Morina & the Switching Spell Ch. 08

Morina and the Switching Spell Ch. 08

Chapter 8: Morina gets an invitation to Ayresdon Manor.

20 May 1944, Saturday at 0415.

I vaguely remember hearing giggles and moans during the night. Those were female voices, and the sounds were loud enough to be heard, but not loud enough to wake me. Maybe it was all part of some unremembered erotic dream, but the pleasant sounds only added to my overall feeling of happiness and comfort.

"Morina," I heard a woman's voice call my name. She seemed so far away.

"Morina, it's time to get up," that was Agatha's voice next to me.

I opened my eyes, and the dark outline of her face was only a few inches above me.

"I'm sorry to wake you, but I'm going to Ashford, and I thought you might want to come with me," Agatha said quietly.

The room was still dark, and it took a while for my eyes to adjust enough to make out a few more details.

"What time is it?" I asked sleepily.

"Quarter past four," Agatha said, stepping back into the room.

I was snuggly tucked beneath the sheets with a warm blanket over me. Someone else must have tucked me in because I couldn't remember doing it myself. As I pulled the sheets and blanket aside to sit up, the cooler air hit my naked skin.

"You had such a pleasant smile on your face, I must have interrupted a dream you were having," Agatha said from the other side of the room. I heard her opening and closing the cupboard doors and the sound of plates and forks being placed on the table.

"I don't remember the actual dream. I only remember the sounds of girls giggling and moaning," I said as I felt around the sofa searching for my clothes.

Just as my hand touched the cup of a bra, I noticed the distinctive odor of sex in the room.

"That wasn't dream, was it?" I asked and then remembering that I woke up alone in Amanda's bed.

"Where's Amanda?" I asked.

"Can't you guys keep it down? Some of us don't have to get up at four bloody fifteen on a Saturday morning!" Amanda's voice came from Agatha's bed.

"Sorry," I whispered, giggling slightly.

"You don't have to whisper. It serves her right for keeping me awake half the night. At least she can go back to sleep after we leave," Agatha replied.

"I didn't hear you complaining last night. Sounded more like moaning to me," Amanda chortled.

"I hope we didn't wake you last night," Agatha said, turning on the light.

"Ugh, that damn light!" Amanda yelped, pulling the blanket over her head.

"I thought it was a dream, and I slept through it. But I appreciate what you guys did for me last night," I replied.

***

After a couple of quick showers and a breakfast of scrambled eggs, Agatha and I were off to London Allied Headquarters to pick up dispatches before heading on to Ashford.

Agatha parked in front of an unimposing building, that belied the sprawling underground complex beneath it. Not having the proper security clearance, I waited in the staff car while Agatha went inside. She said it would only take a couple of minutes, but she was gone for nearly half an hour.

"What happened in there? Or aren't you at liberty to say?" I asked.

"Good news for you, I hope. We have an audience with Lord Ayresdon at his manor estate this morning. With any luck, he can secure you that position as communications operator at Ashford Airfield," Agatha said, cheerfully.

"Oh Agatha, that's wonderful! Thank you," I replied, leaning over, and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Are you sure you want this? You will be one of the few women stationed at the airfield," she asked.

"Absolutely, I want this, at least until D-Day or shortly afterwards, whenever that will be. After that, I'd like to return to my duties with the WASPs," I answered.

Agatha drove eastward towards Ayresdon Manor, somewhere in Essex County. On the way, she gave me a brief description of the opulence inside the manor house and the beautifully manicured gardens and lawns surrounding it.

"Be careful what you say around the servants. They're non-magicals and have no idea that Lord Ayersdon is a warlock," she warned me.

"How is that possible? Surely, they must see or hear things from time to time to make them suspicious?" I asked.

"That's a mystery to me too, but John Ayresdon is a powerful warlock who pays attention to even the slightest of details. I don't know how he does it, I know I couldn't manage it," she answered.

We watched the sun rise in front of us, passing several towns and villages until we came to a short drive blocked by an imposing gate. A tall brick wall extended outward from either side of the gate, preventing prying eyes from looking inside.

Stopping well in front of the gate, Agatha looked around to be sure that no one was watching before pulling out her wand.

"Auffibrilare!" Agatha incanted, pointing her wand at the gate.

