The Little Shop of Hidden Treasures Part One: Starting Over by Holly Hepburn (early reader books TXT) 📗

‘I don’t mind at all,’ her employer said. ‘Enthusiasm is always to be encouraged. But you’ll need to collect the ring from Will. I understand he’s finished his analysis so that shouldn’t be a problem.’

She allowed herself an inward sigh of relief. The ring was clearly a very valuable object and she hadn’t worked at the Emporium for very long – there’d been a faint worry in her mind that Mr Young might not trust her to take it away from the safety of the shop. ‘Thank you. Maybe I could pick it up on Monday, on my way to the university.’

Mr Young frowned. ‘I believe Will doesn’t open on Mondays. Let me call him now, see if you can collect it today.’

A few moments later, he replaced the office phone on its stand and nodded. ‘He says they close at five o’clock but you can pop in any time before then. Perhaps you’d like to choose a little gift for Brodie from the stock, since she’s the one who set us on the trail of this mystery.’

‘That’s a lovely idea,’ Hope replied. ‘I’ll see what I can find.’

The Emporium was a little quieter when they made their way back downstairs, which allowed Hope to browse the aisles in comfort. The obvious choice was one of the flamingos but she wasn’t sure how Will might feel about welcoming a large, feathery bird into either his shop or his home, and Brodie’s response was equally uncertain. Eventually, Hope settled on a set of exquisitely painted Russian nesting dolls.

‘Ah, the Matryoshka dolls,’ Mr Young said. ‘I think Brodie will like these very much.’

The May sun seemed to have brought everyone outdoors and the Shambles was thronging with tourists and shoppers. Hope eased her way through the crowd, edging around the outside of the glass-covered marketplace to Will’s shop, and she was glad to push open the door and step into an oasis of air-conditioned tranquillity. A smartly dressed, middle-aged woman behind the counter looked up as she entered.

‘Good afternoon,’ she said, smiling. ‘How can I help?’

Hope explained she was there to see Will and the woman nodded. ‘Ah, you must be Hope,’ she said. ‘Will mentioned you’d be stopping by. One moment, I’ll let him know you’re here.’

She disappeared through a doorway behind her, leaving Hope alone. Glancing around, she took in the floor to ceiling display cases filled with glittering jewellery and watches. Everywhere she looked, something sparkled; it was a real Aladdin’s cave. Had Will made all of this, she wondered, remembering Iris describing him as an artist. She took a step towards one of the displays and the first thing her gaze settled on was a tray of wedding rings. Some were traditional in design, thick bands in gold and white gold, but others were more intricate, studded with diamonds or interwoven with a combination of different metals. A few had clearly been designed as matching pairs – his and hers. Almost subconsciously, Hope touched the ring finger of her left hand, where the skin still felt smooth and naked without her own wedding ring. Rob had insisted she shouldn’t continue to wear it after he was gone.

‘I don’t want you to feel bound to me forever,’ he’d said, when they’d finally faced the devastating truth that he wasn’t going to get better. ‘I want you to meet someone else and be happy again. Promise me, Hope.’

At the time, she’d shaken her head and tearfully declared she would never take it off but his gentle insistence had worn her down. Now she wore it on a chain around her neck, still there but hidden. She didn’t think Rob would object to that.

‘Hello, Hope.’

She turned to see Will in the doorway behind the counter, with Brodie peeking out around his legs. ‘Hi. I hope I’m not disturbing you.’

A smile wreathed his face. ‘Not at all. Brodie and I were just about to have a biscuit and some tea. Will you join us?’

Once again, Hope felt herself drawn in by the warm sincerity of his expression. ‘That sounds lovely.’ She raised a hand in a tiny wave. ‘Hi Brodie.’

The little girl studied her for a moment, then turned around and vanished. ‘I think that means come on through,’ Will said, in a half-apologetic tone.

Behind the glamorous façade of the shop’s glittering displays was a white-walled workshop. A heavy wooden workbench sat in the centre of the room, its scratched and grooved surface littered with tools. Above it, a bright overhead light hung from the ceiling but there were also several angled lamps on the table, alongside an impressive silver and black microscope mounted on a stand and a couple of long-handled magnifying glasses. A door to one side seemed to lead into a kitchen and there was a battered velvet sofa set against another wall, with a thick rug in front of it that was scattered with Lego, books and toys.

‘Welcome to the workshop,’ Will said, waving a hand around the room. ‘Don’t worry, I’ve switched the security lasers off.’

Hope nodded. ‘That’s good to know. Obviously, I’m only here to case the joint.’

‘Ah,’ he said gravely. ‘I’d better not mention the invisible guard dog, then.’

Brodie glanced back and forth between them, her forehead creased in a bemused frown. ‘Oh, that’s right,’ Will said, slapping a hand to his forehead. ‘I forgot, it’s a goose, not a dog.’

‘Sounds like a genius idea to me,’ Hope replied. ‘Have you seen the geese down by the river? They’re fiercer than any rottweiler.’

He grinned. ‘Aren’t they? There are signs up in the Museum Gardens, warning tourists not to even make eye contact.’ Pausing, he fixed her with an enquiring look. ‘Anyway, what can I get you? I’ve got tea, coffee or banana Nesquik.’

‘Hmmmm,’ she said, pretending to consider the options. ‘I think I’ll have tea please – milk, no sugar.’

With a cheerful nod, Will slipped into the kitchen. Hope smiled at Brodie. ‘I guess the Nesquik belongs to you?’

The girl nodded