Merry Christmas! \u00a0The Christmas story I’d planned to post (the Starchild one) is growing into a novella (I know, shocking), so instead, I thought I’d give you a sneak peek at the first chapter of the Schrodinger novel. \u00a0Yes, I’m still calling it The Strange Disappearance of Santa Claus – the concept is changing a bit, but I think it will be fun. \u00a0I hope you enjoy it!<\/p>\n
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The Strange Disappearance of Santa Claus<\/p>\n
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Author\u2019s note: This is essentially a reboot of the Carter\u2019s Cove universe that I featured in the last Advent Blog story. I\u2019m reworking the universe in preparation for a novel I want to sell. So some things will be the same, and some will be different. What happened last year was not canon. This is. I hope you enjoy it the same, if not more!<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chapter 1.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSchrodinger? Where are you, cat?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly Barrett paused at the door to her apartment and looked back towards the bedroom. A large soft cooler sat at her feet, and she held her keys in her hands. One foot tapped impatiently.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCome on, cat!\u201d she said again, when said cat did not appear. \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Coming! I\u2019m coming!<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n True to his word, Schrodinger came bounding out of the bedroom bare seconds later, brown eyes bright. I\u2019m ready! <\/em>He skidded to a halt in front of her, and Molly had to laugh.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Schrodinger was a CrossCat, one of the odd breed of medium-sized cats that had come to Carter\u2019s Cove via one of the interdimensional Roads that gave the town its main industry. No one knew where the Roads had come from: the theories were as numerous as the scientists and mages who created them, and truth be told, it was really only the academics who cared. The Roads simply were, and for Molly, that was good enough. Especially since the Roads had gifted her with her best friend.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n CrossCats were rare beasts indeed, even in a Crossroads town like Carter\u2019s Cove. Her particular CrossCat looked like a small lynx, even down to the brown spots on his tan coat, the black tufts of fur on his pointed ears, and his stub of a tail. But he weighed just shy of 30 pounds, the perfect weight to be carried if he so chose, and was frighteningly intelligent. Quite possibly more intelligent than was good for him, and he\u2019d already proved that on more than one occasion since he\u2019d come to live with Molly. But he made life interesting, and even though it had only been a few months since she\u2019d come home to find him on her doorstep, Molly couldn\u2019t imagine life without him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She still didn\u2019t know why he\u2019d chosen her. He had to have made the choice himself; it didn\u2019t make any sense that he\u2019d been gifted, although Schrodinger himself had said that he was here because he\u2019d been sent to her. By who, he didn\u2019t know, or said he didn\u2019t. Molly had her suspicions, but no actual proof.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What she had, she\u2019d discovered, was a telepathic cat with a penchant for mischief, a taste for Earl Grey tea and murder mystery novels (preferably British), and an insatiable curiosity. That curiosity had already gotten him in to trouble more than once, but Schrodinger also had a knack for winning people over. It might have been the purr; lord knows Molly herself was a sucker for it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now, he posed in front of her, and Molly shook her head. \u201cWhere did you get that?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A small red Santa hat, perfectly sized for the Cat, perched jauntily on his head. Sue gave it to me,<\/em> he said smugly. She thought I\u2019d like to be festive.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure.\u201d Molly picked up her cooler. \u201cIt\u2019s adorable.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Handsome, <\/em>Schrodinger corrected her. Adorable is for babies and kittens.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHandsome,\u201d she amended, although privately she thought that he was going to be hearing adorable quite a bit that day. \u201cReady to go?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In answer, he trotted out the door, waiting for her at the bottom of the steps while she locked up. Outside, the air was crystal clear, and the stars shimmered in a black velvet sky. Molly took a deep breath of the still morning; at 6 am, most of the town still slumbered. She shouldered her cooler and they started walking towards Crosswinds Books.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As she trudged along the predawn streets of the town, Molly\u2019s thoughts drifted back to the cards she\u2019d gotten the day before. One thing good about Christmas: all the yearly letters from her classmates, letting her know what they were doing. And they were all doing something. One was off in New York, getting ready to open a new bistro; another was in Phoenix, cooking for some star chef. All her classmates were somewhere busier than here, and Molly sometimes wondered what it would be like to be in a place that never slept.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Then, as always, she looked around the small town that she\u2019d been born in, and realized that she\u2019d never fit in anywhere else. The four years she\u2019d spent at Johnson and Wales had been bearable only because of the fact that she could come home every other weekend. It was true: Crossroads kids didn\u2019t leave their towns. At least, not the ones with any talent.