‘Pull it harder, I’m beginning to overheat in this thing.’
He tugged hard, the zip came undone, and the dress slipped further off her shoulders as she caught it against her chest. She felt her heart beat faster. She glanced over her shoulder and jumped. ‘Who was that?’
‘Who was what?’
‘There was someone in the doorway,’ she whispered, eyes wide. ‘I didn’t see who it was, but they were standing there, watching.’
Daniel turned swiftly, but the entrance to the shop was empty.
‘They’ve gone now. Nothing to worry about.’
‘Go and take a look.’ She shooed him from behind the screen. ‘I need to get changed.’
Two minutes later, she hung up the wedding dress and hooked it over the door at the back of the shop. ‘Do you think someone was checking whether we had the dress?’
He shook his head. ‘You’re overthinking it. It could have been someone just passing by and you got the jitters because of the cryptic note. This place does wonders for anyone’s imagination.’
‘I agree, but I have a feeling that this mystery is only just beginning.’
‘All we can do is wait and see if any more clues emerge.’
‘Or we need to dig deeper.’
‘Someone on this island must know something.’
‘But if Betty doesn’t recognise the dress… You heard what Clemmie said, nothing ever gets past her.’
‘Something may have done this time. Let’s see if the social media inquiry throws anything up. In the meantime, make me a coffee… wifey!’
‘Oh, hilarious!’
‘It’ll happen one day, you just need to stop fighting it.’
‘I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…’
‘I know… I’m deluded!’
‘Milk? One sugar?’
‘Perfect.’
ChapterEighteen
At precisely 9.45a.m., Fern glanced at her watch and took a deep breath. Her appointment with Edgar Carmichael, the local solicitor, was fast approaching. She hadn’t told Daniel where she was going or why, and there was no denying she felt guilty. She knew they had agreed, and she had promised, to give him a month to turn the shop around, yet here she was, slipping out to discuss her options. It wasn’t exactly lying, but it wasn’t being honest either. The truth was, she needed to know what she was dealing with. The building would need a valuation, and even she could see it was in dire need of repair. There were cracked windowpanes, damp creeping along the skirting boards, the faded sign swinging precariously above the door. It all pointed to a costly headache she wasn’t sure she wanted and if she did keep this place, she’d be his landlord by default, responsible for every leaky pipe, every broken window, every late payment. She had no interest in that kind of responsibility.
She looked across at him; he was sitting at the desk, scrolling through the comments on the social media posts. He caught her eye and gave her a lopsided grin that made the guilt worse, but she pushed it aside. She needed to be practical. This wasn’t just about Daniel, it was about her future too.
‘Sold!’ he announced, his voice full of excitement. ‘Gerald the gorilla. We’ve got another hundred pounds coming our way.’
‘Gerald? You soldGerald?’
Daniel’s grin faltered as he looked down at the screen again. ‘Yeah, well… Matilda said he’s been living rent-free in the wardrobe for years, so…’ He leaned back on the chair and rubbed the back of his neck, clearly pleased with the sale, but Fern noticed something else creeping into his expression.
‘What’s wrong? You suddenly look… conflicted.’
Daniel let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. ‘I feel a little funny. I was excited at first, but now it feels like I’m evicting him. He’s part of the family. I mean, the guy’s been hanging around this place for goodness knows how long, and here I am, shipping him off for a hundred quid.’ He looked over at the old gorilla, now sitting awkwardly in the corner by the door, his glassy eyes staring back at them.
Fern smiled, watching the change in Daniel’s demeanour. He was trying to be practical, but the sentimental side of him was undeniable. It was endearing, really. ‘You’re going to miss him, aren’t you?’
