The business empire 4/10

Jennifer Jane carried on towards her home, while Eve walked beside her asking questions about ‘her friend’.

“He’s a most amazing fellow; did you know he claims he can talk to his horse?”

Jennifer Jane tried hard to keep a straight face, this was going to be easy. “Oh yes, he really believes it, he’s living in a world of his own if you ask me. I mean if you’re honest, anyone can say they talk to their animals; after all, I talk to Moggy our cat. That doesn’t mean she understands me, any more than I can understand her!”

They had reached the gap in the hedge that lead into Jennifer Jane’s garden, but Eve continued to walk beside her.

“How did you come to meet George in the first place?”

“He used to travel round the country with his horse and cart sharpening knives and lawnmowers and things. I don’t know if you remember, but soon after you first came here you met dad and me rolling his grindstone home. We’ve still got it; dad uses it to sharpen all mums’ cutlery as well as his own tools. I don’t know why George left it in the woods in the first place, but it’s lucky for us that I found it on one of my walks.”

Eve continued her questions even as they walked through the back door into the kitchen.

“He sharpened all the tools round here,” said Mary, when she realised what they were talking about, “then one day he didn’t turn up on time and soon afterwards Jennifer Jane found his cart in the woods. I’ve no idea why he would do such a thing, I suppose he found something better to do, but you would have thought he would have sold the equipment before starting a new job. Would you like a slice of freshly made cherry cake and a cup of tea?”

“I met him a couple of times while I was doing my monthly big shop in town,” said Eve, “he looked as if he was showing tourists round the place. In fact he offered to show me round the area where he lived, it sounded nice and rural, but it was quite a long way away and it turned out to be a real tourist trap for city dwellers!”

Jennifer Jane listened happily as her mum and Eve chatted away. She couldn’t think of any more problems there might be, everything she could imagine had been turned into something perfectly ordinary.

Now perhaps Eve would leave her alone in future and stop believing there was something suspicious about her. However she did wonder what on earth George was getting up to, now that the witches had stopped him coming to her world.