those small stores look interesting,” Magda observed as the driver turned away from the main street and his GPS directed him to the right house.

  “You have reached your destination,” he grinned at them, told them the price in euros and came out to carry the bags to the door. “Enjoy Ireland,” he said and went back to his vehicle.

  The house was really more of a cottage. It was at the end of the street and had a view of the countryside which stretched up a hillside. Magda was already in love with the place when his aunt opened the door and held out her arms to make them welcome.

  Alison Carty was a small woman with a huge personality. She had blue eyes that twinkled and a ready smile for everyone.

  “Sam Barnes, I would know you anywhere,” she said, “and this must be Magda that I have been dying to meet. Come in. Come in. Oh, I am so glad you decided to visit.” They were ushered inside to a room that was as warm and welcoming as the woman herself. Sam had to stoop slightly to get through the doorway. Magda took a chair and Aunt Alison sat as well while Sam sank onto a soft and squishy sofa.

  “I am sure you are desperate for a coffee my darlings, but I have to look at you both. Sam, you are just an older version of the fifteen-year-old I remember. Magda, you are so beautiful. How did he manage to marry somebody so pretty? And I want to know all about your chocolate truffles.”

  “Not a problem because I brought you some,” Magda replied and went for her hand luggage.

  “I’ll make coffee and you can tell me all about the café,” Alison said and went off to the kitchen.

  Magda came back with the hand luggage as a small black cat came out of the kitchen to rub itself against her legs. She put down the small case and picked up the cat just as Alison started to say that the cat wouldn’t let anyone pick her up.

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  “Well I never,” Alison Carty said. “The only person she ever let pick her up was my late husband and me when she feels like it.”

  She laughed and added tha
t they always had a dreadful time if they had to see a vet.

  “What’s her name?” Sam asked and his aunt said it was Jezebelle.

  “I know. I am Alison Belle and she is Jezebelle. My husband had a strange sense of humor, but the cats always had family names and he kept the tradition going.”

  “What sort of tradition?” Sam asked as they sat drinking coffee and eating cakes. His aunt said that there had always been a cat in the cottage for as long as she could remember and apparently before that.

  “I love the cottage,” Magda told her. “How old is it?”

  “When you’ve had your coffee, I’ll give you the guided tour.” She laughed. “It won’t take long but it is quite fascinating. We think it is probably about three hundred years old, but we know for sure it was here for two hundred.” She opened the box of truffles and tried one. “Oh, my goodness,” Alison exclaimed. “That is the most wonderful sweetie I have ever had in my life.”

  “That was brandy syrup and raspberry,” Magda said.

  “My favorite is pecan and marzipan,” Sam added.

  So she tried one of those as well. “No wonder you are successful. These are out of this world.”

  “Thank you,” Magda answered. “I am planning some shamrock ones for Saint Patrick’s Day.”

  “My good friend, Olive, must try these. She is a bit of a chocoholic,” Alison declared and closed the box before she could eat any more. “Come and see the place.”

  The house was bigger than it seemed. There were four bedrooms as well as a living room, kitchen, two bathrooms and a laundry room.

  “The living room and main bedroom were the original stone cottage,” Alison explained, and the rest was added on at different times. “Padraig’s mother kept the place very old fashioned and we didn’t want to change it completely. We painted it all in light colors and added American decorations, cushions, as well as lots of Irish things. Then we had to update the bathroom and kitchen and get broadband and everything else people need these days.”

  “It is absolutely wonderful,” Magda told her. “You’ve got the feeling right. It’s comfortable but still modern.”

  “As I say, I would like it to stay in the family, but I think it is time for me to go back to my roots. I love Ireland but without Padraig, it isn’t the same.”

  Magda put her arms around Sam’s aunt. They had only met a short while before but already she liked this woman.

  “Enjoy being together,” Alison told them. “You are lucky to find someone that loves you.” Then she gave herself a mental shake. “Enough of this sadness. You have to have a good time in Ireland. There are so many things to see and places to visit.” They had returned to the living room and when Magda took a seat the little cat called Jezebelle jumped onto her knee.

  “You are very privileged, Magda. She’s a very fussy cat.” Alison said. Magda smiled and ran a hand over the shiny black fur.

  “As long as you are not psychic, we are fine,” Magda told the cat with a smile and caught the sharp look that Sam’s aunty gave her.

  “What?” she asked. “Did you say psychic?” Alison queried.

  “We have four cats at home. Two are Birmans and two were dumped on the doorstep. Crystal is the lilac tortie Birman and she knows when things are going to happen before they do.” She paused. “Now you think I’m a nutcase.”

  Alison shook her head.

  “Jezebelle knows when people mean me harm or are not very nice. She can make it painfully obvious as well.”

  “What does she do?” Sam asked.

  Alison sighed. “A plumber came to mend a burst pipe and he was working in the kitchen. He turned to speak to me, and she jumped on his hand and tore a wide scratch right down it. Then to finish it off she bit him. Fortunately, my friend was here as well and when the man refused to stay, I was going to pay him anyway. Then we saw that my purse was under a cloth he was using to wipe his hands. When he saw we knew what he was up to, he just took off.”

