Sisters Grimm 05 Magic and Other Misdemeanors (18 page)

"She's right, Snow," Briar Rose said. "Whenever his pride is hurt, he runs off--hunting, he used to call it, but I knew better. He was sulking. Losing the election hurt his fragile ego."

"And William does have his childish moments," Cindy added. "I was married to the man for nearly a hundred years. He'd throw his tantrums, disappear, and then show up without any explanation. He'll be back."

"But I can't believe he wouldn't call, write, leave me some way of knowing he was OK," Ms. White sobbed.

Rapunzel sighed. "You thought you were different."

Snow wiped her eyes. "What?"

"You thought you were different from us," the red-haired beauty repeated. "You thought that because you two had found one another after five hundred years that your love was special. I thought the same thing. All the magic that surrounded my love affair with William, both emotionally and literally... I mean, that's why they call our stories fairy tales, right--love and magic and riding off into the sunset together?"

"Rapunzel, you've got this all wrong," Ms. White replied. "I didn't think I was special."

"The thing is..." Cindy said, "you are special."

Rapunzel and Briar Rose shifted uncomfortably.

"I knew it. We all knew it," Cindy continued. "We're all amazing women: beautiful, smart, capable. But we weren't Snow White."

"Cindy--"

But the blond beauty stopped Ms. White. "This isn't out of anger, Snow. I'm over that. But I'm a person that understands relationships. I had a family that was completely nuts, and I was married to a guy who was more boy than man. I know the truth when it's looking me in the face. He never got over you, and that's why I left him. William has always loved you. Not that he didn't love Briar, or Rapunzel, or me. I believe he tried to be a good husband to each of us. But his heart was always yours. You were the first woman in his life, and when you left him at the altar, he never recovered."

"We were too young. It was all happening so fast," Ms. White explained.

"I wish I had been that smart," Rapunzel said. Briar Rose nodded in agreement.

Cindy reached over and took Ms. White's hand. "For a long time I resented you, Snow, because I was always competing with you. Your spirit hung over our home like a ghost. Occasionally, we would be at a party and hear about something that was going on in your life and his eyes would fix on whoever was saying it. For days he would be distant, distracted. He'd spend a week at the stables, claiming the horses needed attention, but I wasn't stupid."

"Is this true?" Ms. White said, looking at the other women in the group. They all nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Snow, I don't think Cindy is chastising you," Rapunzel said.

"No, in fact, Snow, since I've come to know you I adore you, and I don't regret anything--my Tom is all the prince I will ever need. What I'm trying to say to you is that William's love for you is different. It is troubling that he hasn't tried to contact you."

"There goes Dr. Cindy," Rapunzel said. "Could you turn off the honesty you give your callers and remember we're trying to cheer this woman up?"

Snow White laughed and the others joined her.

"Ms. White, I know he loves you," Daphne said. "He's going to pop up any day now."

"I hope you're right," Ms. White said.

"Well, when he does, I hope you give him a karate kick to the behind," Briar Rose said, which caused the four women to burst into laughter again.

"Briar, I swear, you don't say much, but when you do it's hilarious," Rapunzel said. "Girls, I've got an idea, and you can tell me I'm nuts and say forget it, but how about we make this a regular thing?"

The women glanced at one another hesitantly.

"Come on!" Rapunzel cried. "We've been avoiding each other in this silly little town for two hundred years! Let's put it all behind us, meet for brunch, start a book club, gossip. Let's be friends!"

"I don't know," Cindy said hesitantly.

"What if we played poker?" Briar Rose suggested.

"I'm in," Ms. White said quickly.

Dr. Cindy threw up her arms in surrender. "How are Tuesday nights?"

"Can I come?" Daphne asked.

The table roared with laughter. "Of course you can come," Ms. White said. "So that settles it," Rapunzel replied. "Tuesday nights at my place. You bring the wine and I'll make something decadent that we shouldn't eat. We'll call ourselves the Poker Princesses."

The women nodded enthusiastically, and even Sabrina joined in.

Puck came over with a sack of muffins. "What's all the commotion?"

"And no boys!" Rapunzel cried, and the Poker Princesses applauded.

