‘Is that the fashion designer talking?’
‘No, it’s any sane woman under one hundred and twenty years old talking. Remember how bland everything was and how it was always about thirty years out of date?’
‘I remember. It might not be a bad space if you can dispel the ghost of fashion past. Do you want to get in touch with Darren Johnson? Perhaps he could check the place out and give you a quote.’
Lily nodded. ‘Why not, it’s a good idea. It’s got great bones and I think if it was fixed up a bit and painted, it could be really something. Let’s check out the rest.’
Violet and Lily spent the next twenty minutes wandering through the shop. They’d never seen the rest of the building as Mrs Halsford had guarded it as if she was Cerberus at the gates of the Underworld. Behind the main room there was what must have been the stockroom and behind that a small kitchenette and tiny bathroom. Upstairs were two rooms, the largest with French doors leading out to the balcony overlooking the main street. But it was in the little back room that the girls found a mystery. In the corner was a narrow door with a very old padlock on it.
‘I wonder what’s in there,’ said Violet.
‘I don’t know, but we’re about to find out,’ Lily replied, reaching into the pocket of her jeans and pulling out the bunch of keys. After a couple of false starts, Lily turned the key and was rewarded with a soft click. Slowly opening the door, she said, ‘There’s a skinny flight of steps. I suppose it must lead up to the attic?’
‘Do you want me to go first?’ asked Violet.
Lily turned and gave Violet a hard look. ‘I’m not your little baby sister anymore. Just don’t mention anything about a psychotic ghost.’
Violet let out a laugh. ‘Psychotic ghost, really?’
Lily started up the stairs. ‘I told you not to mention that!’
‘What can you see? What’s up there?’ Violet said as she hurried up the creaking wooden stairs behind her sister.
‘Something from a horror movie set. God, it’s creepy.’
‘Nah, it’s just old and forgotten.’ Violet peered through the turned posts of the staircase. The room was long and dimly lit with a pointed ceiling. The only light coming in was from a small round window which was set just below the junction of the wooden ceiling. A thick layer of dust seemed to cover every inch of the attic. There was a stack of old trunks in one corner and several pieces of furniture scattered about.
Lily paused at the top of the stairs. ‘Please tell me there’s not a dead person under that dust sheet.’
Violet glanced in the direction Lily was pointing. ‘Sure it is. Come on, let’s have a look “little baby sister”.’
‘You know this is how most horror movies start, don’t you? Two nubile young women in a creepy-arse house. It will all end in tears and buckets of blood,’ said Lily.
‘No more horror movies for you,’ said Violet, laughing. ‘From now on, you should stick with romances and comedies.’
Lily laughed and walked over to the edge of the dust sheet. In a quick movement, she pulled it off to reveal a very old dressmaker’s dummy.
‘Are you really getting freaked out?’ said Violet.
‘No. Well, maybe just a little bit. You know, Violet, this is pretty cool,’ said Lily, taking a step closer. ‘This looks really old. Do you think some of this stuff could be from when the Becketts ran the store?’
Violet looked around. ‘It’s possible. It certainly doesn’t look as if anyone has been up here in decades.’
Lily walked over to a dust encrusted old desk. After wiping it with the bottom of her sleeve, they saw that it was made of a dark wood, probably mahogany or cedar. She opened one of the drawers, inside there was still a stack of papers. ‘I think I might go through all this stuff. It could be interesting. Maybe I’ll find some Beckett family secrets.’
‘Well, you never know,’ said Violet lifting up the lid of one of the chests stacked haphazardly in the corner. ‘Hey, look, there’s old bits of lace in here. Maybe you could find something useful for your designs?’
Lily hurried over and gently picked up one of the pieces on top. ‘Oooh, it’s pretty, and look at this,’ she said as she scooped up a bundle of embroidered braid. ‘It looks as if it’s from the 1930s. This stuff is fantastic! I wonder if there’s more of it in the other chests,’ she added.
‘Maybe you’ve found yourself a bit of a treasure trove,’ said Violet. ‘Should we go through them all?’
Lily looked at her watch. ‘Shit, didn’t you say you needed to pick up Holly now?’
