Written in Leaves

By Cat Connor

When the 3 McClelland sisters inherited the family business, all eyes landed on them. Could they keep the Spellbound Books tradition of throwing amazing book-related events alive and turn their first solo event into a raging success?

Reading the leaves for the first time since their parents' accident, the younger two sisters, Poppy and Lily delighted in the hints of romance in their near future. Violet, however, saw trouble linked to someone whose name started with D.
Concerned that her secret would bring the foretold predicament to fruition, Violet hatched a plan to keep it safe. She didn’t expect the return of her childhood friend and first crush, or how difficult it would be to live a lie while the world unknowingly sang her praises.

If it’s in the leaves is it preordained or mutable?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cat Connor
• Release date: Mar 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9781738585120

Cat Connor

Cat Connor is a multi-published crime thriller author. A tequila aficionado, long black drinker, music lover, fruitcake maker, traveller, murderer of perfectly happy characters and teacher of crime writing via CEC at Wellington High School.Described as irresistible, infectious, & addictive, her passion for creating believable multi-faceted characters shines through her work and teaching.She enjoys the company of Diesel the Mastador and Patrick the tuxedo cat, and more recently, Dallas the Birman kitten while writing, Netflixing, or reading. (Surely by now Netflixing is a word?)In April 2021 Connor signed with Crazy Maple Studios - they've serialized the Byte Series! How cool is that?Her Byte Series is available on the Scream App and the KISS App - both apps are available free from your favourite app store.Connor is now working on spy/PI novels set in New Zealand. The Veronica Tracey Spy/PI series.A little bit about the Byte Series:The Byte Series follows SSA Ellie Conway on her journey as a member of an elite FBI team that functions on dark humour, close relationships, and strong coffee.And a smidge about the Veronica Tracey Spy/PI series:Ronnie Tracey is a former-NZ intelligence officer turned private investigator; with a knack for finding people and a Nana with a predilection for trouble.

Book preview

cover-image, Written in Leaves by Cat Connor

Written

in

Leaves

by

Cat Connor

When the 3 McClelland sisters inherited the family business, all eyes landed on them. Could they keep the Spellbound Books tradition of throwing amazing book related events alive and turn their first solo event into a raging success?

Reading the tea leaves for the first time since their parents accident, the younger two sisters, Poppy and Lily delighted in the hints of romance in their near future. Violet, however, saw trouble linked to someone with a name that started with D.

Concerned that her secret would bring the foretold predicament to fruition, Violet hatched a plan to keep it safe. She didn’t expect the return of a childhood friend and first crush, or how difficult it would be to live a lie while world unknowingly sung her praises.

If it’s in the leaves is it preordained or mutable?

All names, characters, places, and incidents in this publication are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Written in Leaves © Cat Connor 2023

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

For information regarding permission email the publisher at [e-mail],

subject line: Permission.

ISBN Print: 978-1-7385851-0-6

ISBN Hardback: 978-1-7385851-1-3

ISBN ePub: 978-1-7385851-2-0

ISBN Kindle: 978-1-7385851-3-7

ISBN Apple Books: 978-1-7385851-4-4

Cover and formatting: 9mm Press

For Breezy

-  because this was her idea.

Chapter 1

Violet brushed her hair in front of the bathroom mirror without paying much attention to the brown-haired reflection. Once the customary twenty brush strokes on each side and the back were done, she flipped her side fringe back and let it fall where it may. She slipped a thin elastic hair tie around her wrist in case she wanted to tie her long hair back later.

Satisfied, she put her hair brush in the basket inside the white vanity, gave her reflection a half-smile and left the room.

Her sister’s voice rose from the kitchen and floated up the stairs to greet her. Tea’s made.

Coming, Violet called. She counted each of the twenty-two stairs as she ran down them, then slowed, took a cleansing breath, and walked down the hall into the kitchen.

Her younger sister, Poppy, smiled from her seat at the table. Lily will be back in flash, she’s checking the mail.

Violet pulled her chair out and sat. Cups and saucers gathered around the teapot like a ride at a fair ground. She smiled at Poppy. Teacups. We reading the leaves then?

Yes, any objections?

Violet shook her head. It’s been a while since we read our leaves …, she said . H er voice began to trail off , then ended strongly. … before … the accident.

It’s time, mum wouldn’t want us to ignore all the things we did as a family.

The back door opened. Lily strode in with mail and placed a pile of windowed envelopes face down on the kitchen bench. We’ll open them later, she said, taking her seat and smiling at her older sisters. Nothing urgent.

Sunlight filtered through the kitchen net curtains but still warmed the room and made everything cheery.

The warm yellow of the cupboard doors and the orange and yellow daffodils in a crystal vase on the bench helped the cheer factor.

Poppy picked up the teapot, adjusted the bright yellow and orange cosy and poured tea. Lily liked milky sweet tea. Violet dark tea with very little milk. Poppy didn’t care, tea was tea. This time no one had milk or sugar. The girls lifted their cups and saucers and placed them in front of them.

Poppy picked her bone china cup adorned with pale pink roses up and took a sip. Tea, fixes everything, she said with a smile.

Violet’s cup was duck egg blue with a gold rim. No flowers, no other adornments. She’d the same set since she was sixteen. She sipped her tea. I feel the benefits already, she said with a small laugh.

Lily picked up her cup, a vine wrapped around the cup with tiny white flowers. She liked way the vine and flowers dipped over the rim into the cup.