The heavy, wrought-iron gate swung open, and Agatha drove forward. After we passed the gate, I looked back and saw the gate swing shut again.

Just inside the gate was a small traffic circle with tall bushes in the middle of the circle. Presumably those bushes were there to block the view of anyone looking through the gate to gain a glimpse of the manor and grounds inside.

On the other side of the circle was a long drive bracketed by lush lawns and beautifully sculpted topiaries and hedges. A large, three-storied Georgian manor stood at the far end of the drive, with landscaped flower gardens planted along the front and sides.

Agatha parked in front of the manor, and we climbed the four wide stone steps to the double doors. Just as we reached the top step, both double doors swung open and an impeccably dressed man in what I presumed was a butler's outfit stood just inside.

"Good morning, Miss Brewster. So good to see you again," he said cordially to Agatha.

"Thank you, Charles. This is Morina Spellman from the United States," Agatha responded.

Charles looked me over approvingly. There was just the faintest hint of a smile on his otherwise expressionless face.

"Good morning, Miss Spellman. Please come in, his Lordship is expecting you both. He is currently breakfasting on the terrace and was hoping you would join him there," the butler said, stepping aside for us to enter.

He closed the doors behind us and led us to the back of the large foyer. The large grandfather clock in the corner chimed eight times as we walked towards the back of the manor house. There he opened a set of double sliding oak doors to what could only be described as a dining room, except it was large enough to be considered a banquet hall, complete with a large fireplace.

We walked past the large, highly polished, wooden table in the middle of the room to a set of double glass doors with floor-to-ceiling glass-paned windows on either side. Through the glass, was a large terrace, below which a large rectangular reflecting pool could be seen beyond. There was a working fountain in the middle of the reflecting pool.

Passing through the double glass doors, Charles turned to the right where a handsome man looking to be in his early thirties sat in front of a marble table looking out onto the reflecting pool, the fountain, and the beautifully landscaped lawns and garden that surrounded them.

"Miss Agatha Brewster and Miss Morina Spellman, Your Lordship," Charles announced before withdrawing to a respectful distance out of hearing range.

"Good morning, Agatha!" he said cheerfully, standing as we approached. He held out his right hands towards her as she neared. He kissed it gently before looking at me.

"Good morning, Your Lordship! This is Morina Spellman, the young witch I told you about," Agatha said, introducing me.

"Ah, Miss Spellman! Agatha said you were beautiful, but her words don't begin to do you justice. I am John Ayresdon," he said, pleasantly, extending me his hand.

I slipped my hand into his and he kissed it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Lordship," I said as I curtsied.

"Oh come, Miss Spellman. Please call me John," he said pleasantly.

"Okay, John, but only if you call me Morina," I replied. I was sure I was blushing.

He was like no man or warlock I had ever met. His thick, sandy blond hair and his baby blue eyes highlighted his handsome face and prominent chin. Besides being one of the most attractive men I had ever met, his manners and whole demeanor were like something out of a fairytale I read as a child. In that brief moment, he already made me feel like a princess meeting her prince charming for the first time.

"Morina? You can sit down now," that was Agatha trying to get my attention. She was already seated, looking up at me.

That brought me back to reality. His Lordship - John, was still holding my hand looking at me, waiting politely for me to sit down. I blushed again.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I mumbled as I sat across the table from where his Lordship...I mean John, had been sitting.

Lord Ayresdon waited until I was seated before sitting down as well.

"You seemed to have put her in a daze, John," Agatha said with a little laugh.

"Are you alright, Morina?" his Lordship asked me.

"Oh...yes...Please forgive me. I've never met a real Lord before. For some reason I thought you'd be much older," I said, trying to recover my wits. Even the way he said my name, "Morina" seemed to take on a special meaning.

He gave a short laugh.

"I suppose most people do think of Lords as being a bunch of old men, but none of us ever start out that way," he said with a playful gleam in his eye.

"Morina is Captain Morley Spellman's sister. She was hoping you could help her secure a position at Ashford as a radio and communications operator until sometime shortly after D-Day. She would like to be able to spend as much time with her brother as possible," Agatha explained.

"Before we get down to business, can I offer you some breakfast? I have an excellent chef. How about some eggs with ham?" he asked.

