The Necklace - The Dusky Club, June 1962 - Linda S Rice (books to read fiction txt) 📗

and a rosy-cheeked woman with a broad smile greeted them.

“Is that you, James?” she asked, looking over the top of a pair of spectacles perched on her nose.

“Is that you, Emily?” he responded.

“Well, I say, dearie, haven’t laid eyes on you in an age. Are you still playing music with your mates in Brighton? Your Auntie said you were getting pretty popular.”

“Well, as to that, can’t say we’re all that popular, but we’re doing all right. Got a gig at the Dusky, better than our last gig.”

“Oh, and who’s your lady friend here? Going to introduce me?”

“Of course! Emily, this is Susan, a history student from America, and Susan, this is Emily, one of Auntie Annabelle’s long-time and best of friends.”

“Pleased to meet you, dear,” said Emily, extending her hand.

Susan held out her own, and Emily took it in both of hers. “Lovely little thing,” she said to James, turning to look at him. “What brings you into Little Dippington today?”

“Thought we’d look to buy Auntie a new teacup and just browse around the village.”

“And where is Annabelle? Did she come with you, or is her arthritis acting up again?”

“Arthritis acting up again.”

“Och, well, tell her I said hallo, dearie, will you?”

“Of course, Emily. So, show us one of your best teacups, will you?”

“Sure thing, and right over here.”

She led them over to some shelves at the back of the shop, pointing to the ones on the top shelf. “Those are the prettiest, I think. Nice size too.” She left them as an elderly woman entered from a room in the back of the shop, holding out a frail hand and pointing it at Susan.

Neither James nor Susan noticed her.

“So, which one do you fancy?” James asked.

“I like the one with hummingbirds painted on it,” she replied.

He took it down from the shelf and handed it to her.

“Oh, yes!” she exclaimed. “This one is lovely!”

They both walked over to the counter, where Emily was talking quietly to the old woman, but as Susan was opening her purse to take out some money to pay for the cup, James stepped in front of her and handed some bills to Emily.

“Excellent choice,” said Emily, wrapping the cup in tissue, placing it in a bag and handing it back to James. “Hope to see you again soon. Nice meeting you, dear. I hope you enjoy your visit to England and that Annabelle makes you some of her excellent scones.”

Susan glanced at James, then turned back to Emily. “I hope so too. Very nice meeting you as well.”

“Och! Wait just a minute,” Emily exclaimed, suddenly thinking of something. “I have a bit of leftover kidney for Buttons. Let me run upstairs and fetch it real quick.”

She bustled off to the back of the shop, up a set of stairs, and was soon back with a small sack. She handed it to Susan. “Buttons loves kidney. I hope she enjoys it!”

“Why, how thoughtful of you!” Susan said, glancing over her shoulder at James. “Buttons will be very grateful, I’m sure.” She slipped the sack into her purse.

James and Susan headed towards the door.

“Wait!” croaked the old woman in a hoarse voice, pointing a finger at Susan again.

“Ye should no be here, ye know!”

James and Susan stared at her.

“I know who ye are. I can help ye...I can help ye get back now...Ye should go back now...Ye’ll break his heart, ye know…” The old lady’s voice trailed off as Emily grabbed her arm and turned her around toward the back of the shop.

Susan froze at her words.

“Come along, Granny,” Emily said to the old woman. She turned to Susan. “Don’t mind her words now. She’s gone a bit daft in her old age. Imagines all sorts of strange things. Thinks she can see into the future and all.” She shook her head as she led Granny away.

Susan was rooted to the spot, staring after the two women as they went up the stairs. James shrugged his shoulders, took Susan’s hand, and they left the shop.

When they got outside, Susan turned to James and asked, “Why did you make Emily think your Aunt was at home, and who was that old lady?”

He looked at her sheepishly. “Well, word spreads fast in a small village, and the people here can be pretty prim and proper. No reason to start unnecessary gossip…”

“Or to make them think we’re up to something very improper alone at the cottage, is that it?”

“Ummm….yes…let’s just leave it at that, okay?”

“Fine with me. But, who was that old lady? Did you hear what she said?”

“She’s a looney one; that she is. She’s Emily’s Granny; must be close to a hundred by now. Everyone in the village says she has ‘the sight.’ You know, she can see into people’s souls and tell the future, that sort of stuff. All nonsense, of course.”

“Oh...of course... So, why did you pay for the cup? I’m the one who broke it; I should have paid for it.”

He shrugged. “Because I thought I should, that’s all. You shouldn’t be spending your money. Oh, look over there! It’s Simon’s art studio; I wonder if he’s in today. Want to take a look?”

“Sure.”

They walked across the lane and entered a small shop with landscape paintings displayed in the front window. A tall bearded man peeked at them from behind an easel, bushy eyebrows raised as they entered.

“Eh, Jimmie, is that you? Haven’t laid eyes on you in an age. Still attending art school? Still playing in a band? Done any good artwork lately?”

