‘Yes. For my records.’
If the coffee was free, Greta figured there must be some kind of payback. Her time in Mapleville had been eyeopening, just what she’d wished for. But then what? ‘I had fun there, but I’m not sure Ilearnedanything . . .’ she said.
Iris let out an exasperated sigh. ‘Every experience in life teaches us something. Think about it.’
‘Okay, okay.’ Greta nodded and closed her eyes. ‘I loved feeling beautiful and confident, like I was reallyseenagain.’
‘And that’sit?’
‘Give me a chance.’ Greta exhaled and thought some more. ‘At first, I felt that way, but then I became . . . curious. Like I wanted to learn more about the place and its people, and to embrace life. I haven’t felt that way in years, like everything wasn’t just passing me by.’
Millie’s words echoed in her mind.When you shine, the world shines with you, don’t you think?
Could it be true?
Iris jotted down a few notes. ‘That’s a good start. Look out for other takeaways, too, and act on them.’ She set down her pen with a sense of finality. Standing up, she headed toward the door. ‘You have to leave now. I’m closing.’
‘Oh. Okay.’ As Greta picked up her handbag, a sense of loss wrapped around her. The thought of returning to her normal life gave her a sludgy feeling inside.
She stepped toward the door and opened it, cold air blasting her cheeks.
‘Thank you, Iris,’ she said, loitering on the pavement. Somehow, she felt like she was leaving something precious behind, something unfinished.
Iris smiled enigmatically, her white hair blowing like wisps of cotton. ‘I forgot to tell you Rule Five,’ she said. ‘Don’t drive after drinking the coffee. You may feel woozy for a while.’ Then she shut the door.
Greta stared at it for a while, tucking her hands under her arms to warm them. Did all this really just happen?
She let out a laugh, unsure. Iris must have put something very strange in the brew. She checked her watch and saw the second hand was moving freely again. Almost four hours had passed since she’d entered the little coffee shop, and she must have been doingsomethingin there.
When Greta’s phone buzzed in her pocket, she was relieved to find a message from Lottie.
Getting chips with Jayden. Back later??
The emoji was a small thing, but it felt like something much bigger.
The wind howled, and Greta pulled her coat around her, lost in thought as she walked home.
All her senses felt heightened, as though she could see and hear everything more clearly. Petrol fumes clogged her nostrils, while a woman’s perfume was strong and sweet as they crossed paths. A pneumatic drill juddered, and Greta crossed the road, distracted by the noise.
She barely noticed a taxi approaching until its horn blared. Startled, she jumped back with her heart racing.
The driver wound down his window. ‘Watch where you’re bloody going, love,’ he yelled. ‘You’re in a dream world.’
His words bounced around in her head.A dream world?He wasn’t far wrong. She mouthed an apology, her legs trembling as she hurried to the other side of the road.
By the time Greta reached her flat, she’d convinced herself thatthinkingshe’d been to Mapleville was probably due to stress, hormones, or too much caffeine. Falling asleep in the booth seemed like a logical explanation.
She opened her front door and reached up to remove her scarf. Instead, her fingertips brushed against something smooth and cool. With a frown, she peered down.
Her mouth went dry when she saw the string of chunky pearls around her neck. They looked identical to the strand Millie had given her, and she curled her fingers around them, gripping them tightly.
Whatever Iris’s coffee had done to her, wherever it had taken her, Greta hadn’t returned empty-handed.
Chapter 11
GRETA SAT ONher sofa in her living room, chewing her lip while turning the pearl necklace over in her hands. How could it possibly have come back with her to Longmill? The more she thought about it, the more her mind tangled with possibilities. She wasn’t someone who believed in fairy tales, but it was difficult to shake the feeling something otherworldly had taken place.
The clasp of the necklace was beautiful, featuring three diamantes in a row. When she refastened the pearls around her neck, she felt an unusual pull in her posture, a compulsion to sit up straighter, just as she’d done when Millie had draped the pearls around her collarbone.
