‘You might even beg me to keep her for longer.’ Jim smiled.
Greta struggled to return it. ‘Sure.’
As she waved to them from the window, it reminded her of saying goodbye to Jim and Lottie before her event at Brewtique. If she’d thought things were shaky between them then, they were much worse now. The looming deadline of their marriage decision, whether to renew the contract on her flat, and being barred from Iris’s coffee shop, felt like a boulder had rolled onto her chest and she couldn’t push it off.
Greta turned to face the empty flat and sighed. It looked like she’d be stuck here alone for a few days, and she mooched around, plumping a few cushions and tidying up.
As she did, a surprise thought landed in her head. One that gave her a buzz.
For once in my life, I can do what I want.
If she went to Mapleville again, she could stay there longer this time without worrying about getting home for Lottie, or facing questions from Jim. She bet that the Mapleville version of her family would welcome her back with open arms.
Unfortunately, the biggest obstacle standing in Greta’s way was Iris.
*
GRETA MET NORAat Brewtique the next day, as planned. Josie was absent, and Maisie’s pink hair was nowhere to be seen. The coffee shop was now staffed by a man wearing a baseball cap and a harassed expression as he took their order.
Greta hadn’t planned on sharing details about her personal life, but as they sipped their lattes together, she confessed to Nora that Lottie had moved out for a while.
‘Sorry to hear that, darling. Young people can be very sensitive,’ Nora said. ‘I remember one of my dogs sulking for weeks because I threw out one of her old toys.’
It wasn’t the same thing at all, but Greta felt grateful for any kind of sympathy. ‘How are things at the agency?’ she asked.
Nora shook her head, her smile weak. ‘On paper, everything looks great, but I sometimes feel like I’m on the outside looking in. The world is changing so fast, it’s tricky to keep up.’
Greta nodded sympathetically. ‘Have you ever thought about, you know, doing something else?’
‘Oh, I’ll never ever leave showbiz, darling. I just need to brush myself down, get back on my horse, and land Tobias Bloody Blake.’
Greta couldn’t help but laugh. ‘I’m sure Tobias won’t know what hit him when you do,’ she said.
After finishing their coffees, Nora insisted on booking an Uber to take them to the jewellery shop.
Standing on the pavement, Greta looked up at the sign.
The racing-green background and gold lettering exuded an air of quality. Greta thought Iris’s coffee shop could do with something similar, to better convey what it offered.
L. MOSS & CO. FINE JEWELLERY. ESTABLISHED IN 1875.
Inside, the shop was elegant and classic. Antique dark wooden counters looked like they’d been there since it had first opened, a marked contrast to the shabby chic vibe of Edgar’s shop.
Greta peered into cabinets displaying fine new gold jewellery, noticing that nothing was priced. She thought briefly of the complimentary clothes in Millie’s boutique, very much doubting anything here was free.
One cabinet was devoted to vintage pieces—Victorian brooches and sea pearl pendants. ‘I bet these items could tell some stories,’ she said to Nora.
Her agent didn’t look up from her phone. ‘Yup,’ she said. ‘Just picking up a few emails. No rest for the wicked.’
A door at the back of the shop opened, and a reed-thin, well-dressed man emerged. He wore rimless glasses perched on the end of his nose and looked to be around sixty. ‘Ah, Ms Noakes,’ he said to Nora. ‘So lovely to see you again.’
‘Back at you, Leonard.’ Nora put her phone in her pocket. ‘I think you can call me Nora, now. I’ve frequented your gorgeous shop enough times.’
Leonard bowed his head. ‘We appreciate your esteemed patronage, and the recommendations to your clients.’ He smiled. ‘Are you here to collect the bracelet?’
Nora nodded.
‘It belonged to my mother,’ Greta explained to him. ‘I gave it to my daughter for her sixteenth birthday, but it got broken.’
