'Willow's Missing Tail" 26

Perfidia opened the door and stared at the two unexpected callers on her doorstep.

“Percival? Miriam? What a…surprise.”  

 “Good evening Perfidia,” Percival greeted with a sheepish smile, “We’re very sorry to intrude on your evening but we’ve had a vehicle mishap down the road and oddly, both our phones have gone dead.”

“That’s…unfortunate,” Perfidia mumbled getting a sense of premonition that their mishap wasn’t by accident.

“Yes, very unfortunate but fortunately, Miriam remembered your home was close by,” Percival turned offering a warm smile to Miriam.

“Sure, that was fortunate,” Perfidia echoed but her tone belied her words; she wasn’t pleased at all.

Miriam had the good sense to look apologetic, given the circumstance of how she’d found out Perfidia’s home address and the havoc she’d instigated last summer.

“I hope you don’t mind.”

Perfidia’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Of course I don’t mind Miriam; you’re welcome to use my phone.”

“Thank you,” it was Percival who responded, “and if it’s not too much to ask, could you give us a lift home too? You see we were returning from vacation when two of the car’s tires blew out. I’ve only the one spare so even when road assist arrives, they’ll have to take the car back to the shop. And as you can see…we’ve our luggage with us.” Percival nodded to the stack of suitcases on the step behind them.

“Two tires blew out?” Perfidia repeated, experiencing another shiver of foreboding intuition.

“Yes, and frankly Perfidia I’m baffled. I’d just purchased four new tires less than a month ago,” Percival shook his head in confusion, “and then, to have both phones go dead when we’d fully charged them before boarding the plane only adds to the strange set of events.”

“It sounds like you’ve had a very unusual night Percival,” Perfidia said with empathy. It did seem serendipity had led them to her door tonight, but why? 

“Can you drive us home?” he reiterated.

“I’d like to say yes but we’re in the middle of-”

“Who was at the door Perfidia?” Martha’s voice rang out a second before she stepped into the foyer and seeing the couple standing at Perfidia’s door, her next step was hesitant.

“Hello Martha; didn’t expect to see you here,” Percival greeted her with a big smile, “Maybe, you could drive us home.”

“I think I’ve missed something,” Martha mumbled and walked over to Perfidia.

“Hello Martha,” Miriam greeted her but her cordial smile had slipped into a frown. She didn’t like the way Percival was smiling at Martha, even though she needn’t worry about his feelings. They were friends but she had to admit, it irked her that they’d had a past.

Miriam stepped over the threshold taking the liberty of entering Perfidia’s home without a formal invite as she continued, “I want you both to be the first to know Percival and I are engaged,” she declared in a chipper tone waving her ringed hand in the air.

“I see, and congratulations to you both,” Martha gave a nod of well-done to Percival and turned a genuine smile to Miriam. She truly was happy for them.

“Yeah, congratulations,” Perfidia echoed, but her thoughts were on how to get Miriam and Percival back on their way and out of her house. “But you should hurry and make that phone call for road assist; it’s getting late.”

“Thank you,” Miriam beamed, “And you won’t have to drive us home. We’ll call a car service. Won’t we Percival?” She glanced over her shoulder at Percival for confirmation; he was still standing on the doorstep.

“We could do that,” he answered looking at Perfidia,” May I come in?”

“Of course you may,” she opened the door wider and Percival thanked her as he entered then walked over to Miriam.

“Wow, its positively freezing in here, “Miriam stated and shivered her shoulders for effect, “You must have your air conditioner set to polar,” she giggled at her quip.

“More like arctic,” Perfidia mumbled under her breath to Martha before smiling back at Miriam and Percival, “My study is two rooms that way, “she directed, “please feel free to use the phone in there. Martha and I will join you shortly,” she concluded and closed the front door.

“Thank you,” Percival nodded at Perfidia then took Miriam’s arm to walk her out of the foyer.

 

Perfidia locked the door and turned to Martha, wanting to tell her about the conflict she was sure had choreographed the events leading Miriam and Percival to her home but before she could say anything her door chimed again. It played what had been her favorite tune but Beethoven’s Für Elise, was beginning to annoy her.

She gave Martha an exasperated look. “What is going on here tonight; why are people just showing up?”