Violet checked the time on her mobile. ‘Yep, we better get out of here.’
‘I’ll have to organise for a builder to come and do a structural report on the place,’ said Lily gathering up her bag. ‘The floor in the kitchenette looked like it needed replacing and you saw the water damage by the back door. Did you say your new friend Mac knew a good builder?’
Violet rolled her eyes. ‘I knew I should never have told you about the kiss.’
‘Well you did, though I suspect it might have been a bit more intense than you made it sound,’ said Lily, laughter in her voice.
‘It was only a kiss, Lily. It didn’t mean anything.’
‘Sure it didn’t because, hey, you have so many of them. I think it was a whole lot more than only a kiss, otherwise you wouldn’t be so cagey about it,’ Lily said as she wiped her hands on her jeans. ‘It’s mind-blowing that you’ve found yourself another McKellan. Grandad must be rolling in his grave.’
‘We better get going,’ said Violet, keen to change the subject.
Lily picked up the first little chest she’d looked through and tucked it under her arm. ‘This little treasure is coming with me. It looks as if you and Holly are going to have to put up with me coming up for some more flying visits once work settles down a bit.’
‘We’d both love that. Lily will be over the moon. I’ll get Johnno’s number for you and you can give him a call.’
‘Thanks, that’d be great. But I’ll wait until you’ve finished the McKellan wedding and we’ve got the next season’s collection sorted out at work.’
Lily was just locking the front door when Violet caught sight of Flynn ambling along the footpath towards them.
‘Hey Violet, good to see you,’ said Flynn, stopping in front of her.
‘Hi Flynn,’ said Violet smiling at him. ‘Oh, you remember my sister, Lily don’t you?’
Flynn’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘Lily, wow, I mean I haven’t seen you since you were a kid.’
‘Hello Flynn, it’s good to see you again.’
‘And you,’ he said, grinning madly. ‘What I mean is that the town just didn’t feel right without either of you here. I’m glad you’re back.’
‘Oh, I’m just visiting,’ said Lily. ‘I had to check up on my sister and niece, and we were just seeing if my inheritance still has any life in it,’ she added, gesturing towards the door she’d just locked.
‘Yeah, I heard your grandfather had left it to you,’ said Flynn, crossing his arms and leaning on one hip.
Flynn had always had such an ease about him, thought Violet. Even when they were kids. It was as if he was perfectly comfortable in his own skin.
‘It certainly was a surprise,’ said Lily, brightly.
‘I hope it entices you to move back to Violet Falls,’ said Flynn, with that adorable lopsided grin of his.
Violet frowned. Surely he wouldn’t try anything on her little sister, would he? She stared at Lily and Flynn. Was it just her over-fertile imagination or had they moved closer together?
Damn it, thought Violet, Flynn just couldn’t help himself. Well, she sure as hell wasn’t going to stand idly by while he seduced Lily. Better nip this in the bud before anything came of it. The man was too handsome for his own good and still had the dating habits of an alley cat.
‘It’s good to see you Flynn, but Lily and I have to get going. We’re already late to pick up Holly,’ said Violet, making
her way to the car. ‘We’ll see you around.’
‘Can’t wait,’ said Flynn aiming that devastating smile of his at Lily. ‘I remember you as a kid, you know. You had long plaits, scraped knees and freckles across your nose.’
Lily wandered over to the car but her eyes never left his. ‘Well, I’m not a kid anymore.’
‘No, you’re not.’
‘But I still have some freckles,’ said Lily, smiling and tilting her head to the side flirtatiously.
Oh my God, thought Violet, giving Lily that special sisterly look which said, What the HELL do you think you’re doing?
‘I’m so glad you and your freckles came back home, even if it’s only for a visit. I’ll see you around, Lily Beckett,’ said Flynn before saying goodbye to the two of them and sauntering away.
‘I didn’t think it was possible but he’s improved with age,’ said Lily, standing by the open car door and watching Flynn disappear down the street. ‘Did you ever see such sexy perfection?’