"Just some coffee for me. We ate before we left London," Agatha said.

"Same here," I agreed.

"Charles, please bring out two coffees for the ladies," he called out to the butler.

After coffee was served and Charles had again retreated out of hearing range, John looked at me carefully.

"Agatha tells me you've cracked the elusive transmogrification spell," he said, leaning forward and in a quiet voice.

I was shocked. I shot a sideways glance at Agatha because I thought we had agreed to keep this to ourselves. I did my best to regain my composure.

"I-It's based more on the idea of a double transmogrification spell, Your Lordship. We... I mean the two people actually switch bodies," I explained in a low voice.

"You said 'we,' Morina. Are you saying you've actually tried this yourself?" he asked.

"Oh yes!" Agatha interjected enthusiastically, "she and my flat mate Amanda exchanged bodies. They fooled me completely. It was uncanny."

"Interesting! How long does this spell last?" he asked, clearly interested in the details.

Both he and Agatha looked at me expectantly.

"I-I don't know. We were in each other's bodies for at least 24 hours. As far as I know, it's permanent," I explained.

"So, how did you change back? Does the same spell work in reverse?" he asked.

"No, Your Lordship. There's a separate counter-spell for that," I said.

"John. Please call me John, Morina. My staff may be non-magicals, however we three are colleagues in magic. And you Morina, you are a genius, even more clever than your mother," he said, smiling.

"You know my mother, Your Lor...John?" I asked, remembering at the last minute to use his first name.

"I've never met her, but I've read her work. It's clear to see that you've inherited her genius for spells. I have no doubt that this spell will make you more famous than her," he said encouragingly.

"If you don't mind...John, I would prefer we keep this among ourselves. This is a very dangerous spell and has the potential for upending the entire magical community," I replied quietly.

Again, he looked at me intently. After several seconds, he nodded his head slowly as if he understood the implications of my comment.

"You're quite right, of course. You're not only clever for your age, but wise as well. I don't suppose you could give me a demonstration of this spell of yours?" he asked.

I looked back and forth between him and Agatha.

"I can't at this time. There are a few things I need to work out. Perhaps on some other day," I replied.

"Morina, you--" Agatha began.

"Some other day," I emphasized, interrupting her.

"Morina's right. I should not have been so hasty. We should discuss the letter I will write to get her that appointment for radio operator and communications officer at Ashford," he said cheerfully, changing the subject.

"Thank you, John. It will give me a chance to spend some time with my brother. Other than a brief two-minute encounter, it's been two years since I last saw him," I said, grateful for the change in topic.

"I don't know if Agatha has told you, but your brother has made quite a name for himself during the brief time he's been at Ashford. He's proven to be quite a skilled pilot and is responsible for quite a few enemy kills," John explained.

"I'm not surprised. I've always looked up to him. He seems to have a talent in whatever he turns his hands and mind to," I said, sipping my coffee.

Agatha shot me a knowing glance and a smile at that.

"Well, if his sister is anything like him, this war is as good as won," he replied smiling.

"Oh, I don't know about that," I said, modestly.

"I'm serious, Morina. I find you to be absolutely captivating. I wonder if you would mind if I were to visit you from time to time while you're at Ashford, if that isn't being too forward?" he asked.

I almost choked on my coffee when he said that.

"Visit me?" I asked, almost not believing my ears, "but even with your endorsement, I'm told there are no openings, Your Lordsh--I mean, John."

"I'm confident something will open up. I find you to be as charming as you are lovely. Would you mind a visit from time to time?" he asked.

"N-No. Not at all. I would like that very much," I replied.

"Good, it's settled then," he said, getting up. "If you two don't mind waiting here, I'll write a note to Colonel Drummond recommending you for the position of radio operator and communications officer."

He went inside.

"Agatha, what's happening here?" I asked. I think I was in a daze.

Agatha laughed.

"You really don't know? You're what's happening. I think he's absolutely smitten with you, not that I could blame him. You're a beautiful woman and adorably cute," she said smiling.

"But I hardly know him. How old is he? Is he married? Does he have any kids? Surely, he must be seeing someone. Maybe he had a mistress or something," I wondered out loud.

Agatha laughed again.