Puck grumbled and stormed out of the coffee shop. Sabrina grabbed her sister, said their good-byes, and chased after the fairy.

"We've got to get back," Sabrina said as they left. "Granny is going to miss us."

* * *

Oddly, Granny hadn't missed them. There had been a run at the yard sale and nearly three quarters of the items were sold. When the children landed in the backyard and circled the house to check in with the sale, they found their grandmother counting a huge stack of bills. Puck rushed up to his room for fear of being drafted into helping put things away.

"Oh, hello girls," Granny said. "As they say in the business world, we made a killing."

"Enough to pay the taxes?" Daphne asked.

Granny Relda nodded. "Enough to put us over the top, I think. If you'll help Mr. Canis bring what's left back into the house, we can go down and pay the bill. It will be nice to have this off my shoulders."

The children carried the rest of the things back inside and put them in their original places. When everything was settled, the house seemed emptier. Paintings were gone, as was the overstuffed chair in the living room. Most of the rugs and kitchen utensils had been sold, including the toaster and the coffeepot. Daphne was heartbroken when she discovered Granny had sold the icecream scoop.

Suddenly, Charming's full-length mirror, which he had leaned on the wall of the living room, began to warp and shimmer. The prince stepped through the reflection and into the room. He sported a fresh shave and haircut, and he had swapped Uncle Jake's jeans for a stylish, clean suit. Apparently, the Hotel of Wonders lived up to its reputation as a full-service resort.

"Swanky," Daphne said.

"Perhaps later you'll give me a tour of your mirror," Granny Relda said. "I've never been inside any but our own." Charming nodded. "Perhaps."

"Well, I suppose I should go and fetch Mr. Canis and Jacob,"

Granny said as she hurried upstairs. "We've got the tax money. Oh, I do so hope that it ruins Mayor Heart's day."

When she was gone, the children turned to Charming.

"What did you find?" he asked.

"Whoever has the stolen items has got them stashed somewhere near the river. We were picking up big vibes down by Sacred Grounds and the radio station."

"Mucho huge-o vibes," Daphne added, and then her tone turned angry. "We also saw Ms. White."

"How is she?" Charming asked.

"Heartbroken!"

Charming lowered his eyes.

"She's a mess," Sabrina said. "You should send her a note, anything, just to let her know you are OK. She thinks you're dead."

"I can't," he said.

"But--"

"Stop! My decision is final," Charming shouted. "I know you don't understand. I can't expect you to. It's not easy to know she is hurt and that it is my fault, but you should know that I would do anything for her--anything!"

"Fine," Sabrina said, throwing her hands up. Daphne frowned but didn't argue.

Granny returned with Mr. Canis and Uncle Jake. The old man looked at Charming with distaste.

"Girls, how would you like to see the mayor's head pop off?" Granny asked. "Want to come with us to the tax office?"

"I wouldn't miss that for the world." Sabrina smiled.

Uncle Jake reached into his pocket and took out a camera. "I'm taking pictures!"

"William, since you are in hiding, would you mind looking after the house while we're gone?" the old woman asked.

"Do you think it is wise to leave him here alone?" Canis demanded before Charming could answer.

Granny flushed. "Mr. Canis!"

"You think I'm going to rob you blind?" Charming asked.

"I think you might try," Canis said, hovering close to Charming's face.

"Gentlemen! That's enough!" Granny shouted.

Canis nodded reluctantly and stormed outside. Sabrina could hear him slam the car door, and then the family's ancient car engine roared to life, spitting and knocking violently.

When everyone got into the car, Canis threw the old jalopy into reverse and whipped out into the street. When he put it into drive, the engine screamed like a cat in a bathtub. Canis ignored its protests and pounded his foot onto the accelerator.

"That was entirely uncalled for!" Granny shouted over the noise.

"Having him in the house is entirely uncalled for!" Canis yelled back.

Sabrina and Daphne were shocked. Even when they'd fought the last few days, the girls had never heard Mr. Canis raise his voice at their grandmother. In a world filled with people the old man couldn't stand, Granny Relda had always had his utmost respect.

"I know that the two of you have had your history," Granny said. "But the man is homeless."