  “Wow, Jezebelle. What a cool cat you are,” Magda said. Alison went on to tell them that the cat stalked around some people on stiff legs to show them that she did not approve.

  “I have to lock her away sometimes.”

  “I have to lock mine away if I am making truffles.” Magda grinned. “Obviously we are very acceptable visitors. Thank you Jezebelle.”

  There was a knock at the door and Alison jumped up to open the door for her friend, Olive. The woman was a little portly and was dressed in flowing clothes in very bright colors. She was a cheerful soul and sat down to join in the conversation until she was stopped in her tracks by a raspberry brandy syrup truffle.

  “Ye gods, that is manna from heaven,” the woman cried out in a lovely soft Irish accent. “Don’t I think I have just died and gone to heaven?” She closed her eyes and relished the flavor on her tongue. “You actually make these yourself, with your very own hands?” Magda nodded.

  “Magic hands because Jezebelle will allow herself to be picked up,” Alison added.

  “Magic is it?” Olive smiled. “The cat will protect you from the old witches in this house. They always had a cat.”

  “Olive, let them settle in before you start with the old wives’ tales,” Alison told her friend.

  “This is a very old house. One of the oldest in the town and it had a reputation,” Olive said with a mysterious air.

  “Oh no,” Sam put in. “Please not more ghosts on our honeymoon.”

  “More? Have there been others?” Alison asked.

  “You will think I am nuts. My café is sort of haunted by a cat, but we have all gotten used to it.”

  “You must meet my nephew and his girlfriend,” Olive said. “They are avid ghost hunters.” She stood up. “We should all go and have a meal at the Barrel while you are here. Lovely to meet you.” Olive floated out which was quite a feat for someone so chunky. She left a faint scent of honeysuckle behind her.

  “What a lovely lady,” Magda remarked. Alison agreed and said that she would miss her when she went back to the States.

  “She was born and bred here and knows the place inside out. I will miss my garden as well,” Alison added. “I never showed you outside. Come and look.”

  There were French doors which led to a courtyard. At the door was a small and twisted tree. The terrace was surrounded by a small brick wall with tubs of plants and then it led out through an archway to a charming vision.

  “Oh, it is just like a painting.” Magda turned to Sam. “Katie would adore this. Can I send her photos please?” she asked Alison, who agreed immediately. Magda took out her phone and started to take shots to send to her truffle assistant who was also a wonderful artist. Sam explained that to his aunt as Magda wandered about amongst the plants. He flicked open his own cell phone and showed Alison Katie’s website.

  “If she makes any pictures from the photos, it would be lovely to have the memories to keep,” Alison said. “I will miss this place. There is something about it but without Padraig, it is just not the same.”

  “You know when they say Ireland is green?” Magda asked and Alison and Sam both waited. “Well, it really is. We have miles of open space and greenery, but this is a green green if you know what I mean.” Magda waved her arm at the view beyond the garden and Alison laughed.

  It’s the rain,” she answered. “You are enjoying lovely weather today, but we do have a lot of the wet stuff. Along with the Gulf Stream, it makes everything grow really well.”

  “I love it,” Magda said as they strolled back inside.

  “I think we should have something to eat and let you relax and lose the jet lag,” Alison said and busied herself with making some fluffy omelets and roasted vegetables. It was followed by a soft roulade with fresh raspberries. Very full and content to sit back, they told their hostess that it was delicious.

  “Do you ever think about using the loft space?” Sam asked with his architectural hat on. Alison shook her head.

  “It is a large space, but we nev
er needed it. I think it has been left completely alone for about a hundred years or maybe more.” Then she asked if they were happy to sit and relax while she checked on an elderly neighbor. They said they were too full of food to move.

  Jezebelle settled on Magda’s knee as her cell phone pinged. Katie messaged that the garden was wonderful, and could she send a whole lot more photos please. Magda turned the selfie side of the phone onto Jezebelle and added a message that they had another psychic cat.

  “I’ll do more shots for you,” she texted but was stopped from doing it because the doorbell rang. Sam went cautiously to the door and found a young couple on the step.

  “You must be Sam,” the man said. “I am Jonno and this is Branna. My aunt is Olive Blevins.”

  “Come in. Come in,” Sam invited and opened the door wide. The couple came in and settled in the living room.

  “Just wanted to say hello, really,” Branna told them and then saw the cat on Magda’s knee. “You are one special woman.” She smiled. “That cat is very choosy about her friends.”

  “I guess I am a cat person as we have four at home.”

  “But we really want to hear about the ghost cat that you told my aunt about,” Jonno added. Between Sam and Magda, they told a brief version of transforming the stable into a café and the cat that had appeared. They both had pictures of the café on their cell phones.

  “Wow,” Branna said. “You are so lucky. We go on ghost walks and all sorts of things, but we never see anything.”

  “How did it feel?” Jonno queried and Magda and Sam looked at each other.

  “Terrifying the first time but we sort of got used to it,” Sam answered.

  “This place should be full of ghosts after all the stories of witches and burning at the stake and stuff, but nothing seems to show itself.”

  “Witches?” Magda asked with her interest piqued.

  “Used to live here,” Jonno said. “My aunt knows all of the history.”

  The little black cat shifted on Magda’s knee and looked at the door. Sam got up and opened the doors but there was no one outside.