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBesides,\u201d she\u2019d said to her mother last week, while helping plan the family party, \u201cWho else would run the tea shop if I weren\u2019t here?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure Marge could find someone,\u201d Abigail Barrett had replied.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut they wouldn\u2019t be as good,\u201d Molly had said, and there hadn\u2019t been a counter to that. It wasn\u2019t hubris \u2013 just truth. Molly\u2019s particular talents lay in the area of baking: she could tell with just a touch what a particular recipe needed, and how to make the best of any ingredients. She\u2019d sailed through her baking and cooking classes, and then, to everyone\u2019s surprise at the college, she\u2019d turned down all the offers tendered to her, and returned to the small town of Carter\u2019s Cove, perched on the Maine coast, to open a tea shop.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly and Schrodinger walked in near silence, listening to the town and the sea breathe around them. The snow was deep; there had been another Nor\u2019easter two days ago that had dumped another six inches on top of the foot they\u2019d gotten Thanksgiving weekend. Barring a freak heat wave, it would definitely be a white Christmas. This early in the morning, you could still hear the waves murmuring on the beach, and occasionally the mournful cry of a sea bird would ghost in on the slight breeze.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They turned right onto the main road, and Molly paused as a police car slowed down. Police Sergeant Jamie Carter, one of the descendents of the original Captain Carter who had discovered the Cove, leaned over his passenger seat and called out of the open window, \u201cWhat\u2019s the special today, Molly?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPeppermint snowmen,\u201d she replied, leaning in.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOoh, Sarah\u2019s favorite!\u201d He grinned. \u201cSave me a few?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCertainly.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sarah?<\/em> Schrodinger propped his feet up on the side of the squad car, and Jamie chuckled at the sight of him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, I\u2019ll bring her by. She\u2019ll want to see your new finery!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do you think she\u2019ll like it?<\/em> Schrodinger asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think she\u2019ll love it.\u201d Jamie looked back up at Molly. \u201cAny more problems at the store?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She shook her head. \u201cNot that I\u2019ve seen. Luckily. The last thing any of us need is issues with travelers at this time of year.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAgreed,\u201d Jamie said, and then his radio blasted a bit of static, shockingly loud in the quiet of the morning.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHey, Jamie, where are you?\u201d Deirdre\u2019s voice, slightly distorted, came out of the dashboard speaker. He rolled his eyes and picked up his receiver.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTalking to Molly and Schrodinger down the road from Crosswinds Books,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHi Molly! Hi Schrodinger!\u201d Deirdre said. \u201cHey, is it too late to order one of your apple spice cakes for tomorrow night? Dennis forgot to tell me he needed something for his holiday potluck party, and I\u2019m working overtime today and tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot at all,\u201d Molly said, as Jamie held the receiver out to her. \u201cDid you want to come pick it up today at the store, or should I bring it down to the station?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll pick it up,\u201d Deirdre said, and then chuckled. \u201cThe only way I\u2019d trust it here is if you padlocked the box, and then not even!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy, Deirdre, don\u2019t you trust us?\u201d Jamie teased.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAround Molly\u2019s apple spice cake? About as far as I can throw you,\u201d Deirdre retorted.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIs there a reason you called me?\u201d he asked. \u201cOr did you just want to make an order?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCan you get out to the west end of town, by MacCrillis Road?\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re getting a call about some noise. Lisa Newton called and said it sounded like someone was murdering cats in the woods behind the barn.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLovely. I\u2019ll go check it out,\u201d he replied, and Molly and Schrodinger stepped back. \u201cSave me some cookies, Molly!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And then he was gone, the squad car sliding quietly down the road.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly and Schrodinger resumed their stroll up to the bookstore, but her mind was on the conversation, and the memories it had stirred up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She shouldn\u2019t be surprised, she thought, that Jamie had brought up the incident. It still bothered her, and as she unlocked the door to Crosswinds Books, Molly found herself looking around, even thought she and Schrodinger were the only ones on the street.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I would let you know if anyone was around, <\/em>Schrodinger said quietly. Especially now.