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The Marigold Scripture

Part Four

By Mariam NaeemPublished 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago 8 min read
7
The Marigold Scripture
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Mara woke up the next morning full of trepidation and a nervous kind of excitement. She had been so full of nervous energy last night that she failed to read the tome, instead trying to sleep but finding herself tossing and turning, her thoughts returning to both the book and Antonio. She was excited about whether or not the book revealed it’s treasure and full of trepidation about having to discuss it with Antonio again, after not having spoken a word to him for seven years. Not that it had been her choice; she had been ready and willing to marry him, it was his choice to run out on her and cut off all contact with her. Coward.

After getting herself ready for the day, she found herself sitting on the stool beside the kitchen island, the book in front of her, sitting beside a plate of chopped fruit and a glass of orange juice. She held her mobile phone in one hand and Antonio’s card in the other. Maybe she should read the book first before she phoned him.

She still couldn’t believe he had turned up at the cafe last night. Mrs Devlin had been unwilling to let her go home, so worried was she that Mara might do something silly, such as call Antonio. But she didn’t understand the history of their search, of their venture together to solve a mystery from the past that had remained unsolved. The book was the key.

She still had no idea how he had found it and that was to be her very first question. Her primary concern was reading the book. Taking a breath, she placed aside her phone and the card, pulling the book so that it was sitting right in front of her. She marvelled again at the craftsmanship of the leather and the glass panel that had somehow been put onto the cover, protecting the marigold.

She hesitated briefly before touching the cover again and opening it. She almost expected a dazzling light to come from within the pages, but there was nothing. Maybe her mind was a little too dramatic. She pulled on a pair of latex gloves she had lying next to her, in preparation for the handling of the book. Historians and treasure hunters had dated it to be about 750 years old, so being gentle was a must. She couldn’t risk damaging it. On the inside of the cover was a small inscription in Spanish “se encuentra dentro de la calendula”, with the crest of a bull surrounded by two marigolds underneath it.

It lies within the Marigold”. What did that mean? The Marigold had been the name held by a family for centuries in Catalonia. She knew the crest of the bull and marigolds was theirs. The family, unfortunately, had died out about two hundred years ago, taking with it the secret to a rumoured vast fortune, for which the clues lay in this book. She grew fascinated and ran to retrieve her laptop. All of her notes, all of her documentation from seven years ago, she needed it now. She got back to the kitchen and shrieked in alarm, momentarily shocked by the figure that had appeared at the patio doors, waving sheepishly.

She placed her laptop on the island, and frowned when she noticed it was Antonio. How had he gotten her address? She knew Mrs Devlin would never have given it up, so her mind flew instantly to her traitor brother. Robbie would have a lot to answer for. But at least it meant she didn’t have to call Antonio.

She walked over to the patio doors, unlocked them and slid them open, letting Antonio walk past her before she shut them again. She looked out at the soft blue sky, peppered with fluffy clouds, and sighed gently before facing her ex.

“To what do I owe this presence? I’m sure you said to call if I needed you?”

Antonio cleared his throat as he placed a paper bag on the island counter, the smell from inside tantalizing Mara’s taste buds. She hated how he knew her weakness. The cooked cinnamon rolls smelled fresh and her mouth watered slightly. Asshole.

“I couldn’t help but drop by. I know what this book means to you. What it meant to us. It was OUR hunt. It always will be.”

He opened the book and stroked the crest of the bull and marigolds within, an excitement building up in him as he realised he had a chance through this. He glanced at her.

“I brought you cinnamon rolls. Your favourite, bella. I know you can’t concentrate when you are hungry and I KNOW that the fruit won’t truly satisfy your cravings.”

She tutted and tossed her head to one side, looking away as her stomach rumbled gently. Again, she HATED how he knew her weakness. Eventually the smell of the cinnamon rolls became too much because she found herself walking forward and sitting herself on one of the stools, pulling the paper bag towards her and tearing it open.

She eyed him suspiciously. “How did you get these so fresh from Tony’s?”

He winked. “I have my secrets, bella. So, have you read the book yet?”

Mara was too busy stuffing her face with the cinnamon rolls and just shook her head, chewing vigorously. She didn’t care what he thought. She had the cinnamon rolls and she wasn’t about to let them go cold. She suspected he had brought them yesterday from the city and heated them up at whatever hotel or B’n’B he was staying in. Tony’s Bakery was back in their old haunt, where they used to live together before Antonio had run away. She slowed down and stopped altogether, feeling sick at the memories that had resurfaced. Pushing the bag away, she finished chewing and cleared her throat.

“I’m going to ask you seriously, Antonio. Why have you showed up after all these years? And how did you find the book?”

“And I’m going to answer seriously, bella. I want you back. Always. Now and forever. But I know first and foremost, we need to find this together. It had always been OURS. Our quest. If you choose never to see me after we have completed this, I’ll understand. I won’t be happy until I have you but I cannot force you to be with me, not after the way I left you.”

Okay, maybe that had been a little too much for her, because she found herself reaching for the orange juice to gulp it down, unable to answer him. Her mind was swirling with thoughts of reuniting with him, but the old feelings of love she had once felt for him had diminished, were mere embers of the flame that used to be. She knew deep down in her heart, she would never go back to him, but maybe, just maybe they could remain friends or something of a similar stance.

"Again, how did you find the book?"

Antonio frowned. "Bella, it was delivered to my door. I do not know when or how but it must have been in our mailbox for some time. There was no return address."

Mara frowned. “Let us focus on the book. I’ll be honest, I haven’t read it yet. I was going to read it first and then call you after going through my notes we had compiled seven years ago. I understand they may be out of date and will require updating, which is why I’m glad we now have this book to separate rumours from truth.”

She wondered who had sent them the book. Whoever it was, she was getting a bad feeling from this. Did they expect her and Antonio to lead them to the treasure?

“Getting prepared, were you?” Antonio smiled as he shrugged off his leather jacket, his broad shoulders moving slightly to accommodate that. Had he been working out? Mara noticed his shirt was a little tighter around the chest and gulped. She needed to focus. The Marigold Scripture was the subject, not his pecs.

“Why are you here so early? And who told you my address?”

“Always the suspicious one, aren’t you? I came early because I knew you’d be awake, bella. And as for the address, you can give Robbie a call later and thank him for my presence.”

He chuckled as he watched Mara’s frown appear, her eyes narrowing as she tried to ignore the feeling she got deep in her when he had called her bella. It was almost like he knew everything that triggered her. She wished she was immune. Bloody idiot.

She opened up her laptop and scooted her stool next to his, moving the laptop so that it sat in front of the both of them. “Let’s begin, shall we?” She asked.

Antonio just watched her warmly as her eyes lit up with excitement at rehashing a different, more adventurous kind of past of theirs.

To be continued...

If you liked this story, then please heart, share and please even tip if you like. Your support is always welcome! This is part 4 of Cafe Chocolat!

Short Story
7

About the Creator

Mariam Naeem

Writer - Short Stories, Poetry

Instagram: instagram.com/mariam.naeem256

Twitter: Twitter.com/MariamNAuthor

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