Cordelia Petros’ Mysteriously Missing Pink Plaid Suitcase

Object Post 145: 

Cordelia Petros’

Mysteriously Missing Pink Plaid Suitcase

From The Peacock’s Pearl

Significance: It was a case in point and also an example of one of the secrets Cat Mahal kept from her mother

Related to: A number of other items, all distressingly loud or implausible

~~~~~

I thought it would be quite difficult to lose a box that big, but then I remembered Mum’s pink plaid suitcase bound with a ribbon featuring the Greek flag.

Cordelia’s pink plaid suitcase didn’t really reflect Cordelia’s taste. It did reflect her practicality. She certainly didn’t want to waste her time at the baggage carousel trying to recognise her case, so she made sure it was memorable and recognisable at fifty paces.

Her daughter Cat knew this perfectly well, but she wasn’t prepared to put up with the embarrassment of being associated with the monstrosity so she didn’t. As a Frith witch and a Beckingham witch by double descent, Cat could easily delete the case. As an ethical witch she struggled with her conscience (maybe) for all of five seconds.

That had vanished on a flight to Scotland and no amount of filling forms, waiting in queues or badgering Baggage Station had ever found out where it went.

What? Well… let’s put it this way.

·        We flew over a lot of ocean to reach Scotland.

·        I always detested that suitcase.

·        Somehow Mum’s essential things were packed with mine. I’d made sure of that. I’m not heartless.

Cordelia’s reaction was predictable.

As Cat said;

Mum’s a good person—better than I am. The only time I had ever seen her angry was with Elizabeth. Oh, and the baggage man who couldn’t produce her pink plaid suitcase when we got to Scotland. I felt a tad guilty about that.