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d she said, and motioned him inside. \u201cIt\u2019s stupid, really. They sent the guy back to his own realm, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s not stupid.<\/em> Schrodinger stopped next to her, and put one soft paw on her pant leg. He was scary.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n He had been. Tall, broad-shouldered \u2013 and incredibly rude, both to Molly and to Margie. And disruptive; he\u2019d chased two patrons from the store with his loud demands to Molly for free food. She had finally asked him to leave. When he\u2019d refused, Margie had called the police.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It had been settled quickly enough, with no violence, but it had still unnerved Molly. People just weren\u2019t like that in the Cove.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re sheltered,\u201d she told Schrodinger, resetting the alarm after she\u2019d locked the front door again. Margie wouldn\u2019t be in until 8 am to start her own opening routine. \u201cNo one from the Cove would have acted like that.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That\u2019s because you\u2019re taught manners, <\/em> Schrodinger said, leading her into the kitchen. Sadly, some villages aren\u2019t.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTrue.\u201d Molly set the cooler on the kitchen island, and then started her morning routine: hanging her coat in the pantry, slipping off her boots and sliding her feet into warm slippers, lighting the fire in the tea room wood stove, turning her ovens on and putting the kettle on. Her personal stash of tea lived in a box in the pantry, right next to Schrodinger\u2019s Earl Grey; she retrieved a ceramic tea pot, two tea bags, Schrodinger\u2019s mug and her own favorite mug and carried them out to the island. Then, as the water heated and the ovens warmed, Molly pulled out packets of chilled dough and began to roll them out. Peppermint dough, which she cut into circles and assembled into snowmen.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The kettle whistled. Molly paused in her cookie-making to pour water in her tea pot and into the mug. Her tea went into the pot; Schrodinger\u2019s Earl Grey went into his mug, which she set down on the floor in front of him. He flopped down, large paws on either side of the sturdy ceramic vessel, and inhaled the steam eagerly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly laughed. \u201cYou are so weird sometimes, Cat.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Because I enjoy the aroma of a sublime drink?<\/em> Schrodinger raised an eyebrow at her. Heathen.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHardly,\u201d she said, leaning over to inhale the steam from her own drink. \u201cBut most cats do not make a production out of their tea drinking.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And how many cats do you know that drink tea?<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTouch\u00e9.\u201d The ovens beeped, indicating they were preheated; Molly slid the first couple of trays into them and then settled onto one of the stools. After a moment, she poured herself a cup of tea and sat enjoying the silence.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Even the silence couldn\u2019t stop her from thinking about the disruptive stranger though. Molly shook her head. \u201cGet over it, Barrett,\u201d she muttered, and reached over to the small radio that sat on the edge of the island. The strains of \u201cSilent Night\u201d flooded the kitchen.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The morning passed in a flood of visitors and baking. Besides Deirdre\u2019s cake, Molly had several other special orders to fill for the next two days, and her kitchen (so by extension, the entire store) was filled with the sweet smells of baking.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Margie Barrett swept in after the lunch rush, all smiles.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI take it it\u2019s been a good day?\u201d Molly said, setting a cup of tea in front of her aunt as the older woman sank down on a stool.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been an amazing season so far,\u201d Margie said, her hazel eyes alight with pleasure. \u201cSo many books flying off the shelves! Thank heavens we live in a community that loves to read. Civilization. And no more disruptive jerks, like yesterday.\u201d She sipped her tea, then looked up at her niece. \u201cWhat, no cakes left?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI was just getting you a slice,\u201d Molly said, turning from the counter with a thick slice of peppermint chocolate cake on a delicate china plate. \u201cI\u2019m testing a new recipe, so be honest.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Margie picked up her fork eagerly, cutting a large bite and putting it in her mouth. Molly held her breath, hoping. She didn\u2019t usually make duds, but there was always a chance\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Not this time, apparently. Her aunt\u2019s eyes widened as the fluffy cake melted on her tongue, and Margie made a sound that was half groan, half moan and all bliss.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI take it I should keep this one, huh?\u201d Molly said, her mouth quirking into a sideways smile. Margie nodded, unable to speak around the second forkful in her mouth. \u201cGood to know.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNeed a second opinion?\u201d came a hopeful voice, and Molly looked over to see Drew Travers standing in the doorway.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOf course!\u201d she replied, motioning him in. \u201cI know how hard it is working up at the Gate Station, how they never feed you guys.