“In bed, nursing a cold.”
“Is she okay?”
“Just a bit tired.”
“Are Mimi and Evelyn okay?”
“Yes, fine.”
Their conversation was so stilted that Carla let out a sigh. “Look, Jess,” she started. “I know we had words about the database, but I don’t want to fall out with you over it. How did your interview go?”
Jess fidgeted with her collar. “Really well. They offered me the job.”
Carla felt her stomach plummet even more. “Oh, Jess...” She took a moment to think. “I really don’t want you to leave.”
“It’s a bit late for that now. We’ve not been getting along. You don’t trust me at work, and this new company seems great—”
“Of course I trust you,” Carla interrupted, her face full of hurt.
“No, you don’t, not fully. Myrtle’s reading was a wakeup call that I’m thirty-four and need to move on with my life.” Jess looked away. “Anyway, I’ve been calling all the couples who matched during the twelve-month problem period, just like you asked me to. There’s been several separations but the overall success rate is pretty high and...” She trailed off. “Myrtle said I’d be working near water soon, and I saw the fountain in the courtyard. Omens do exist.”
Carla thought about magpies and tarot cards and the curse, and she nodded in agreement. “I’m starting to think they might, too.”
Jess closed one eye. “Did you really just say that?”
“I’ve had an eventful few days.”
Carla could tell Jess about the men she’d met and the places she’d visited, but that wouldn’t bring them close together again. It felt like she and her sister were on opposite ends of a swing bridge as it opened, and she had to find a way to jump over the gap, even if it meant revealing something that could severely impact Jess and her relationships, too. “I found out that Mum carried out some research into our family tree during her travels.”
Jess shrugged a shoulder. “And?”
Carla persevered. “I found out that Agatha, our ancestor, was engaged to a man called Lars.”
Jess’s face remained unimpressed.
“He did die at the altar before they married, because I read about it in an old newspaper article,” Carla said, hesitating before adding her big reveal. “It also stated a curse really was cast on our family.”
This time Jess wriggled herself upright. “Are you making this up?”
“No. I’m the realist, remember? The one who doesn’t believe in fairy tales. But I saw this with my own eyes.” Carla located the photo and article on her phone and sent them to her sister.
Jess waited for the image to load. “Wow, Lars and Agatha look so young and gorgeous,” she said.
“That’s what I thought, too.”
“I guess I always believed in the story of a curse without thinking how it really played out,” Jess pondered aloud. “It seems kind of awful that Lars was only twenty-eight. That Isabelle Roelof woman was a witch in all senses of the word.”
“It makes me wonder what happened to Agatha, if she ever found love again,” Carla mused. “I don’t suppose there’s any way we can find out.”
The two sisters both swept their hair back off their forehead at the same time. Then they noticed and twitched a smile at each other.
“I’ve missed you,” Carla said softly.
Jess worked her lips, not finding a response. “I’ve got something to tell you, too. Bertrand has asked for Mimi and Gran’s blessing for him to propose to Evelyn. Of course, they said yes. He’s going to wait until after your wedding day to pop the question, so he doesn’t steal your thunder. He’s such a cutie.”
“That’s fantastic, great news. Yes, he does seem very sweet.” The words wedding day made something catch in Carla’s throat, and tears welled in her eyes.
“What’s up?” Jess frowned. “I thought you’d be pleased.”
“I am.” Carla looked down, resting a hand on her belly.
“Oh.” Her sister paused and her eyes widened. “Wait, you’re not preggers, are you?”
Carla pursed her lips, ruing her sister’s sixth sense. Jess had also predicted Mimi was going to marry again before their aunt even announced it. “Please don’t tell anyone, including Gran, Mimi and Evelyn,” she pleaded. “It’s very early days and I’ve only just found out. I think Tom is in shock from the news.”
Jess chewed her bottom lip. “Now that the database has been fixed, I ran yours and Tom’s details through the system to check if it’s working properly again. I saw that he doesn’t want kids...”
Carla briskly rearranged her dress. “I don’t want to talk about it. I’m beginning to think Logical Love isn’t the best way for people to meet.”
Jess gave her a hard blink. “Don’t be silly. It works brilliantly for lots of people. It’s just a bit, well, regimented.”
“Maybe,” Carla said stiffly.
The two sisters fell quiet for a while, until Jess jerked her head. “Hold on a sec.”
“What?”
“The photo you sent me. There’s a stained-glass window behind Agatha and Lars.”
