There were no customers waiting, which was great. It meant Andie could chat with Mary. She looked forward to their chats.
Mary finished her sweeping and picked up a medium-sized box. “This was on your doorstep. Wouldn’t want anyone to steal it.”
“Thanks. It’s a diamond tester I ordered online. You never know when someone might come in with what they think is junk jewelry and it turns out to be diamonds.”
“Really? I can’t imagine not knowing I had a diamond.” Mary turned toward the little beverage station they had in the back. “Coffee?”
“Tea?” Andie was coffee-ed out after two cups at Sandcastles. “Some people inherit jewelry and don’t realize. It happens more often than you’d think.”
“That’s crazy. Lemon zinger?” Mary looked at Andie for confirmation. She knew that was her favorite.
Mugs in hand, they settled into the two chairs in the back room. The decor was just as nice as out front, with a chic black-and-white theme. The chairs were comfortable, soft music played, and the smell of hair products swirled around them.
Mary was in her mid- to late seventies with long, thick gray hair. Her hair didn’t look witchy though, as it did on some older women. It looked classy and youthful. Her face was kind and welcoming, and Andie always felt comfortable unburdening herself to her. She valued Mary’s advice too. It was like getting advice from her own mother, something she could rarely do now with Addie’s memory problems.
“Do you have a lot of people trying to sell jewelry? It seems like that would be a last resort.” Mary’s expression showed her concern for anyone who would have to sell jewelry as a last resort.
“Sometimes people have too much and just want the money to go on a cruise or whatever. I just want to be prepared to give them a fair price.” Andie tapped the box. “And this is the best way to do it.”
“That’s nice. I guess I would probably be selling some of my jewelry if I had a lot.” Mary glanced out at the main room. “Though I’ll probably leave it to Jules.”
Andie remained quiet. She knew that Mary had a daughter from whom she was estranged. Mary didn’t have any grandchildren and just the one daughter. Jules was her grand-niece, and the two of them were close.
Mary sighed. “Anyway, what are you up to today?”
Good question. It would be more of the same, cataloguing and looking through the auction fliers for any good estate sales. Andie liked doing those things, but it felt a bit hollow. Andie looked out at the street, her mind going back to Maxi’s words about finding her purpose. “Nothing much.”
“Yeah, me too. Slow day for haircuts.” Mary sipped her tea, and after a few seconds Andie realized Mary was studying her.
“What?” Andie asked.
“Seemed like you were deep in thought. I didn’t want to interrupt. Is something on your mind?”
In the few weeks Andie had known Mary, she’d discovered the woman was very perceptive. She had a way of sensing when people needed to talk things out and seemed to genuinely want to help. She probably should have been a therapist. Maybe she got to do some of that therapy while cutting hair.
Andie felt silly talking about how she was unfulfilled. She had a great life, was doing well financially, and was in good health. Who was she to complain? But somehow the words spilled out. “I don’t know. It feels like I have no purpose. Yes, I have my shop, and I do love selling antiques and helping out at Tides, but it feels like there should be more. I know, it’s selfish for me to complain.”
Mary shook her head. “Not at all. Everyone should have a purpose. Many people don’t find theirs and continue with their humdrum routines. What kind of life is that?” Mary glanced out into the shop. Andie could have sworn she was looking directly at Jules… no, she was probably just checking to make sure her next customer hadn’t arrived yet.
“Do you have one?” Andie asked.
“Of course!” Mary gestured toward the salon. “I love styling hair. Ever since I was a little girl, this is what I wanted to do.” She leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. “Did you ever dream about something as a little girl?”
Andie nodded. “I did. I always dreamed of making a big discovery. When I was a kid, I think it stemmed from all those pirate books my dad used to read me. I always wanted to dig a treasure chest up on the beach.”
Mary laughed. “Who doesn’t?”
“I know, right? I was a little obsessive, went through a lot of shovels digging. But as I got older, I became interested in antiques. Tides is full of things from my great-grandparents and grandparents, and I loved all that old stuff. That’s why I became an appraiser. I’d always hoped to find some item that was historically significant.”
“You must have come across a lot of valuable things in your career.”
“Yes, but nothing earth shattering. You know, like an undiscovered Rembrandt or the missing jewels of a royal family.” Andie played with the tea bag, dunking it in her tea. She sighed. “I guess that’s not going to happen now that I live here.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. Lobster Bay might be small, but it’s rich with history. Take the Thompson house. Surely you’ve heard the rumors about its importance.”
The Thompson house was the oldest house in Lobster Bay. It sat on a cliff overlooking the ocean. It was rumored that the pirate Blackbeard had lived there and also rumored that it was part of the Underground Railroad. These two very different rumors made Andie skeptical. People loved to make up stories about old houses.
“Yes, but those are just rumors. Probably no truth to them. And besides, Sadie Thompson’s daughter hates me, and Sadie and my mom don’t get along, so even if there was some historical significance there, it’s not anything I could be a part of.”