\u201d Her teasing tone masked the little jump her heart had taken when she\u2019d seen him standing there.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Not that I\u2019m the only one,<\/em> Molly thought, giving him a generous slice of cake and a smile as he claimed the chair next to Margie. Drew had been the topic of much sighing and discussion among the single ladies in the Cove since he\u2019d moved into town from Boston nearly a year ago. Then again, with his broad shoulders, deep blue eyes and ready smile, not to mention the fact that he showed every sign of being willing to live in the Cove and not move on as soon as his current contract with the Gate Station was up, it wasn\u2019t hard to see why they pined for him. Sadly, he hadn\u2019t seemed interested in any of them, as far as she could tell.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why we always look forward to two things,\u201d he replied. \u201cComing into town and seeing you come up our drive with a smile and a basket of goodies.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFlatterer,\u201d she said. \u201cTea?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, please. Just black, if you have it \u2013 I\u2019ve got a long shift tonight. All-nighter.\u201d He winked at Margie. \u201cGotta keep my strength up for that.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She laughed and pushed her plate back before standing up. \u201cAh, to be young again. My days of all-nighters are long gone. However, this store won\u2019t run itself, so I\u2019d better get going.\u201d Margie paused at the door to the kitchen. \u201cDon\u2019t forget, Molly, we\u2019re open longer hours next week.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly nodded. \u201cYep, I\u2019m already planning to bake up a storm this weekend. And Sue has next week off due to the museum renovations, so she\u2019s agreed to come in and help me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh good. I\u2019ll make note of it in the budget.\u201d Margie waved away Molly\u2019s protest before it could escape her lips. \u201cI know you, girl. You were planning on splitting your check with her. No way. I can afford a temp salary for her for a week.\u201d Margie sailed out, shutting the door firmly on any other protests.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Drew chuckled. \u201cDo you ever win an argument with her?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, not really.\u201d Molly refilled the three tea kettles on the stove. \u201cEspecially ones I don\u2019t really want to. And this will make Sue happy \u2013 the museum wasn\u2019t going to pay her at all for next week.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEven though they told her not to come in.\u201d Drew shook his head. \u201cBudget woes suck.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well, new roofs aren\u2019t cheap,\u201d Molly pointed out. \u201cAnd she\u2019s really not needed.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTrue.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The kitchen fell into a companionable silence then, as Drew continue to enjoy his cake and Molly started measuring dry ingredients for yet another gingerbread house. WCOV, the Cove\u2019s very own radio station, had segued to instrumental Christmas carols for the day, and the plaintive cry of a harp wove through the muted sounds of the shoppers in the store. Crosswinds Books had two floors, and Molly knew how full it could get, especially during the Christmas season.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo, you\u2019re pulling an all-nighter, and yet you\u2019re down in my kitchen,\u201d she said finally, as Drew put his fork on the empty plate.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRunning messages,\u201d he said, cupping his hands around his tea mug. \u201cI pulled the short straw today, considering how cold it is out.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s December, in Maine,\u201d Molly said. \u201cWhat did you expect?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRaised in Boston,\u201d he reminded her. \u201cI knew what to expect. But the wind is really vicious today.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd they didn\u2019t give you the snowmobile?\u201d Molly added cream and eggs to the batter and began to beat it with a wooden spoon. The Gate Station sometimes had actual messages come through without couriers, and so the techs had to deliver them around the town. Carter\u2019s Cove, being connected by both the Roads and the Sea Roads, got a lot of traffic in and out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThey did,\u201d Drew said. \u201cThat makes it even colder.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She took pity on him and refilled his tea cup. \u201cWhere are you headed after here?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Drew frowned. \u201cGood question. Let me look.\u201d He\u2019d hung his coat up on the rack as he\u2019d come in; now he got up and went over, rummaging in the inner pockets until he found his tablet. \u201cLet\u2019s see. Besides here, I need to hit the mine, the Connellys\u2019 Inn, and Roxane\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHere?\u201d Molly blinked. \u201cI thought you just stopped in to warm up.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Drew smiled at her. \u201cI\u2019ll always be willing to do that. But I really did have something to deliver.\u201d He went back into his coat and pulled out a long, slim white envelope that glittered slightly in the kitchen light, as if it were dusted with snowflakes. \u201cThis came in for you last night.