by Olivia Swift
“It doesn’t work,” was the answer to his question. “I guess we are not allowed to see the future.” They set up the shop, had a coffee, and fell into a routine that they had started yesterday. No mention was made of the earth-shattering kiss, and Carly began work on some necklaces in blue lace agate with silver hearts. Customers trickled in and out, and in between, Dex looked at the computer. He typed in Emily Duval and found that she was still there at the hotel all of the time her son was growing up. At age twenty-five, he disappeared, and Dex wondered out loud if he had married and gone to live elsewhere. There was no record of death, so a move to a job or a marriage looked the most likely. Carly came to look over his shoulder. They were trying to calculate the approximate date, when the door jingled and Ben filled the space with his big shoulders and equally big smile.
“How’s business?” He asked, and Carly told him it was doing fine at the moment.
“Early days,” she said. “I might be back making gardens if it all goes pear shaped.”
“Talking about gardens, I need your advice,” Ben confided.
6
Ben had started the next garden project for Jazz while she was away but wanted to know how Carly would have organized the things he had to do.
“I have moved away what needed to be taken away, and I know the plants are waiting to be picked up, but the ornamental wall is to start,” he told her. “The garden is not large, and I can do most of it myself.” Carly asked where the garden was and told him how to do the wall.
“Kim will look after the plants and save you worrying about it,” she told him. “Make the wall and put the compost in ready for the plants. Jazz loves planting and she will probably do that herself.”
“I thought that, but it’s nice to talk to somebody about it.” He sat his very large frame on a chair.
“Have a break and a coffee,” Dex suggested and handed him a mug. The shop had a customer, and Dex went to see if he could help. Carly told him about the resident ghost and what they were trying to find out. Dex came back and showed him the names.
“We know about Rebecca Montblanc/Howard, and now we have Emily Duval,” he said.
“And her son, Jedediah Duval,” Carly added. Ben frowned and closed his eyes.
“I should recognize that,” he said.
“What?” Carly and Dex asked in unison, as he said the name. There was a pause while they both stared at Ben, and he cast his mind back over the years.
“Val,” He said to Carly. “Val. He followed you around like a lapdog. You have to remember that. We must have been about thirteen or so.”
“Yes, I remember him. He was an absolute pain, and your mom said his mother and father were layabouts.”
“The boys called him Val as a sort of awful nickname, but his surname was Duval.” Ben finished the story and smiled at their faces.
“So, he was an admirer,” Dex joked and then added that at least there were Duvals in the area.
“Haven’t seen him since I left school though,” she ignored the admirer jibe. “Might not be the same Duval and he might have moved away.” Ben shook his head.
“Works out of town and has a woodyard. Does quite well as far as I know.”
“Well, we can look for Duvals online and go and talk to him to see if he knows any others in the area.” Dex laughed at Carly’s face. “I can go if you really don’t want to see him.”
“He always did what you said before,” Ben added and chuckled. “Thanks for the coffee. Let me know if he is related to your spirit upstairs.” The young man moved away and then came back with a bracelet. “I’ll buy this. It’s my mom’s birthday next week.” Carly gift wrapped the item and only charged him what it had cost her to make.
“Ask your mom if she knows anything about the Duval family. Her memory will be longer than ours.” He said he would and jingled the bell as he left.
“Well, that was an unexpected bit of help,” Dex stated. Carly frowned and shook her head.
“I guess it’s a long time since we were thirteen,” she said doubtfully. “But he really was a pain for quite a few months,” she paused. “I never actually took in his surname. He was always just Val.”
Dex said he would follow up on Duval in the area online and at least her ex-school friend was another lead if they needed it. She nodded and ran a feather duster over the shelves before finding the stones to make bracelets. They had been really popular and needed to be replenished. Customers came and went, and Dex had found a few more hints of where they could search next but nothing that jumped off the page.
“We need to go and visit this woodyard,” he said. She looked unenthusiastic but called and asked Kim if she would come and watch the shop for an hour while they went to see the Duval man. Kim clicked to the mention of the name and thought back to school days. She found it hilarious that Carly was going to see Val who had made her life a misery at school. She arrived after lunch to stand in as shop assistant. Dex was amused, but Carly was grumpy as they set off, leaving Kim still chuckling at her discomfort. By the time they found the woodyard, Carly was decidedly uncomfortable but straightened her back and stepped out of the car.
“I dealt with him when he was thirteen and I can do it again,” she thought.
The yard was well organized and had smart metal gates that were standing open. There was a set of portable offices and the sound of machinery in the far sheds. Piles of logs, trees, and cut wood were everywhere. Dex relented when he saw that she was really worried and took her hand to give it a squeeze. She managed a smile as a tall, well-made man came out of the office building. He shaded his eyes and then strode forward.
“Carly James as I live and breathe, colorful as ever,” he called and held out his hand. Carly shook it and was relieved he had not made a grab for her. She managed a small smile and introduced Dex as a friend and work colleague.
“Come inside,” the woodyard owner invited. “How can I help? Do you need wood for a project or something? How are you? What are you doing these days?” It was a barrage of questions as they sat down.