Martha felt the same apprehension. “Whatever it is, you have to know it’s out of our control. You may as well answer the door and welcome in whoever’s out there.”

Perfidia smirked, “I don’t want to.”

“I doubt they’ll go away,” Martha reasoned and she was correct. The door chimes filled the air once again.

Martha's look of ‘I told you so’ made Perfidia grumbled, “Fine, but you might be the one sorry; it could be someone you don’t want to see,” Perfidia warned turning the lock and opening the door then nearly gasped. It wasn’t Martha who was sorry to see the new caller; it was her.

She couldn’t believe he was standing there.

“Perfidia...are you okay?” Jon asked, because she was staring at him as if he were an apparition.

Perfidia blinked twice hoping without hope he’d disappear. He didn’t.

“I didn’t expect you to come back tonight, Jon.” It sounded accusatory so she tried to soften her words with a smile but knew it was a grimace at best.

“I’d gotten half way home and realized I had Dillon’s suitcase in my car, thought I’d better bring it back for him.”

“Oh,” Perfidia brightened seeing the suitcase in Jon’s hand, “I’ll be sure to give it to him.” She reached out for the case but Jon held it back from her; her eyes questioned the action.

“That’s not the only reason I came back.”

Perfidia felt her heart take a swan dive into her stomach. She needed him to go away and stay away, at least until sunrise. “Jon, whatever the reason is, can it wait until tomorrow?”

Jon shook his head. “No. I shouldn’t have walked away from our conversation earlier and I should have allowed you a chance to explain your reasons. I’d like to try having that conversation again, now.”

Perfidia would like to explain why she’d used a love potion bracelet on him but she couldn’t risk his being here, not with the strength of the conflict running amok in her home. She needed him to leave. 

“I’m happy you’ve reconsidered hearing me out but…Willow and Thistle are in need of my complete attention tonight. So I think it’d be better for us to have that conversation tomorrow, when I can fully focus on it.”

“If that’s what you want; okay,” he nodded but felt a deep disappointment she hadn’t invited him to stay.

“Thank you Jon,” she smiled and nodded to the suitcase, “I’ll give that to Dillon.”

Jon lifted the case up but unfortunately for Perfidia, Dillon stepped into the foyer and noticed Jon at the door.

“Hey, my suitcase; thanks Jon.” Dillon walked up to the door and reached around Perfidia to take the case from Jon's hand, “Are you coming inside? Perfidia’s being very generous to us, offering us her finest brandy and Martha’s made some of the best hors d'oeuvres this side of heaven.”

“If they’re so good, why are you out here?” Perfidia hissed under her breath at Dillon.

Dillon gave her tone a side eye and shrugged. “I was passing through on my way to the…powder room,” he chuckled.

“Of course you were,” Perfidia mumbled clearly frustrated and annoyed, but it wasn’t Dillon’s fault. He hadn’t intruded on them of his own accord. It was that dark variance swirling in and around her home that was to blame for the derailment. The palpable conflict was making sure everyone had a partner for its twisted party game.

 

Martha stood by Perfidia, silently watching the unfolding drama with Jon and Dillon. She'd also felt something was brewing tonight; something beyond the sibling conflict between Willow and Thistle and decided she didn’t want to play along with it. She formed a plan to rid her and Perfidia of their mutual problems.  

Martha stepped next to Dillon, blocking Jon’s entry. “Hello Jon,” she said affably.

“Hello Martha,” Jon nodded to her attempting to step into the house.

“I’m glad you came back; now you can drive Dillon to his hotel…with his dog too,” she said it in a matter-of-fact tone as she took Dillon’s arm and practically pushed him towards the open door and Jon.

“What?” Dillon’s eyes slanted to her, filled with confusion, “I thought you wanted me here tonight, lending support to the cats?”

“I’ve changed my mind. Too many people could cause an imbalance so I think its best if you two leave,” she explained as she continued to push Dillon out the door.

“You’re right Martha,” Perfidia agreed, catching on to Martha’s plan, “ there would be too many people here and that isn't  good,” she reached out a hand to shove Jon back a step but as she did a sudden gust of wind, with the velocity of a personal sized hurricane, blew both men into the foyer. 