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly took the envelope gingerly and turned it over in her hands, wondering what she\u2019d done to deserve this. The envelope was unmistakable, the rich paper soft and faintly cool to the touch, like fine silk left in the snow. Only the Snow Queen sent messages wrapped in envelopes like that. And then she blinked. The letter was addressed to Mistress Molly Barrett and Master Schrodinger.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n She pushed past Drew and leaned out into the tea room. As usual, Schrodinger was dozing next to the wood stove, his Santa hat down over one ear and the stub of his tail moving in time to the music. Molly started to call over to him, then changed her mind; there were a few patrons in the tea room, all reading, and she didn\u2019t want to call too much attention to herself. Instead, she ducked back into the kitchen, laid the envelope on the island, and then grabbed a kettle of water. She walked out into the tea room and circulated through the tables, offering hot water to the patrons. As she passed the stove, Molly said quietly, \u201cHey, Schrodinger, Drew\u2019s in the kitchen. Want to come in and say hello?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mrmph?<\/em> Schrodinger opened one eye sleepily. Do I have to?<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe brought us a letter.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That brought the Cat\u2019s head up quickly. A letter? From who?<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCome into the kitchen and find out.\u201d Molly paused to look around again, making sure that no one needed anything, and then went back into the kitchen, Schrodinger hot on her heels.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hi Drew!<\/em> There was no trace of sleepiness in Schrodinger\u2019s eyes or voice now, as he hopped up on the other stool. Who did we get a letter from?<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHi Schrodinger!\u201d There was another piece of cake on Drew\u2019s plate; Molly gave him a look, which he returned innocently. \u201cIt just appeared there, I swear.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure it did.\u201d Molly returned the kettle to the stove and turned the flames down under the other two. Then she wiped off her hands and picked up the envelope again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There was a single silver snowflake seal on the back, holding the flap down. It shattered into a thousand small shimmering bits of wax as she slid her finger underneath the envelope\u2019s flap, and Molly drew out the parchment inside. She laid the envelope aside and unfolded the letter.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo Molly and Schrodinger, greetings,\u201d she read aloud. \u201cI hope this finds you well, and I look forward to seeing you at my ball. I know this is a busy time of year, but I was hoping that you could help me with a small thing. Please, come out to my castle tomorrow and have tea with me. I would like to discuss this favor in person. Yours, Jade, Mistress of the Snows, Queen of the North.\u201d She looked up. \u201cI never knew her name.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, not many people use it.\u201d Drew looked at them. \u201cWhat on earth could she want you guys to do?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Molly said slowly, putting the letter down and going over to the wall. She pressed the small button up by the coat rack; it flashed a light up at the register, letting whoever was up there know that Margie was needed in the kitchen. It was a simple way for Molly to get in touch with her aunt without alerting the entire store. Then she turned back to Drew. \u201cI\u2019m hoping she doesn\u2019t want me to bake for the ball \u2013 I\u2019m not sure I\u2019ll have time, but how do I say no if that\u2019s what she asks me?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Snow Queen had lived in the realm next to Carter\u2019s Cove for as long as Molly had been alive, and for as long as the Cove had existed as a town, some said. She never seemed to age, and every year, the Saturday before Christmas, she threw a grand ball that the entire town attended, held in a glade on the outskirts of town. The Snow Queen\u2019s Ball was one more point of magic in the town, one more thing that set Carter\u2019s Cove apart from the rest of the world. For most of the year, the Snow Queen was rarely seen \u2013 some said she was a faery, tied to her own realm except for that one day of the year. But others whispered she was an old goddess, a protector of the area, and just chose not to have much to do with the town. Molly had never personally met her, although she\u2019d seen her at the Ball, of course.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is not good,<\/em> Schrodinger said quietly, and both Molly and Drew looked at him, surprised. Not good at all.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean, Cat?\u201d Molly asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When the CrossCat looked at her, there was none of his usual excitement in his eyes. If the Mistress of the Snows has asked for us to come and do a favor for her, there is something very wrong. She does not need someone to bake for her. This is something that she cannot deal with, and if that\u2019s the case, then we should all be worried.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWorried?\u201d Molly swallowed, wondering if he was right. She\u2019d never seen Schrodinger this somber, not in the six months he\u2019d been with her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat are we worried about?\u201d Margie asked, coming into the kitchen. \u201cI don\u2019t really want to worry about anything, but if we have to be, at least I\u2019d like to know why.