‘Oh, get in the damn car,’ said Violet. ‘He may be Mac’s best friend but Flynn is a dangerous flirt who doesn’t have a constant bone in his body. He’s broken nearly every female heart in town apparently, not to mention the entire Central Goldfields area.’
‘Come on, even you can’t deny that Flynn’s gorgeous. Besides I was just looking, and there’s no harm in that,’ said Lily as she slid into the car seat and put the little chest on the floor by her feet. ‘No big deal. Just chill, Violet. It’s not like he seduced me in the middle of the street. Hmmm, though there’s an idea,’ Lily added with a gleam in her eyes.
‘Lily!’
Lily burst out laughing and it took what seemed like ages to get herself under control. ‘That was just too easy,’ she said when she finally stopped laughing. ‘You should have seen your face. Oh, don’t get into a flap, I’m just teasing you.’
‘I told you, the man is an incorrigible wolf.’
‘Yeah, but you have to admit he’s a really tempting one.’
‘Are you sure you don’t want to stay the whole weekend?’ said Violet leaning against the open door of her car.
‘I’d love to but I can’t,’ said Lily, her face serious. ‘As I said, things are really heating up at work and Pietro is busier and busier with his shoots. We have to grab some time together otherwise it’s like we’re sharing a flat rather than a relationship.’
‘I understand,’ said Violet as she got into the car.
The next morning Lily held Holly in her arms, her expression full of love. ‘I’ve missed you so much baby girl, but I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can.’
‘Promise?’ said Holly, drinking the milkshake between taking bites of the huge biscuit her aunt had bought her.
‘Yes, I promise and next time I’ll bring you a new dress, just like this beautiful one you’ve drawn for me,’ she said, gesturing towards the drawing on the café table.
‘You mean you’re going to make it for me? And put some of the pretty lace you found around the neck?’
‘Yep, I sure am,’ said Lily giving Holly a squeeze. ‘You be good for Mummy and I’ll see you soon.’
Violet took Holly’s hand and led her away to the car. She needed to drop her off at yet another friend’s place before she headed out to McKellan’s Run, and she was starting to feel nervous about meeting Celine.
‘Hey, call me so I know you got home okay,’ said Violet.
‘God, I’ll never stop being your little baby sister. I’ll be fine but I’ll ring anyway, alright?’
‘Thanks,’ said Violet.
‘I wish Aunty Lily still lived with us,’ Holly said with a sigh as Lily drove away. ‘I miss her already.’
‘I know, sweetie but think about what fun we’ll have next time she comes up,’ said Violet, taking Holly’s hand. ‘Come on let’s get you over to Kylie’s place and once I get back from Mac’s place we can cook dinner together. What do you say?’
‘Can’t I come to Mac’s too,’ said Holly, looking up at her mother. ‘I haven’t seen him or Sarah or the kittens for ages.’
‘Not today, but maybe I’ll pick up some ice cream for after dinner.’
‘Yay!’ said Holly, doing her favourite ‘we’re having ice cream’ dance in the back of the car.
Chapter 11
‘Oh come on, Celine, you have to help your old man out,’ said Laurie Thornton, cutting an elegant figure in a beautifully tailored suit.
Celine stood up and wandered over to the window looking out over her father’s formal garden bathed in the early morning light.
‘Dad, I’m doing everything I can. I’ve already given you all my savings and surely Jason’s loan has shored up the business for at least the short term.’
‘I truly appreciate how generous you’ve been, darling, but Jason’s loan has only given me a tiny amount of breathing space.’
‘Look, I know he’s my fiancé but you can’t keep hitting him up for money,’ said Celine, avoiding her father’s imploring expression as she wondered why, after all these years, she was still trying to please her father—and yet he still made her feel like nothing was ever quite good enough.
‘Why not? He can afford it!’ snapped Laurie.
‘That’s not the point. Don’t forget he covers all of the mortgage in the house he and I live in—he’s never asked me for a cent. And he’s paying for the wedding, despite him telling his family that you’re covering it,’ said Celine.
‘Which is why you’re getting married in some godforsaken place in the bush. Really, Celine, this wasn’t how I pictured your wedding.’