The wind nearly knocked them all to the floor before it blew back out of the house and slammed the door shut in its wake.

“What the heck was that?” Jon asked, swaying on unstable footing and feeling disoriented from the sudden rush of movement.

“I have no idea,” Perfidia whispered. She’d landed against Jon's side and was holding onto him for upright support.

“I’ve never seen a wind whip into a house like that,” Dillon added his opinion as he shifted his hand on the wall to brace himself because he was leaning at an odd angle.

“Strange night indeed,” Martha mumbled from her awkward position against Dillon but he'd kept them from landing on the floor and she was grateful. “Whatever that was,” Martha continued, “its gone now so I think you can both leave.”

“You still want me to leave?” Dillon asked pushing away from the wall and turning to her.

“Yes: I believe it’s the best solution…for the cats,” she added with a nodded and walked back to the front door.

“Fine,” Dillon frowned at her as he followed her.

Martha tried to open the front door again but it wouldn’t budge. She sent Perfidia a worried look, “It won’t open.”

“It’s probably just stuck,” Dillon said and placed his arm around her to take the doorknob in his hand. He turned and pulled, using his considerable strength, but the door remained stubbornly shut.

“I’m guessing its air locked. We should try a window,” Perfidia suggested and was already walking out of the foyer.

Jon quickly caught up to her. “You’re that intent on getting rid of me; you want to push me out a window?” he whispered fiercely.

Perfidia glanced at him noting the high annoyance in his eyes. “No, of course not…” she pacified but then had to dash his hope, “but you do need to go home,” she concluded and walked over to the largest window in her living room.

“What’s going on with you Perfidia?" he asked as he stepped over to her and placed a halting hand over hers on the windowsill, "I don’t understand; tell me why I have to go?”

Perfidia gave him a practiced, innocent expression. “Nothing is going on Jon but as I said before, we can talk about it...tomorrow.”

Jon wasn’t buying her evasive answer but Martha and Dillon had just stepped into the room and Perfidia brushed off his hand.

She tried to pull up the window but just like the front door, it stayed stubbornly shut.“I don’t understand, why won’t it open?” She'd almost screamed the question in frustration.

“Okay, since you want to get rid of me so badly Perfidia, please, let me help,” Jon offered, not bothering to mask his sarcasm.

“Thank you,” Perfidia said with a genuine smile ignoring his, annoyed with her, attitude.

Jon frowned but he lent his considerable strength to lifting up the window with her but it was of no use; the window remained stubbornly shut.

“It’s official Perfidia, this night’s conflicts can’t be avoided,” Martha concluded with a sigh of resignation, “So we may as well join Percival, Miriam, Daphne and Avery in the study and finish off that bottle of brandy.”

Perfidia turned with a deep frown of denial; she didn’t want to concede that Martha was right. “What if we all try to open the window?"

Martha didn’t think it would make a difference but she and Dillon agreed to try and stepped next to Perfidia and Jon.

On the count of three they all tried, with combined strength, to lift the window open.

Once again, they were defeated.

“Like I said before, it’s unavoidable,” Martha smirked.

Perfidia hated to concede, hated to be bested, but she had no choice. Martha was right. Conflict had won this battle. 

“Fine. We’ll go to the study and finish that bottle…then crack open another,” Perfidia mumbled, having a feeling by the end of this long night, they’d all need the liquefied oblivion. She turned and walked out of the living room.

Jon wasn’t thrilled with Perfidia’s less than welcoming attitude towards him and was feeling not a small amount of annoyance with her. His long strides had him next to her in a heartbeat.

 “Are you sure you want me to join you in the study?” he questioned, not bothering to hide his irritation.

Perfidia glanced at him; his eyes were like coals on fire but nothing she said now would calm that brewing storm.

“You’re right, I don’t want you here tonight but despite my effort to keep you out of this, you’re here so…welcome to the party, Jon. Let’s hope we can win in the games,” she warned with a derisive chuckle and walked into the study.

Jon was about to follow her when he felt a cold breeze whip up around him; it was brief but it had portended a disturbance. He hesitated, thinking he shouldn’t have come back tonight, but the hindsight was too late. He was here and apparently, he couldn’t leave.

He shrugged off the ill feeling and stepped into the study.