Lucy’s first letter: https://helenspeaks.wordpress.com/2025/04/06/lucy-skylarks-magical-year/

Olive’s first letter: https://helenspeaks.com/2025/04/07/olive-framleys-magical-year/

Characters: https://helenspeaks.com/characters/

Dear Vera,

Oh my goodness, something very strange has happened! It turns out that I am not the only witch here after all.

Mrs Webfoot told me that she had been chatting to her friend at the market and a little cottage near the cliff path has been let to a girl, a girl with magical powers! She’s said to be tall, mysterious, with raven hair. Mrs Webfoot said her friend said the girl gave her name as “Olive Framley”, but with a hesitancy as if that was a pseudonym.

“But she’s a witch all right,” Mrs Webfoot said. “She’s left little business cards all over.”

She passed me one. It looked so pretty and professional. “Olive Framley, witch and practitioner of the natural and supernatural arts. Fortunes told and palms read.”

Well, that’s an impressive skill… I must admit I felt a little suspicious. You always taught me that scepticism is a vital balance to open-mindedness. But I had learned a lot by being open and curious, so I thought I should introduce myself. After all, even with my little Dune House family, it could get lonely. It would be nice to have a new friend my own age, someone who understands this journey.

Oh Vera, is it silly if I say I was disappointed? I liked the idea of being the town witch, and I was building connections and making myself known but here is this new witch and suddenly everyone knows her.

I meant to walk up to the cliff path and meet her but she found me first… I was doing my shift at Coastal Coffee and she appeared at the counter, tall and sophisticated, and said, “Your manager said there would be a table for me.” Her accent was sharp, studied. She passed me a business card.

I blinked at her. “There’s a table by the window…”

“No, no, silly, a table should be prepared. I’m doing readings. Perhaps when you’re off your shift you would like one. I offer a discount for staff.”

It turned out that the manager had agreed she could do her palm readings in the shop! The strangest afternoon followed. She started with one giggly, shy customer, made some mundane prediction dramatically – “I see you standing in a room full of children!” – and she had a steady stream of customers after that. We did sell a lot of coffee in that time but I didn’t feel entirely happy. Was she really seeing their future? She seemed to be making such a performance out of it, which seemed wrong.

At the end of the evening, the manager came out and they had apparently settled on a fee that Olive Framley would pay for using the table for readings, but she was left with a very full bag of money.

I hurried to tidy up so I could speak to her. She had already left the shop but I caught her, running down the road, and she stared at me in obvious confusion.

“Oh, hello. Did I forget something?”

“No – I wanted to introduce myself. I’m Lucy Skylark. I’m a witch too.”

She looked me up and down, and then she laughed. “Oh lovely. Just come into your powers?”

“No, I’ve had them awhile! I’m here in Barkmouth as my year of training.”

Then her nose wrinkled. “Oh,” she said. “Then I suppose we are colleagues, in a way.”

“Have you been a witch long?”

“Oh, years and years,” she said airily. “I just came here for a change of scene…”

“I wondered if you were training…”

She laughed, but said no more.

“Well,” I said, taking a breath, “we witches should stick together. Maybe we could talk at Coastal Coffee sometime soon… I’d love to hear more about your adventures.”

“Perhaps,” she said, and then she turned and somehow vanished into the night.

I’m sorry to say but I didn’t like her at all.

But who knows what might happen?

Give my best to everyone Vera. Tell Mum and Dad that I miss them!

Your friend,

Lucy.

Question: Have you ever experienced professional rivalry?

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Next entry (Olive’s next letter): https://helenspeaks.com/2025/04/10/olive-framley-entry-1-10th-april/

Lucy’s next letter: https://helenspeaks.com/2025/04/14/lucy-skylark-entry-7-14th-april/