"No, he's not married and doesn't have kids, but that's about all I can tell you. Maybe a more important question would be 'how do you feel about him'?" she asked me.

"I-I think I want to think about it," I responded.

This was all happening so fast; I couldn't trust myself to answer. Part of me wanted to throw myself into his arms, but another part of me was telling me to go slow, hold myself back. Don't be too anxious. I was starting to think like my mother.

Lord Ayresdon emerged from the manor house with an envelope in his hand.

"Here you are. Take this to Colonel Drummond. It should get you that position you want," he said, handing me the sealed envelope.

"Th-thank you, Your Lordship," I said hesitatingly.

He gave me a mock look of disappointment.

"Please, I hope we're beyond all this 'Lordship' stuff. I want you to be comfortable calling me John," he said.

I smiled.

"Thank you, John," I replied.

"That's much better. Now if there's nothing else, I have work to do and you have a journey ahead of you if you want to make it to Ashford before you lose the entire afternoon," he said, smiling.

Charles escorted us back to the foyer and the front door.

"Safe journey, ladies," he said as he closed the door behind us.

There were no direct routes from Ayresdon Manor to Ashford Airfield, so we had to backtrack nearly all the way to London before we could head south into Kent and Ashford. Plenty of time to chat with Agatha.

"Agatha, I thought we agreed not to tell anyone about the switching spell?" I asked, unable to keep the annoyance out of my voice.

"I know, but John is the head of intelligence. Besides, I needed to say something to get this audience with him," Agatha explained.

"Fine, but that's it," I insisted.

"I don't understand why you're upset with me. It's not like I told him the spell. I don't even know it myself. I was only there when you tried to switch back and none of those spells worked," she replied.

"No, but Amanda knows it. I'm sure you could get it from her if you wanted to," I noted.

"You're probably right. Look, if it will make you feel any better, I promise not to tell anyone else about the spell," she said.

"Will you also promise not to get the spell from Amanda? If you need to know the spell, you'll only come to me for it, okay?" I asked.

"If it will make you happy, I promise that, too. I'll also keep an eye on Mandy to see that she doesn't blab it to anyone," Agatha offered.

I let out a deep sigh.

"Thank you. This may be the most dangerous weapon of the war and I'd hate to be the one responsible for unleashing it," I replied.

Neither of us said a word for the next fifteen minutes. Agatha was staring at the road ahead when she broke the silence.

"I'm really going to have my hands full keeping an eye on Mandy. Remember her wondering what it would be like to switch bodies with a guy? Can you even imagine what Mandy would do in a man's body?" she wondered out loud.

"Oh, gross!" I remarked.

It wasn't until we reached the outskirts of London that we could turn south towards Ashford. With the change of direction came a change in the conversation, and we talked about Lee and the magical acts of sabotage he encountered.

"Lee believes it started after Nigel, I mean Squadron Leader Porter caught me kissing him," Agatha recounted.

"You kissed my brother?" I asked, looking at her.

"It wasn't anything serious, just a thank you kiss with a peck on the lips," Agatha explained.

"What were you thanking him for?" I asked, curiously.

Agatha's face turned red.

"Um, nothing really. I was just a favor he did for me. It was Amanda's idea, actually," she explained.

"If it was Amanda's idea, I can probably guess what the favor was," I replied with a big grin on my face.

"No, it's not what you're thinking," Agatha said quickly. She looked flustered.

"If it wasn't what I was thinking, then what was the favor?" I asked, still grinning.

Agatha took her eyes off the road briefly to glance at my face before focusing on her driving again. She smiled.

"Okay, maybe it was what you were thinking, but the point is he agreed not to turn it into a personal relationship. I'm still trying to get over Nigel Porter and I'm not ready for another relationship just yet," she explained.

"Okay, I'll drop it. I certainly don't need to hear the sordid details about my brother's sexual exploits," I said, laughingly.

"Morina! You're such a witch!" Agatha said loudly, laughing with me.

We spent the next hour talking about Lee and his skillful exploits as a pilot, most of them done without the use of his magical powers.

We were almost at the airfield when Agatha suddenly asked, "Did Mandy mention anything about your brother?"

"What about?" I asked.

"The two of you spent an entire day in each other's bodies, during that time, did she say anything about your brother or how she felt about him?" Agatha asked.