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly handed her the letter, and Margie read it, her eyebrows creeping up into her graying brown hair. \u201cWell, I guess you\u2019d better bake now then.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI beg your pardon?\u201d Molly said, looking at her aunt.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBake now,\u201d Margie repeated. \u201cSo that whoever I can find to cover the tea room tomorrow afternoon while you go out has plenty of things to serve.\u201d She looked at Molly. \u201cYou weren\u2019t planning on just leaving me with nothing, were you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026uh, hadn\u2019t gotten that far, actually.\u201d Molly ran one hand through her hair distractedly. \u201cI\u2019m still processing the whole going to have tea with the Snow Queen thing.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Schrodinger jumped down off the stool and shook his head, knocking the Santa hat off. I\u2019ll be back, <\/em>he said, and then padded out of the room before anyone could respond. His tail flicked once, and then he disappeared, right before he hit the door.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly sank down onto the stool he\u2019d been sitting on. \u201cWow, he\u2019s really upset. He never just flashes out like that.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t aware he could,\u201d Drew said, looking back to where the Cat had been. \u201cCan all CrossCats do that?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d Molly shrugged. \u201cHe can, but he\u2019s the only CrossCat I know. And when I asked him about it, he just looked at me like I had three heads and asked me why I wanted to know. I think he forgets sometimes that we\u2019re a bit more limited than he is.\u201d She frowned. \u201cI wonder what he knows about the Snow Queen that we don\u2019t, though. He looked seriously worried.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Drew got up and put his dishes in the sink. \u201cWell, I don\u2019t know, but I\u2019ve got to go, before Mack sends out a search party for me.\u201d He tipped his head towards Molly and Margie. \u201cLadies.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Once he was gone, Margie looked over at Molly. \u201cWhat are you thinking, girl?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHmm?\u201d Molly had been staring at the door, running over the ingredients in her kitchen and what she could make up that would be easy to do large quantities of. Normally, she baked throughout the day, so things weren\u2019t stale, and she really had only six tables, but\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEarth to Molly.\u201d Margie waved her hand in front of her niece\u2019s face. \u201cI said, what are you thinking?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTrying to figure out what I can make tonight that I can leave.\u201d Molly got up and started back towards the walk-in fridge. \u201cI think I have stuff for brownies, and I can frost them. Maybe scones? I was going to do scones anyways\u2026\u201d Her voice trailed off as she started to pull ingredients out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, I meant about Drew.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI beg your pardon?\u201d Molly leaned out of the walk-in, giving her aunt a puzzled frown. \u201cWhat should I do about him?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Margie shook her head. \u201cYou, my dear child, are a dunce. An adorable one, and one I love, but seriously. Why do you think he was hanging around in here?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBecause he had a letter to deliver, it was cold and I had chocolate cake?\u201d Molly went back into the fridge again, looking for the buttermilk. \u201cHonestly, I think you\u2019re seeing things that aren\u2019t there. Drew hasn\u2019t been interested in anyone here that way. We\u2019re just friends.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd is that all you want?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy are we suddenly having this conversation?\u201d Molly asked, coming out with eggs and buttermilk. She set them on the counter and looked at her aunt, who was suddenly very interested in studying her fingernails. \u201cIt\u2019s not like\u2026oh, Aunt Margie, please tell me you haven\u2019t been talking to my mother again!\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re sisters, we do talk,\u201d Margie said. \u201cAnd honestly, Molly, it\u2019s rude not to invite him to Christmas Eve, he hasn\u2019t got anywhere else to go.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Molly pulled out several bowls and began measuring flour. \u201cUh-huh.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd we hate to see you lonely.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cUh-huh.\u201d Molly shook her head. \u201cJust try not to be too obvious when you play matchmaker, okay? I\u2019d like to keep his friendship, at least.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Schrodinger hadn\u2019t shown up by the time Molly left the bookstore, which was a bit worrying. Not that the Cat couldn\u2019t take care of himself, but the abrupt way he\u2019d left and the fact that he hadn\u2019t come back made Molly wonder just what he was doing, and why. What was so unsettling about an invite to tea?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Except, of course, for the fact that it came from the Snow Queen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Merry Christmas! \u00a0The Christmas story I’d planned to post (the Starchild one) is growing into a novella (I know, shocking), so instead, I thought I’d give you a sneak peek at the first chapter of the Schrodinger novel. \u00a0Yes, I’m still calling it The Strange Disappearance of Santa Claus – the concept is changing a …<\/p>\n