“I do actually need the wood for a shop sign. I’ll measure it up and let you know the size,” she added. “I have just opened a shop for my jewelry.”
“You used to make stuff like that even when you were in school,” he answered. Dex broke in to say that they were doing some research on the shop and one of the people they had found from a hundred years ago was called Duval. It had not escaped his notice that Mr. Duval was tall, handsome, and obviously worked out.
“Really?” the woodyard man answered. “I know my grandfather was Jedediah Duval and his mother had a bit of mystery around her. My mom might be a better bet for memories. Dad would be useless.” He looked at Carly. “Don’t you dare call me Val. I’m Jed--Jed Duval---called after the grandfather apparently.” He smiled to make the remark easier and Carly smiled back.
“I’m sorry the boys all called you Val. Kids are nasty,” she looked out of the window. “You have risen above it.” He nodded.
“Hard work and I made it from being a lumberjack to timber merchant.” He replied. Dex jumped back in and asked if there was a connection to the old Raigmore Hotel in family memories. Jed closed his eyes and thought hard. He nodded.
“I am sure there is, but it doesn’t come to mind.” He picked up the phone and rang his mom. “She’ll be lying on the sofa watching daytime TV,” he added. “Never did believe in exerting herself.” Carly glanced at Dex. Ben’s mom had been right. There was a conversation around the question of family, and he rang off with a smile.
“She’ll have to get up off the sofa,” he grinned. “She has one very old photo, and she remembers one or two things.” He scribbled the address. “If you drive around there, she’ll help with what she knows.” He offered the paper to Carly and added that he would come and measure the sign for himself. I know where it is because mom always said that the old hotel had family connections.”
“Thanks, V—Jed,” Carly answered. “We’ll le
t you know what we find out.” They climbed into the car and Dex was glad to get away.
“He still makes me feel uncomfortable, but maybe that is just because I remember him at school. I guess it would be called stalking nowadays.”
“Must admit, I didn’t take to him, but we had to find out,” Dex answered.
“Goodness knows what this place will be like,” Carly speculated. “My lavender ghost lady has thrown up something I never expected. Dex reached across and squeezed her arm.
“We’ll be in and out as quickly as we can, and then we need not go back to either of them,” he said. She covered his hand with her own and gave him a smile.
“Thanks.” They drew up at a small house in a quiet cul-de-sac and looked around. It was not a wonderful district, and there was no one to be seen. Carly shivered a bit, but they went to the door and found a large lady ready to invite them inside. It was a revelation. The place was gleaming and spotless with two large display units in polished mahogany that were covered in ornaments of fairies.
“Wow,” Carly recovered her wits. “What a collection. They are beautiful.”
“Carly James. You have hardly changed,” the woman replied and Dex introduced himself. They accepted the invitation to sit, and Dex went over what they had learned. Carly told her about the lavender and the feeling of someone being around. Charlene Duval told her that she was a believer in these things.
“Maybe that’s why I collect fairy ornaments,” she smiled.
“I might find some to sell in the shop,” Carly answered. “They are so beautiful and would blend well with the crystals.”
“What about the hotel?” Dex brought the subject back, and Charlene said that her father-in-law had given her a few momentos to keep.
“My useless husband would have lost them,” she said as if it was the most normal thing in the world to say.
One was a photo and one was a very crumpled and barely readable short letter. The photo was very like the one that Rebecca Montblanc had shown them. It was probably taken at about the same time and showed a young woman dressed in a long black dress that was of the time. She was on the veranda of the hotel and was holding a baby in arms that had a long, flowing shawl that fell over her arm.
“Wow. All those years ago,” Carly said, and as she took the photo in her hand; she knew without any doubt that this was the lady in the shop. “It’s her,” she breathed. “It’s my lavender lady.”
“I heard that you could do readings and liked crystals,” Charlene Duval told her. “Her name was Emily Duval. She was Jed’s great-grandmother.”
“So, she gave her baby her own name and not the father?” Carly asked, and Charlene agreed. Dex asked if he could photograph the picture and the letter and took them beside the window to get the best light.
Have you been able to read the note?” Dex asked, but the writing was barely visible. “If we get it on the computer, we might be able to bring it up more.”
“Let me know if you find out anything more please,” Charlene said, and there was very little else she could tell them. “If you find some fairies for the shop I’ll come and see them,” she added as they reached the door and she watched as they drove away.
“Jed always carried a torch for that girl,” she thought. “I hope he’s over it by now.”
“Well that was some surprise,” Carly said. “The woman was helpful and sensible. Maybe she just likes her house and her collection and never goes out very much.”
“She was very matter-of-fact about the husband,” Dex added. “Anyway, we can try and sort out this letter. If it was from the father…,” he paused. “Who knows where it might lead.”
“Jazz and Evan are back tomorrow,” Carly said. “I hope they’ve had a good few days.”
7
With beaming smiles, Evan and Jazz arrived at the shop late in the morning. They were brought more or less up-to-date by Dex and Carly in turn with the story of the lavender lady. Jazz burst out laughing when she heard about Jed Duval or Val as she still thought about him.