"That man deserves no better than to be homeless."

"It is not in my habit to turn away a person in need," Granny said.

"Then you are a fool!" Canis declared.

"Was I a fool when I took you in?" Granny shouted back. "When even my husband told me you were untrustworthy, I turned a deaf ear. And you have become the dearest friend I have and my most trusted companion."

Canis was silent but steaming.

"I'm sorry about the angry words," Granny said when the family finally reached the courthouse. "Let's try to forget them. Today is a happy day."

Canis grunted and looked out of the window. "I'll wait here."

The crowd of protesters from the day before was gone. Only a few stragglers remained, and they looked even more desperate. This time they showed no resistance to letting the family pass. Granny, Uncle Jake, and the girls climbed the steps and went inside. The security guard they had met the day before was standing in the same spot. He seemed surprised to see the family. They waved to him and continued down the hallway to the tax office. Once inside, Granny rang the bell for service.

"I really can't wait to see her face," Granny said softly.

It wasn't long before Mayor Heart came around the corner. She spotted the family and gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"We've come to pay our taxes, of course," Granny said, setting a bag of money on the countertop.

The woman snatched her megaphone and raised it to her crooked mouth. "THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE! NOTTINGHAM!" she shouted, then slammed the device down on the countertop so hard Sabrina thought it might break.

"Someone's having a bad day," Daphne said with a grin.

Seconds later, Sheriff Nottingham hobbled into the room. "What is it, woman? Don't you know I have my hands full? The phone is ringing off the hook. Apparently some fool in a civil war uniform is over on Applebee's farm firing a musket!"

"The Grimms have come to pay their taxes... AGAIN!" Heart said, pointing an angry finger at the family.

The sheriff nodded, but his face was dark and angry. "I know."

"It's all there, Sheriff, and like before I'm going to need a receipt," Granny Relda said. "You're enjoying this!" Heart shouted.

"What? Paying taxes? I doubt there are too many people who enjoy it," Granny said.

"Well, you can come in here with a million dollars next time and it won't change the inevitable. I want you out of this town, Relda Grimm--you and your filthy brood. I want every human being out of Ferryport Landing, and what I want I get."

Suddenly, the door flew open and one of the playing-card soldiers raced inside.

"Sheriff, we've got a situation!" he yelled.

"Calm yourself down, you idiot!"

"There's a ship coming up the river," the soldier said. "I just heard about it on my radio. The witnesses say it's pretty old."

"So what," Nottingham said. "Ships come up and down the river every day."

"This one has cannons mounted on it," the guard said.

"Cannons?"

Granny repeated.

Just then, the walkie-talkie strapped to the guard's waist squawked and a voice came on. "Seven of Clubs, you're not going to believe this ship. There must be a thousand people on it, and they're all dressed like they're going to a costume party. Plus, you gotta see this storm. It just came out of nowhere. Wait a minute... I think the boat has a name painted on the side. It looks German...

'Neuer Anfang.' "

"New Beginning," Granny translated.

"It can't be!" Mayor Heart shouted.

Nottingham leaped over the counter that divided the room and pushed through the family as he raced out the door. Mayor Heart was hot on his heels.

"What?" Sabrina cried. "What's the big deal about this ship?

Uncle Jake shook his head in disbelief. "It's impossible. It can't be the

New Beginning."

Mr. Canis was already out of the car and hurrying to join them when they exited the courthouse. "You've heard?"

Granny nodded. "It must be some kind of prank."

"It's not," Canis said. "I can smell the boat. I'll never forget that smell."

The family raced down the street as fast as they could. By the time they reached the tiny marina, Granny Relda was out of breath and there was a huge crowd of people looking out on the

river. The Grimms weaved through the mob until they got to the front. There it was: a massive sailing ship with several white flags fluttering in the cool spring breeze. Even from the shore Sabrina could see a crowd on board staring back at them. A tiny rowboat was already cruising toward the shore with a lone man at the oars.

"Who is it?" Daphne wondered, looking across the river.

Granny reached into her huge handbag and took out a pair of binoculars. "Oh dear," she said when she peered through the lenses.