Page 31 of The Clockmaker's Cottage
Pippa turned to see a smiley woman wearing a jumper embroidered with tiny books.
‘Hi,’ Pippa said, stepping inside. ‘What a gorgeous place this is.’
‘Thank you! I’m Amelia. You’re here for the convention, I imagine? The clock-print lanyard gives it away.’
Pippa laughed, touching the ribbon around her neck. ‘Guilty. I’m Pippa and yes, here for all things tick-tock.’
‘Are you the runaway bride?’
‘That I am!’
‘Clemmie mentioned she’d rescued you from the train station. She’s not a gossip, just one of my best friends.’
Pippa shrugged. ‘It’s no secret I arrived in a wedding dress, and if it wasn’t for Clemmie I’d no doubt still be trudging over that causeway.’
‘So are you a clock enthusiast?’
Pippa grinned. ‘I’m a clock restorer.’
‘I believe you’re staying in Clockmaker’s Cottage, is that right? I bet that’s fascinating.’
‘It’s a beautiful cottage but a bit odd. I was greeted by fifty silent clocks and a naked man who’d just got out of the shower. I’m not sure who was more shocked to see who.’
‘Ah, Doctor Theo Blake, the man with the gig this afternoon that will undoubtedly make history. I’ve had quite a few clock enthusiasts pop in already. Someone asked me if we had an original copy ofTime and Its Discontents, and I had to admit we mostly deal in fiction, diaries, and books that make people cry in bathtubs. But!’ Amelia lifted a finger and pointed to a corner bookshelf. ‘I do have a local history section. There might be something there that interests you.’
Drawn in instantly, Pippa wandered over, brushing her fingertips along the spines. There were collections of island folk tales, books on coastal weather patterns, and then Pippa saw a book with a title that stopped her in her tracks:The Real Inside Story of the Vale Brothers.
The cover was slightly battered, the font delightfully retro. As she flipped to the back cover she saw there was no publisher as such. It looked like a self-published book, maybe by a fan of theirs, or someone equally in love with clocks. She looked at the author’s name– A. Wetherby. Why was that name familiar to her? She kept hold of the book and walked it to the counter.
‘Ooh, you’ve found something already!’ Amelia said, looking up from a stack of new arrivals.
‘Possibly. A. Wetherby. The name is familiar and I can’t place why… but if it’s about the Vale Brothers, it has to be at least mildly important.’ Pippa placed it on the counter.
Amelia flipped it over and reached for the scanner. The till beeped sharply at her. She tried again. Another beep.
‘Honestly,’ she muttered. ‘I preferred the old till. This one thinks it’s too clever for basic scanning.’ She tapped the screen, frowning. ‘Right, I’ll type it in manually.’
Pippa leaned on the counter as Amelia keyed in the ISBN. The till whirred, thought about it… and flashed a red error box.
‘That’s strange.’ Amelia tried again, more slowly this time. Still nothing.
‘Is it not in your system?’ Pippa asked.
‘Not in my system, not in my supplier lists, not anywhere.’ Amelia turned the book over again. ‘No sticker, no publisher, no stock code. I don’t think it’s actually one of my books.’
‘It was on the shelf,’ offered Pippa.
Amelia looked genuinely puzzled. ‘I’ve never seen this and I definitely didn’t order it.’
Pippa frowned lightly. ‘So how did it end up on your shelf?’
‘No idea,’ Amelia said, still staring at it. ‘It’s a mystery.’
‘Well, I’d still like to buy it.’
‘You can’t. I can’t sell a book that doesn’t exist.’ Amelia pushed it gently back towards her. ‘Take it. Before the till starts swearing at me.’
‘Are you sure?’