“Did he put his chin on your shoulder like he used to do all the time in school?” she asked. Carly shook her head.
“He’s a bit big for that now, thank goodness. In fact, he has done quite well for himself, and he sent us to his mom to find out a bit more.” The photo was passed between them, and Jazz remarked how pretty the woman was. The lavender perfume filled the room, and a paper rose that was on the shelf rolled onto the floor. Carly picked it up and explained about the other rose.
“She knows what we are doing, I am sure,” Carly said.
“So, I have sent the letter by email to a firm who specializes in improving these poor images. I hope we’ll be able to read it and find another link in the chain.” Dex added. They all squinted at the blurred writing on the page but could make no words out at all. “In the meantime, I am working for Carly so that she can do readings and make more stock, but I have to go back and finish the paperwork for the house and business.” He looked at the other two. “Can you help out while I’m away?” They both said that they were happy to help. Carly went to serve two customers and when she returned, Dex was telling them about his reading.
“She was so accurate that I was shaken,” he told his brother. “And there are a few things I should tell you.” He told them about his health scare and his business robbery. They were both visibly shaken.
“Why the hell did you not say anything?” Evan demanded, and Dex said that he was upset about the ex-wife and the bad times he had himself. Carly broke in to say that Dex was completely well and grinned as she told them he was a convert to almost believing in the crystals.
“I never did trust that con man you went into business with. He used your brains and took the cash,” Evan said. “It’s cost you but good riddance to him.”
“It’s behind him. It’s a new start and a new venture. We’ve enjoyed looking into the details, and I would really like to know why the lavender lady is still here.” Carly looked at her friend and how she was holding onto Evan’s hand. Jazz could barely stay still.
“So, what happened in New York?” she asked, and Jazz looked at Evan who nodded.
“I told Evan that I—we—are going to be a mom and dad,” she finished in a rush. Evan had a silly grin on his face, and Dex took one second before he embraced his brother in a man hug and then punched him on the shoulder. Carly threw her arms around her friend and they did a silly little dance.
“Oh, how wonderful,” Carly said and then she went and took the wooden-bleached heart from the hook on the shelf and handed it to Jazz. It said, ‘It’s a girl’.
“You knew, didn’t you?” Jazz asked, and Carly said that she was pretty sure. Jazz handed the gift to Evan who raised his eyebrow in question.
“Get used to it, Evan; Carly is never wrong with this. You are going to have a daughter.” Evan sat down on a chair.
“Wow,” he said. “Thank goodness the kitchen and bathrooms are done. We just have some decorating to do.” Dex said that he would build the stud dividing wall and the archway doors when he came back from his visit.
“And we’ll have a simple wedding in the garden with friends,” Jazz added. “The garden is special to me.”
“When?” Carly asked, and they said in about three weeks.
“I don’t want to look enormous,” Jazz answered. Evan told her she would look fabulous at any time.
“What a lot has happened in a few days,” Carly said as Jazz handed her a wrapped parcel. It was a crystal ball on a crystal stand with an angel etched into the center of the globe. Carly was enchanted.
“I love it. Thank you so much,”
“We didn’t forget you, Dex,” Jazz said and produced a bag from the best-known store in New York with a designer tee inside in bright red. “We thought you should have something to keep up with Carly’s color schemes.”
“Thanks, sister-in-law,” he said and undid his shirt to pull the new top over his head and do a twirl.
&nbs
p; “If the two of you come about seven-ish, I’ll cook us all a meal,” Evan invited and then took Jazz away as Carly and Dex both had customers to serve.
In the end, they were able to sit down in the back room and go over what had been said.
“Fabulous,” Carly said, “about the baby I mean.”
“I’ll pick you up if you like,” Dex offered.
“That is suspiciously like a date,” Carly said. “I don’t want my boss status to get sidelined.” He grinned and told her she would always be the boss.
“Collect you at about quarter to seven,” he added and they started to clear up in the routine that was fast becoming normal for them. Dex’s phone pinged and he looked to find that the firm had already cleaned up the blurred letter.
“Look,” He showed her the message. “It’s come back already.”
“Oh, I am nervous now,” she told him as he pulled up the image. The scent of lavender was so strong in the room that it was almost visible. Dex sat at the table, and they both gazed at the screen.
“It says,” Carly read the words slowly, “I will be with you on Wednesday and we can be married next week. I miss you and love you with all of my heart. Yours forever, Charley Rose.” It was written in a scrawling hand but sent the message loud and clear. Carly found she was crying. Dex gathered her in his arms, and there was a crash in the shop as a whole vase of paper roses hit the floor.
“So, we have his name,” Dex said into her hair. She sat up and smelled the lavender.
“Emily are you still waiting for Charley? We’ve found his letter to you after all of these years. We’ll find out what happened. I promise.” She looked at Dex. “We both promise, don’t we Dex?” Dex agreed although he still had doubts about talking to thin air even if it did smell of lavender. He held up the phone.