‘I’m not acting on behalf of Nathaniel Loring or Alistair,’ Edgar replied. He gestured towards the two spare chairs across from his desk. ‘Please sit.’
Fern and Daniel exchanged a glance before taking a seat. Edgar looked at Dorothy, then gave a solemn nod.
‘I’m the anonymous buyer,’ Dorothy declared softly, taking Fern and Daniel by surprise.
‘You?’ said Fern.
Daniel sat up straighter. ‘Why would you want the shop?’
‘Because she’s helping Alistair and Nathaniel,’ chipped in Fern.
‘Not because I’m helping Alistair, but because I’m helping Matilda. She was my friend… and whilst I’m confessing, I’m also the one who left the wedding dress outside your shop.’
Fern blew out a breath. ‘You left the wedding dress? What is going on here?’
‘Matilda gave it to me,’ Dorothy replied. ‘She knew its worth, but she also knew its story. She never parted with it, though she’d kept it hidden away in my sewing room for the last few years. It upset her to look at it, but she couldn’t bear to let go of it either. All she ever wanted was a family, a husband who would love her unconditionally.’
‘But why drop it off outside the shop? Why now? Did Nathaniel really steal her song? And if you knew, why buy the shop? Were you trying to cover it up for them?’ Fern fired off the questions in rapid succession, her tone sharp and accusing.
Dorothy looked at Fern, tears brimming in her eyes. ‘He did steal the song, and I was helping Matilda because I promised her I would.’
‘You promised her what?’ Daniel asked. His voice was measured, not confrontational.
Dorothy drew in a shaky breath. ‘You remember, Daniel, that I was with her the night before she passed away?’
He nodded slowly.
‘She was fading fast, but her mind was sharp. She asked me to listen. She said she couldn’t leave this world without telling someone the truth.’
Fern leaned forward, her heart pounding. ‘The truth about the song?’
‘Yes,’ Dorothy whispered. ‘About how Nathaniel stole “Echoes of the Past”. He signed a record deal behind her back, passing it off as his own, and he kept her silent by taking something even more precious than her music.’
Daniel raised an eyebrow. ‘What do you mean?’
Dorothy looked directly at Fern now. Her voice broke. ‘Matilda and Nathaniel had a child. At university. A baby boy.’
Fern gasped. ‘A child? They had a baby together?’
‘Yes.’
Fern turned to Daniel. ‘Did you know? Did Matilda ever say anything to you?’
He shook his head. ‘No. This is the first I’m hearing about this.’
‘No one knew,’ Dorothy said. ‘I was shocked when she told me. Only two other people knew the truth at the time.’
‘Who?’ Fern asked.
‘Nathaniel and Alistair. They were both there the night the baby was born, and what I’m going to share with you isn’t going to be very favourable towards my brother or Nathaniel.’
Fern’s eyes narrowed. ‘Why would you tell us something that doesn’t put then in a good light?’
Dorothy held her gaze. ‘Because Matilda and I trusted each other. We came a long way together at the end.’ Her voice faltered. ‘I now have no illusions about who Alistair really is. Just because we share blood doesn’t mean I’m blind to his faults or even like him.’
‘What is he, exactly?’ asked Daniel.
‘A man who has always put himself first,’ Dorothy said bitterly. ‘Even in his twenties, he had this knack for charming people just long enough to get what he wanted. He nearly got our family business repossessed once, trying to “flip” it for a quick profit. Lied to our parents’ faces about it. He’s clever, calculating, but heartless when it comes to consequences.’ She exhaled shakily and continued. ‘Matilda told me Nathaniel and Alistair were the only ones there when she gave birth.’ Dorothy closed her eyes briefly, and Fern had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach that whatever Dorothy was going to say next could be deeply upsetting. ‘The baby didn’t cry, so Nathaniel took the child in his arms and stepped out of the room. A moment later he returned without the baby. He told her it was stillborn. Their son was gone.’