“Slow down, Simon; you’re asking too many questions all at once. Yes, it’s me. No, I’m not still in art school, and I haven’t done any sketching or painting lately, but I’ve been playing music with Derek. We’re getting pretty popular.”

Susan grinned at that.

“Music, eh? Well, that’s a form of art after all, isn’t it?”

“For sure it is…So, Simon, this is a friend of mine, Susan. Susan, this is the man who used to give me bits of canvas to paint on when I was young. Got me interested in art.”

“Nice to meet you,” said Susan, extending her hand.

Simon grasped it firmly and shook it up and down. “Pleased to meet you too. Are you an artist as well?”

“She’s a history student, here on tour. The other students got delayed, so she has a few days free before she’s to join them,” responded James.

Susan looked at James, a tad annoyed that he answered Simon’s question for her.

“To answer your question, Simon, I’m not much of an artist, but I do love to draw. I like drawing people. Pencil, sometimes charcoal or pastels, but I’ve also done a bit of painting, not very much though,” Susan said.

“Ah, a fellow artist!” exclaimed Simon. “Always good to meet a fellow artist.”

“You didn’t tell me you liked to draw,” said James, looking at her wonderingly.

“You never asked,” she replied.

“What about we pick up some tablets and pencils, then go back to the cottage and do some sketching?”

“Oh, that would be fabulous! I’d enjoy that!”

Simon looked at them both curiously, sensing something more than mere friendship between them. There was something in the way they looked at each other. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but being an artist, he was more sensitive and aware of body language than most. He sensed attraction bubbling between them. Aw, romance...

“I’ll get some things for you, then,” said Simon, standing up and going to a room in the back of the studio. He returned a moment later with two large sketch pads and a handful of drawing pencils.

“Will these do?” he asked.

James reached into his pocket, asking what he owed.

“Nothing, nothing,” said Simon. “My pleasure. Enjoy some drawing. A fine day for it outdoors.”

“Generous of you, Simon,” said James. “Appreciate it.”

Simon nodded and smiled as they left the shop. “Something very cozy going on between those two,” he thought.

“Where to next?” asked James, looking up and down the lane.

“Are we going back to Brighton today?”

“I wasn’t planning on it. I don’t have to be back until tomorrow, you know. We only play on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. I kinda thought you might want to stay at the cottage longer.”

“Well, put that way, I think I would like to stay, even though we’re being very, very improper and probably shouldn’t be here at all.”

“I’m enjoying being improper, aren’t you?”

She blushed.

“Well, if we’re not going back today, is there any place that sells clothing, something like shorts and tops or something like that? This is the second day I’ve been in this dress.”

“You haven’t been in the dress all that much,” he quipped.

She nudged him with her elbow, blushing again. “You’re incorrigible,” she said.

“Do you mind?”

“No, not really.”

They walked further down the street and shortly came to a shop with clothing displayed in the front window. Just before they went in, Susan looked over her shoulder down the lane to see Emily’s Granny standing in the shop's open front door, staring at her. A shiver went down her spine. What had the old lady meant when she said Susan would “break his heart?” She turned away, and they went into the store.

The shop had both men’s and women’s apparel, most of it more suited to older people, but Susan spotted an emerald green, silky-looking dress that didn’t look too dowdy. There weren’t any shorts or tops, just dresses, skirts, and blouses. She figured women who lived here probably didn’t wear shorts very often.

“Ooh, feel this dress!” she exclaimed, running her hands down it. “So, so slinky and soft.”

James reached out and touched it. “Very nice,” he remarked. “Do you want it then?”

“I need to try it on.”

They both looked around the shop for a salesperson but didn’t see anyone at first. Then, out popped a short, dark-haired woman with her hair up in a knot from behind a nearby clothes rack.

“Need to try that on, dearie?” she mumbled, a handful of pins in her mouth.

“Um, yes, I’d like to,” said Susan.

“Just a minute then. I was pinning up a hem on a skirt for someone. Let me get rid of these pins.”

She bustled off and returned a minute later. “This way, dearie.”

Susan followed her to a small curtained area at the back of the shop.

“Need any help?”

“No, thanks; I think I’ll be fine.”

She slipped behind the curtain, took off the sundress she’d been wearing for two days, and pulled the silky dress up and over her hips, wiggling into it. A short row of buttons on the back was hard to do up by herself, but the dress fit perfectly. It was brilliant emerald green in color, with a scalloped neck, gathered bust, and a waist that clung to her nicely, flaring out at the hips. A tiny bit of cleavage peeked out the neckline. The feel of it against her skin was delicious. She pranced out from behind the curtain and twirled in front of James and the saleslady.

“What do you think?”

“Lovely!” the saleslady said.

“You look beautiful,” remarked James, his eyes lighting up.

“In that case, I’ll take it,” said Susan.

She went back behind the curtain and changed into her sundress, coming back out with the silky green dress draped over her arm. She walked over to the counter with the dress, opened her purse, and said, “So how much do I owe you?”

But then, James pushed in front of her and said, “Yes, how much