‘You know what I can’t quite believe?’
‘What’s that?’
‘Considering your bloodline, you’re rubbish at reading music.’
He laughed. ‘That’s something I intend to put right.’ He smiled that slow, honest smile she was beginning to fall completely in love with.
Epilogue
Twelve months had flown by since the truth finally came out, and when it did, it was like a tidal wave. The story had exploded across national headlines and spilled over into the global spotlight. Puffin Island had gone from sleepy seaside haven to the centre of a media whirlwind, and No. 17 Curiosity Lane was now officially world famous. Music lovers, journalists and antique hunters all came in droves to see the little shop that had changed music history.
Everything was different now. Nathaniel Loring, once hailed as a national treasure, had been stripped of his glory and exposed for the fraud he truly was. Meanwhile, Matilda Hartley, whose voice had been silenced for so long, was finally being celebrated. Even though she was no longer here to see it, the world had caught up. Matilda had become an icon in her own right, her name etched into the heart of music history where it had always belonged.
No. 17 Curiosity Lane had undergone a transformation. The once tired old antique shop now boasted sparkling new windows, a fresh coat of paint and a deep green wooden door with a brand-new sign swinging gently above it. Fern had transformed right alongside it. She’d stayed in her old job just long enough to write the article, the one that finally exposed the truth about Nathaniel Loring and the slippery dealings of his agent Alistair Montgomery. It made headlines around the world, ruffled all the right feathers and gave Fern exactly the closure she needed. After that, she handed in her notice. Journalism had served its purpose for her.
Now, she worked alongside Daniel in No. 17 Curiosity Lane, buying and selling antiques, dusting off forgotten treasures, learning the difference between a chamber pot and a vase (the hard way) and arguing over where to display a particularly questionable stuffed ferret. Life was slower and sweeter. For the first time in ages, Fern wasn’t chasing a story. She was part of one.
Tonight, the doors of the shop were wide open, and the entire community had turned out for a party like no other. Fairy lights had been strung from one side of the street to the other and glowed like fireflies as laughter echoed in the air. Fern, in a bright floral dress and white trainers, stood proudly in the doorway, Daniel’s hand tucked firmly in hers.
‘Everyone!’ she shouted over the buzz of excitement. ‘Shush now, we’re nearly at number one!’
People giggled and hushed each other. Glasses of prosecco were passed around. Clemmie and Betty had laid out a full street buffet, with sausage rolls, fairy cakes, mini quiches and jelly in plastic cups. Amelia and Dilly were weaving through the crowd, handing out cups of fizz and lemonade.
Edgar and Dorothy stood beside Fern and Daniel, beaming. ‘I wish Matilda was here to see this,’ said Dorothy.
‘She never missed a good party. She’ll be smiling down on us.’ Edgar looked up at the sky and Fern could have sworn she saw a tear in his eye.
‘I have to ask, something that’s been on my mind. Why did Matilda call this place No.17 Curiosity Lane? Fern asked.
‘Because when she first put the shop together, she filled it with curiosities, antiques, oddities, little treasures she couldn’t resist. And then there’s the location: the building backs onto a quiet, unnamed alley that reminded her of the hidden places she used to slip away to after her fall from the music world, little pockets full of silence, stories and second chances. The “17” came from the practice room she’d spent hours in as a student– Room 17– the place where she still remembered what it felt like to believe in beginnings,’ replied Edgar.
Just then from the speaker in the doorway, the live chart show was blasting. The DJ’s voice rang out: ‘At number two this week, after a phenomenal climb, it’s Lust Theory with “Marriage Breakdown”.’
Fern grinned and leaned over to Daniel. ‘Looks like Jax is going to have to settle for silver and a divorce.’
Daniel chuckled, brushing a kiss against her temple.
‘Which means,’ the DJ continued, ‘your brand-new number one… it’s Daniel Brooks with “A New Chapter”, written by Matilda Hartley! I think we all must know the story behind this song. Congratulations to Daniel on his debut number one and don’t miss the show next Thursday when he joins us live in the studio.’
The crowd erupted and applause and cheers broke out up and down the street. ‘Huge congratulations to Daniel, number one in the charts! This is for Matilda, too!’ Fern shouted. ‘Her story. Her legacy. Her music!’
Tears filled her eyes, and Daniel’s too. They weren’t just celebrating a song. They were celebrating a woman who had been silenced and stolen from, and now finally, the world knew the truth.
Over the past year, the Nathaniel Loring scandal had become one of the biggest ever to hit the music industry. Loring’s money and assets had been frozen during the lengthy investigation, and Alistair had disappeared from public life.
Despite the chaos, Daniel had made a decision. ‘If anything ever comes from this, if we do get any of Nathaniel’s inheritance,’ he had told Fern, months earlier, ‘I want to build something good from it. Something Matilda would be proud of.’
They’d agreed to open a music school in Matilda Hartley’s name, right here on Puffin Island.
For the past six months, Daniel had thrown himself into learning the piano, often spending hours in the back room of the shop. He’d never imagined himself performing publicly, but then a record label had approached him with a dream offer, to release one of Matilda’s songs, and he chose the one she had written for his father.
He sang it simply, just his voice and the piano, and something about it had captured hearts around the world.
‘I’m actually at number one,’ he exclaimed, picking up Fern and spinning her around. ‘We need champagne!’
The song began to play over the speakers, and the crowd went quiet.
Fern looked up at him. ‘I’m so proud of you.’
