She nodded.
‘I’d say they were either bonkers or they know something we don’t.’
Her phone buzzed but she ignored it.
‘It’s not hypothetical,’ she said quietly. ‘I’ve received an offer for the shop and all of its contents. A big one. Way over what I reckon this place is worth. I have to decide by next Friday.’
Daniel’s smile vanished. ‘What? But the shop isn’t up for sale. Did you put it up for sale?’
‘No, I didn’t. The offer came through yesterday via Edgar, but the buyer wants to remain anonymous.’
He sat back. ‘Why didn’t you say something sooner?’
‘I had a meeting with Edgar this morning, to gather all the facts, and now I’m telling you. What do you think?’
‘I think it’s very weird.’
‘I know.’
‘You have no inkling who the buyer is? Edgar gave no clues?’
She shook her head. ‘Nothing.’
Daniel rubbed a hand across his face. ‘That’s not a normal offer, Fern. That’s not someone who loves crockery and first editions. That’s someone who wants this place for their own reason, but why? Is this shop built on a goldmine?’
‘Not that I’m aware of.’ She stared at him.
He stood up and started pacing like he always did when his brain kicked into gear. ‘What if it’s connected to the note that came with the dress? Matilda never married Nathaniel Loring. Why? Something happened, something she never told anyone… or perhaps maybe she did. After all, someone very much alive planted that wedding dress.’
‘It can’t be anyone on the island because Betty said no one knows what happened, and Clemmie and Amelia were adamant that if there was something to know, she would be the one to know it.’
‘Do we think there’s something in this shop that might give us a clue? Maybe Matilda hid something. Or someone else did and now they’re trying to cover it up for whatever reason.’
Fern looked around the shop. ‘You think someone’s trying to buy the secret?’
‘I think someone’s trying to bury it.’
‘Surely we’re just reading too much into this?’ Her pulse was racing. ‘The offer, the timeline, it all feels like pressure, but there’s more. Betty showed me the newspaper this morning. Nathaniel Loring has checked into a private clinic as his health is deteriorating further, but the headline was all about his agent, Alistair Montgomery, who happens to be not only Nathaniel’s best friend, but also Dorothy’s brother and Nathaniel Loring’s sole beneficiary.’
Surprise was written all over Daniel’s face.
Fern carried on. ‘He also went to the London Music School and was best friends with Matilda, but never spoke to her again after that Christmas Eve. Whatever went on, he took Nathaniel’s side and has stayed there ever since.’
‘Which has paid him well, if he’s to receive everything from Nathaniel Loring’s estate. This is all very interesting. Alistair must know the reason why the wedding didn’t take place. Why else would he cut Matilda off if they were all friends?’ Daniel looked at her with a serious expression on his face. ‘Ask yourself why someone wants to pay over the odds for a dusty old shop… and why they want to stay anonymous. Let’s pull up the inventory. Maybe something we logged stands out. Maybe we missed something.’
Fern flipped the lid on her laptop and turned it between then. Fern’s inbox was still open from when she had checked her emails early that morning, and it had updated to show the email from Tom. Daniel’s eyes were fixed on the words ‘Job Offer’.
Daniel turned to her. ‘Were you going to tell me, or just sell the shop with me as a going concern, and scuttle back to London?’
‘No one is scuttling back to London. It only just landed whilst I was making the coffee and I’ve not had time to think about it.’
‘Do you want the job?’
‘It’s a massive opportunity to prove myself in the industry, and it will open lots of doors for me. The salary is also a big leap compared to what I’m on now, and living in London is not cheap.’
‘It sounds like you’ve already made up your mind. Is this all about money?’
‘Of course that helps. I can’t pay the bills on thin air, even though I’m beginning to think that it’s possible, if this place is anything to go by.’ Fern noticed the atmosphere had suddenly tensed. ‘Have you ever had a proper salary?’ The words left her mouth before she could stop them. She hadn’t meant to sound critical, she was simply trying to grasp how difficult it must be, living without the certainty of a steady income. Then she noticed the sadness in his eyes.
