Page 24 of A Snowy Seaside Christmas
‘He could’ve fulfilled his end of the deal and just walked away, but he didn’t. Says a lot about him, that.’
‘Mum!’ Lark grimaced. ‘Talk about TMI! Conversations like this are proof that staying put here in Micklewick Bay is definitely the right thing to do if I’d be exposed to more talk like that!’ she said with a giggle.
‘Oh, lovey, I promise I wouldn’t mention it any more than… ooh, let’s see… I reckon I could limit myself to about twenty times a day. That do?’ Serena laughed, poking fun at herself.
Lark shook her head fondly. ‘Sad thing is, you’re not joking.’
It wasn’t that Lark minded how unconventional her conception was, it was just that she didn’t feel the need to be reminded of it as much as her mum seemed to deem necessary. They were her parents, after all.
SEVENTEEN
The Micklewick Bay Heritage Centre was located in the cove’s old chandlery building on the Hedda Staithe –Staithebeing an old English word for landing – and had recently acquired the tall, thin four-storey-cottage next door with plans to extend into it. With nothing to shield it from the elements, particularly the savage winds that charged in off the sea, the staithe was in one of the coldest spots in the cove.
With the ground still hidden beneath a thick covering of snow, Lark and Nate made their way carefully along the seafront, seagulls braving the elements and shrieking overhead. After almost taking a tumble on a particularly icy patch – Nate had come to the rescue and somehow managed to keep her upright even though he had the small suitcase in his other hand – Lark was now clinging onto his arm and she found herself thinking the close proximity was rather nice, though she told herself it was simply because she was so cold, and he, in contrast, felt nice and warm. That was all. Nothing else. Absolutely not!
She ignored the little voice that said, ‘And who are you trying to kid, Lark Harker?’
It had a point if the image that had sprung into her mind of Nate’s lips being millimetres away from hers was anything to go by. The timing couldn’t have been much worse. The heat in the blush she felt race over her cheeks was so intense Lark was sure there’d be steam coming off her any minute. She took solace in the thought that she could blame having such a red face on the cold wind.
As if there wasn’t enough to think about with the suitcase, and the tin with everything inside it, not to mention these strange vibes she’d been getting about Nate.Ugh!
She was glad when they arrived at their destination.
‘Come in out of the cold.’ Louisa Norton held the entrance door to the heritage centre open, greeting them with a warm smile. Lark would put her in her late forties to early fifties. She had highlighted blonde hair and kind, dark eyes, while her black trousers and fitted beige polo neck jumper lent her a smart but casual air. She was friendly and had an easy manner, and Lark found herself instantly warming to her. She was a far cry from her predecessor who constantly wore a sour expression – or as Jasmine had succinctly put it in her inimitable style, he had a face “like a bag of spanners”. His permanent grouchiness had resulted in all but one of the volunteers leaving, and everyone assumed she’d only stayed because she was his wife. Even she had ended up leaving eventually, which said it all, really.
Lark wondered if the new curator knew what a task she had on her hands. Winning round the local community and gaining their support once more wasn’t going to be easy.
‘I’m Louisa,’ she said, holding out her hand to Lark. ‘Thank you so much for getting in touch. It’s lovely to meet you. I’ve been like a cat on hot bricks all morning, waiting for your visit.’
‘I’m Lark.’ Smiling, Lark took the curator’s proffered hand. ‘Thank you for allowing us to drop in at such short notice. Thisis Nate, who I told you about. Mr Thurston contacted him about removing the contents.’
‘Pleased to meet you, too, Nate.’ She held out her hand to him as well.
‘Aye, good to meet you, Louisa.’ Her small hand was lost in his as he gave it an enthusiastic shake. ‘Before we get started, I’d just like to stress that I’ve contacted Mr Thurston about the items we’re about to show you, and he couldn’t have put it more clearly that he wants absolutely nowt to do with any of them.’
‘Okay, thanks for letting me know.’
‘And I’ve got a receipt as proof, if you need it. It clearly states that it covers all contents.’
Lark noticed Nate looked relieved to have got that off his chest. She knew he liked to be upfront with everything he did as far as his business was concerned.
‘I don’t doubt that for a second, Nate.’ Louisa smiled. ‘Come through, I’ll make a pot of tea, then we can take a look at the suitcase.’
They followed the curator into the back of the building, Lark’s eyes taking in the artfully arranged exhibits. How had it been so long since she’d last paid it a visit? It looked fascinating! She reminded herself of the grouchy former curator, which answered her question perfectly.
‘I’ve dug out a few things that might be of interest to you,’ Louisa said as she walked along, a spring in her step. ‘I was so excited after your call, I couldn’t wait to dive in, and I’m sure there’ll be heaps more.’
‘It sounds intriguing,’ said Lark, instantly struck by Louisa’s friendliness and easy manner. But there was something else, too – she sensed that the older woman had suffered enormous sadness in recent years; the loss of someone close. It had affected her deeply, though she was through the worst of it now.How come I’m sensing all of this when I’m trying to block thesefeelings?Lark tried to force her thoughts back to the reason she and Nate were there, but the vibes seemed to have other ideas and kept pushing through. She found herself sensing kindness and compassion as well as a joie de vivre that had been dimmed but was now ready to be reignited.
‘Okay, here we are.’ Louisa pushed through a door with a sign that indicated it gave access to staff only. She stopped at a large table in the middle of the room. ‘If you’d like to pop the suitcase on here, we can take a look inside.’ She rubbed her hands together excitedly, catching Lark’s eye and giving a wide smile. Though Lark felt anxious about the reopening of the suitcase, she couldn’t help but smile back.
Nate lifted the small case, setting it in the middle of the table.
Lark felt her stomach flip over. She drew in a deep breath, gripping the pieces of malachite crystals she’d deliberately left in her coat pockets as Nate pressed his thumbs against the clasps. Louisa looked on, an expression of anticipation on her face.
He lifted the lid, sending the damp, acrid smell rising into the air. Tension made Lark’s stomach churn, and she braced herself for the weird energy to show itself once more.
Louisa gasped. ‘Oh my goodness!’ She slid a pair of tortoiseshell glasses onto her nose, her eyes eagerly roving over the contents. ‘I wonder how long the items have been in there?’
