Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
After Clemmie had written down Fern’s order, she and Betty disappeared back inside the café.
Amelia sipped her coffee. ‘The plot thickens. Did he mention who he was when he visited the shop?’
Fern shook her head. ‘He asked about an item and I can’t quite remember…’ She racked her brain. ‘A music box,’ she finally said. ‘He wanted to know if the shop had any music boxes.’
‘Does it?’ asked Amelia.
‘No, but why didn’t he tell me who he was? He even sat down and played Matilda’s piano. I’m wondering if he would talk to me about what happened, especially if he knew Matilda too.’
‘You could try, but if he didn’t speak to Matilda after that Christmas Eve, my guess is you probably won’t get the truth, just the narrative they want to spin.’
‘You’re probably right,’ agreed Fern. ‘But someone wants me to uncover something … and on top of that I’ve got another dilemma.’
‘You know what they say about a problem shared…’ Amelia prompted.
Fern exhaled and looked at Amelia. ‘This stays between us.’ She barely knew Amelia but there was something about her that told Fern she could trust her.
‘Of course.’
‘There’s been an offer on the shop from an anonymous buyer, which includes both the shop and the contents.’
‘Wow. That’s amazing … isn’t it?’
‘I’m not sure. I would have to persuade Daniel it was a good idea, or sell him with the shop, so to speak, but it would mean I could just walk away, go back to London and my normality.
There would be no more worry about what to do with the place and there’d be money in my pocket. For once, quite a lot of it.’
‘Sounds tempting,’ Amelia said carefully. ‘But you don’t seem excited.’
Fern’s food arrived at the table, and as she picked up her knife and fork she admitted, ‘I haven’t told Daniel yet, and I’m feeling very guilty about it.’
‘What does he want to happen?’
‘We agreed I would give him a month to show that the shop could generate an income. He loves that place and doesn’t want me to sell. It’s his job and his home, but he can’t afford to buy it from me. I have until Friday to make a decision, then the offer is off the table.’
‘That is intriguing.’
‘Whoever the buyer is they’re offering over the odds.’
Amelia gave her a look. ‘How do you feel about Daniel? I can see you’re torn.’
‘I wasn’t expecting to get tangled up in any sort of relationship, but I do like him … really like him,’ Fern admitted.
‘There’s a “but” coming…’
‘Not a “but” as such. Oh, I don’t know. He’s so … chill and I’m the complete opposite. I plan everything. I write lists for my lists. He probably decides what to eat ten seconds before cooking it.’
Amelia chuckled knowingly. ‘Opposites attract for a reason. It can work, if you let it.’
Fern smiled a little. ‘He’s easy to be around, which is very new for me. With Daniel, everything is calm, enjoyable, but is that enough?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I’m ambitious, and he’s happy to try and sell a few antiques that are mainly not worth anything. Why an antique shop out of all the things Matilda could have left me?’
‘Maybe because it came with Daniel.’
Fern smiled.
‘That smile says a lot.’
‘Feeling like this after such a short time is very new to me.’
‘Maybe he’s the one.’
Fern felt herself blushing. ‘Stop it!’
Amelia leaned back. ‘Just saying. What I’m gathering is the only thing keeping you from taking the money and running is Daniel.’
‘That’s not entirely true. I can’t deny that I’m starting to question a few things … no, a lot of things actually, like living in London, my job, all of it. It used to mean everything. Now I’m not so sure.’
‘Apart from the shop, has something else happened?’
Fern nodded. ‘My best friend has just admitted to sleeping with the guy I was kind of seeing before I arrived here, and now I’m beginning to question if we were friends just because of our shared history.
Since I’ve been here – and before that, if I’m being truly honest with myself – the friendship has felt like it’s becoming more … surface-level.’
‘How do you feel about the guy?’
‘I don’t.’
‘What about the friend?’
‘I think the word friend is probably questionable now.’
‘Which is very understandable. And the job?”
‘I enjoy it, but based on my last interview and the gig … I think I’m outgrowing it.
I always wanted to work up to being an editor, but maybe that’s not the path for me.
Could I go freelance? Definitely. I’ve made a name for myself and have lots of contacts.
But I keep thinking there’s a reason Matilda left me this shop.
Could I make it work? Maybe. But the thought of stability and a decent salary – what I have now – is difficult to give up for the unknown. ’
‘It’s a tough one,’ Amelia admitted. ‘Maybe it’s not about picking the easiest route, maybe it’s about choosing the one that feels like it matters more.
I’ve seen the shop’s following on social media – it’s growing by the day, and the number of people I’ve had wandering into The Story Shop in the last few days asking where to find No.
17 Curiosity Lane has been fairly substantial. ’
‘We’ve had so much fun setting that up. Daniel is getting rid of stuff that’s been in there for years.’ She hesitated. ‘I didn’t expect the shop to matter to me. But it does.’
‘Then trust that feeling.’
‘I also don’t want to be foolish. Selling the shop to the anonymous buyer would put money in my bank account that would set me up for life.’ Fern finally took a bite of toast. ‘I think I just needed to say it all out loud.’
Amelia smiled. ‘And now that you have?’
Fern looked up. ‘I’m still confused. But maybe slightly less.’
‘Progress,’ Amelia said with a grin. ‘Take that as a win.’