The girls drank their tea in silence until the last sip remained. In unison they swirled the dregs in the cups, three times. They then inverted the cups on the saucers and left them for a minute, letting the last of the liquid to drain away. During that minute all three gathered their thoughts and asked their question internally. They set the cups upright next to the wet saucers.

Violet picked up her cup and inspected the tea leaves that remained. And there it was, a heart. Sitting to the left of the handle and half way down the cup. Near future. She scanned the rest of the leaves. The letter D sat across from the handle, again half way down the cup. Near Future. At the very bottom of her cup she saw a chain and a ring.

With a sigh she placed the cup back on the table.

Poppy spoke to Violet, What do you see?

Same as before. The heart, a D, a broken chain and a ring.

A frown appeared on Poppy’s brow, then vanished. But that’s good, Violet. You’re still on track to meet the person who starts with D, fall in love, and get married.

And get into trouble, Violet added.

The chain could mean something else, in context why would it mean trouble?

I suppose it wouldn’t, Violet agreed and turned her attention to Lily. Yours?

A kangaroo and scissors at the bottom, and I think … a man half way. Some scattered letters, I can see a D and a H, she said, then sighed and placed the cup on the table. I’m in for trouble too.

Not necessarily, Lily, Poppy said as she placed a reassuring hand on her sisters arm. A little rivalry never hurt.

I don’t think the scissors are going to help that kangaroo, Lily replied. Rivalry and separation.

Violet and Lily turned their attention to Poppy. And? Violet said with a smile. What did you get?

A jug, something that looks like a lizard, a couple of wavy lines, a horse-shoe and the letter D. She smiled. Typical, mine can’t make up its mind. The good and the bad all lumped together.

Violet tipped the liquid from her saucer back into her cup , d estroying the tea leaf symbols.

We all got the letter D, Lily whispered. Why?

Guess we’ll find out, Poppy replied with a smile. You got an H as well.

Lily nodded. I think I’ll steer clear of anyone with D and H as initials.

Who’s opening this morning? Lily asked, clearing the table.

Poppy, Violet replied. I have a meeting with the accountant at nine-thirty. How are we doing with the invitations for the launch?

Almost there, Lily replied. Don’t worry Violet. They’re ready for me to pick up from the printer , then I just have to add the names and post them off.

Violet threw an arm around her sister’s shoulders and kissed the side of her head. Thank you. I really want this to go smoothly.

It was the first big book launch event they’d had at the bookshop in over a year. They’d turned down five other authors because Violet couldn’t bring herself to plan a launch without their mother. She’d always loved book events and made them so special for everyone. Part of her didn’t want to try in case she failed. She didn’t want to disappoint the author, the guests, her sisters or cast any kind of shade on the memory of their mother.

It’ll be great, Poppy assured her. You helped mum plan all the events she did.

I helped, Violet said. I didn’t do it, it wasn’t all on me.

Poppy glanced at Lily, who rolled her eyes. Such drama for so early in the day, Poppy said with a smile and pushed Violet gently.

Chill, Lily said. It’s going to be fine. She looked at her phone. Unless we all stand around here much longer. We need to get going.

Poppy stuck her hand out in front of Violet and Lily. Violet put her right hand on top of Poppy’s, and Lily followed suit on top of Violet’s .

All for one, and one for all, they said in unison. Laughter tumbled across the kitchen floor.

Musketeers we are not, Violet said, Have either of you seen my handbag? She looked around the room with a frown.

In the lounge, where you left it, Poppy said. Let’s go.

Chapter 2

Violet unlocked the doors to the bookshop and stepped inside followed by her sisters. She shut the door behind them, then crossed the floor to stairs that lead to the mezzanine floor and switched the main lights on from the light panel, secreted behind a curtain. With light filling the shop, the sisters scattered ; each had morning tasks.

Violet climbed the stairs. From the top she looked over the railing and took a deep breath. Below her was the main area of the store. It was a large room lined with dark stained shelves. More shelves, free-standing , stuck out into the room, allowing for passage around them. In the middle of the floor was a round counter, with two tills. Comfy chairs were strategically placed in various sections : t wo in the children’s area with a side table , on e near the non-fiction and another between romance and contemporary fiction.

She turned away from the view and heard Poppy open the tills before she climbed more stairs and entered her office at the back of the expansive mezzanine floor. The rest of the floor below was a comfortable event area with bathrooms and a kitchen. They could easily hold events with a hundred guests. Violet preferred fifty but it was hard to know how many would show up. She’d had Lily order one-hundred and thirty invitations.

Violet sat behind her desk and turned the laptop on. The clock on the wall to her right chimed nine times. The work day began.

She busied herself with emails for an hour and then remembered the mail from the morning. Did anyone open it? Violet lifted the phone receiver and called downstairs.

Lily answered, Good morning, Spellbound Books, Lily speaking.

It’s me, what happened to the mail from home?

I have it in my bag. I’ll run it up to you, Lily replied with her usual cheery lilt . I n the background she could hear the shop music but not what was playing.

Thank you. How’s the day looking?

There are about ten customers in store right now . I think it’ll be a good day.

Violet smiled. Okay, bring the mail up when you can. She hung up and watched four email alerts pop up on her screen. One was a query ; the other three were from distributors announcing a new catalogue.

She opened the query and read. Someone wanted to know if they had a particular author in store - o ne of their new books. A faint blush spread across Violet’s face. She blew