‘Listen, you’ve always encouraged my relationship with Jason. It was you who first talked about the idea of me marrying him,’ said Celine.
‘Well, the boy is brilliant. Everyone says he’s the up-and-coming bright star in corporate law. Youngest partner at Tollingsworth’s, someone at the club told me. Mind you, I always hoped you’d marry into old Toorak money.’
‘Hey, Jason and I can have a really successful marriage if we put our minds to it,’ said Celine. ‘We both like the same things and have similar goals. Please don’t let your old boy snobbery get in the way. I’m marrying Jason for myself as well as to help you.’
‘Yes, yes. I know, my darling girl, and don’t ever think I’m not grateful that you’re thinking of me. And it’s true, I’ve always said Jason McKellan is a good man and maybe I did encourage you to move things along, though it wasn’t as if you needed much of a push.’
‘Have you managed to sell any of the apartments at Noosa yet?’ asked Celine.
‘Some, although it’s not going as quickly as I’d like. If I sell everything, including this place, I should be able to hold onto the business, but it’s going to be touch and go.’
‘Well, I hope you insist on a proper pre-nup next time you fall in love,’ said Celine, though she felt bad saying it. Her father had been married three times since leaving Celine’s mother, Susan. Celine’s psychiatrist had once asked if it was her fear of being cast off like all the other women in her father’s life that made her so anxious to please him.
‘I don’t mind selling the places in Noosa. What I was hoping for was to save the business and this house, and the yacht, and the apartments in London and LA.’
Celine flinched at the bitterness in his voice. ‘Well Dad, it’s not my fault.’
Laurie paused for a moment in an attempt to regain his control. ‘No, darling, it’s not your fault. There were a lot of factors involved—from the divorce to the GFC to bad advice and over-extending myself. But we have to stick together on this. Haven’t I always looked after you?’
‘Yes, Dad.’
‘And now it’s time for you to help me. We can’t stand by and let a business that’s been in this family for generations slip through our fingers.’
‘No, Dad.’
‘Good, I’m glad you agree. Now, how are your wedding plans coming along?’
Celine shrugged. ‘Jason’s mother is overs
eeing it and she’s hired a local wedding planner who wouldn’t have the pizzazz to put a six-years-old’s birthday party together.’
‘Then get rid of her.’
‘I can’t. As I said, Mrs McKellan agreed to organise it and this woman—Violet something—is a friend of the family. Jason’s stepbrother, Mac—the one I was telling you about—even rang and told me I needed to just “chill” and pick one of Violet’s “awesome” designs, especially since we’d “sprung everything on them so suddenly”.’
‘The cheek,’ said Laurie.
‘I needed to keep Mac on side and since Jason’s paying I didn’t feel like I could push things too hard. Still, I’ll be being having a word with the wedding planner when I head up there with Jase,’ she said, looking at her watch.
‘That’s my girl.’
‘Apparently she’s close to the family because she and Jason were involved when they were younger. It isn’t a dark secret, Mrs McKellan was very up front about it and asked me if I’d feel uncomfortable having this woman help out.’
‘Darling, why on earth would you agree to such a thing?’
‘Do you really think I’d feel threatened by some small-town girl? She’s no one, Dad. Jason said it was just a teenage romance that ended as soon as he finished his law degree.’
‘Still, I’d be careful if I was you. You don’t want anything to jeopardise this wedding.’
‘Jason wouldn’t—’
‘I’m not talking about Jason. This girl could be trouble, she could see this as an opportunity to get to Jason and his bank balance.’
‘Not everyone thinks like you, Dad,’ said Celine.
‘I mean it. Shut her down, don’t let her get the upper hand on anything. And don’t leave her alone with Jason. Old feelings can flare up when people are thrown together. Just be careful and clever about this.’
‘Dad,’ Celine started, then paused until the silence became almost awkward. She was trying to find the right words—ones that wouldn’t send her father into a rage. ‘Jason has already given you a fair bit of money, even though you think it could have been more. And even though he’s earning a lot, the senior partners are all required to reinvest in the business. Plus he’s still got a large mortgage, so I’m not sure he’d be able—or willing—to give you much more.’
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