Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
With a chuckle, Daniel paused the video. ‘Our audience is going to love this. Also, we’ve had another two sales! I started listing things online while you were still in bed.’
Fern narrowed her eyes. ‘Define “things”,’ she said, stepping behind the screen to change out of the wedding dress.
Daniel grinned. ‘Well, we’ve now sold an Edwardian moustache curler and a Victorian mourning brooch made with someone’s actual hair, totalling sixty quid.’
Fern shuddered. ‘I don’t know what’s worse, the moustache curler or the human hair.’
‘Personally, I think the taxidermy frog playing a miniature violin will be our next big seller. People love weird things.’
‘Ha ha,’ Fern shot back from behind the changing screen, her voice muffled. ‘Less commentary, more assistance. I’m stuck.’
‘What do you mean you’re stuck?’
‘I mean, I can’t get out of this thing! The zip is stuck. It won’t budge.’
Daniel set his phone down and strolled over to the screen. ‘All right, hold still. I’ll be the dashing hero and rescue you from your fabric prison.’
‘Less talking, more unzipping.’
‘If you insist!’
Daniel stepped behind the screen, and immediately the space felt smaller, charged. Fern’s back was to him, her bare shoulders peeking out where the dress had slipped slightly.
‘Can you just … oh! That’s my hair!’
‘Oops. Sorry. You’re right, it’s stuck.’
Daniel focused, tugging slightly at the zip.
‘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.’