“No that’s perfect. Thank you,” Katie replied excitedly as she took the key from his hands and ushered him to the door.
After the locksmith left, Katie felt a tingle of anticipation. She returned to the dressing room to finally see what was behind the locked door. It was very musty at the back of the store. It was dark and there was not much light, something Katie would have to fix as part of the store makeover she was planning to do over the summer. Katie slowly turned the new key in the lock that Mr. Flannery had cut and started to open the door. She stopped.
She did not know what was holding her back. She took a deep breath, grabbed the door handle, and swung it open. She could have sworn that, just for an instant, she could smell her mother’s perfume inside. She went to flick the light switch, but the bulb was blown.
“Dammit all,” Katie cursed. “Figures.”
Katie fetched a new bulb, came back, and changed it, stubbing her toe twice on what was probably a chair leg. She flipped the light on. The dressing room was bigger than she envisioned. It seemed to go further into the cavity of the wall than the other smaller changing room in the store. There was a stunning antique chair in the heart of the room. The wood and carvings matched her jewelry box. More surprising still were the matching jewels encrusted in the armrest.
How bizarre, Katie thought to herself. They all looked exactly the same. She dusted her fingers over the jewels.
Katie sat down in the chair that was facing towards an oval mirror in the corner of the dressing room. As she stared into her reflection, it was almost like there was an electric current pulsing through her body. The air was thick with what she could only describe as… magic.
Then, something at the bottom of the mirror caught her eye. It was very dusty, so Katie moved closer to see what it was. She grabbed the corner of her t-shirt and wiped away the dust at the bottom of the mirror. She jumped back and gasped in disbelief.
“No way,” she mused as she stared at the words looking back at her in the carved wooden mirror. ‘Entwined together forever’. She slipped her mum’s bracelet off her wrist, glanced inside, and read the same words… ‘Entwined together forever’.
This was all too much for Katie to swallow. It was downright weird. She turned around and walked out of the change room, locked the door with the new key and went straight to the phone to tell Chloe what she found.
Katie rubbed the bridge of her nose between her fingers. “She’s going to think I’ve lost my marbles for sure this time,” Katie muttered while the phone rang.
Chloe answered the phone in her normal, chirpy voice. Katie hoped she was alone and unoccupied.
“Hey Kate! Did you find our handsome prince in the dressing room yet?” When Katie did not laugh, Chloe’s giggles tapered off. “What’s up, honey? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Everything is fine, Chloe. I – I need you to come to the shop as soon as you can,” Katie said, trying to stay calm on the phone. It was no easy task when really she felt so giddy with disbelief that she thought she was about to faint at any moment.
“Be right over!” Chloe exclaimed.
“She’s going to think you’ve lost the plot,” Katie groaned to herself as she put the phone away.
Chloe was such a bubbly individual… except when it came to dealing with matters that weren’t parallel to reality. Chloe was studying to be a pediatrician, preferably working with children who had life threatening illnesses. Her mother, Ruth Murphy, was an amazing doctor. She passed away from a sudden heart attack five years ago. Chloe wanted to carry on in her mother’s footsteps to continue on her amazing work and dedication to helping sick children live long and healthy lives.
Katie and Chloe weren’t that different when it came to loving their mums.
This was Chloe’s last year at the university and Chloe was tenaciously dedicated to being the best in her field. She spent most of her days either studying or at the hospital doing her practicals… in between drilling gorgeous doctors over lunch of course.
Chloe rushed through the door to find Katie just standing in the middle of the store, staring at the dressing room door. She combed her fingers through her windblown hair, trying to tame it back into submission.
“What’s the matter?” Chloe breezed towards her friend of over twenty years, who looked quite pale and confused.
Katie turned and looked at Chloe. “First, tell me I’m not going mad.”
Chloe frowned, puzzled at the peculiar request. She gave the other woman a careful once-over. “You look fine to me.” She smiled.
Katie let out a breath she had been holding in since she walked in the door. “There’s something you have to see.” She guided her over to the dressing room. Chloe peered over her shoulder. Katie unlocked the door and turned the light switch on. Chloe flanked Katie into the room, amazed at how big it was. The first thing she noted was the antique chair.
“Oh, Katie, this is beautiful! Is this what you wanted to show me?” Chloe shuffled over to the chair. Chloe spotted the jewels in the arm rest carvings. She looked up at Katie. “These look familiar. Where have I seen these before?” Chloe blanched when she remembered. She stared at the jewels on the chair and the jewels on the bracelet on Katie’s wrist. “No way,” she gaped. “They can’t be the same. That’s just too freaky!”
“Oh, you think that’s strange? They are the exact same jewels as the ones on my jewelry box too. And that’s not all. Come look at this.” Katie showed Chloe to the mirror and indicated the words carved into the wood: ‘entwined together forever’. Katie removed Isabelle’s bracelet and then showed Katie the same words engraved on the inside of her bracelet.
Chloe’s wide eyes darted between all the items. She shook her head, dazed. “If you’re going crazy, then so am I. There is something super weird going on here.”
Katie nodded. “I totally agree. I think the sooner we find out more about this Lord James Walsh, the sooner we can put the pieces of this puzzle together. Do you want to come down to the library with me and see if we can shed some more light on this chair, mirror, and bracelet?”
“Are you serious?” Chloe laughed. “Hurricanes couldn’t keep me away now. Let’s go!” Both girls grabbed their coats. Katie locked the store and they headed towards the library to learn more about the mystery of the 18th century bracelets and the 19th Century Lord James Walsh.
~*~
Chapter 8: The Enchanted Bookcase
~*~
When they arrived at the library, they were greeted by a lovely lady with silvery lavender hair and prominent cheek bones. She was the librarian. She was sitting quietly, reading behind an antique desk.
“Hello girls,” she said as she looked up from her bifocals. “How can I help you?”
Katie smiled back. “Do you have any historical books on Lord James Walsh of the 19th Century? He is known as the Lord in the story called…”
Before Katie could finish, the librarian did. “The Time Travelling Love Affair?”
Katie was surprised as she glanced at Chloe and back at the librarian. “You know the story?”
“Very well,” the librarian replied. “It is part of my heritage. My name is Abbey Walsh-McMullen. I’ve been researching my family tree for the last thirty years. It was only in the last five that I was able to trace my ancestry back to the 19th Century Walsh family and then back even further to their 18th Century family heritage of Irish Lords and Ladies. Fascinating time. Just fascinating.”
A surge of excitement coursed through both Chloe and Katie. They could not believe their luck. They had not only found someone who knew about the history of the Walsh family, but someone who was actually related to them.
Abbey folded her slender arms. “Outside of antique dealers and collectors, I’ve never had anyone come in wanting to know about the Walsh family. Why are two young lassies like yourselves interested in an 19th Century Lord anyway? Are you doing a project on the Walsh family? Is that why you’re here?” Abbey asked inquisitively.
&n
bsp; Katie was hesitant to give the librarian too much information before finding out a little bit more.
“Do you know anything about the time travelling bracelets that Reid Walsh wrote about?” Katie asked. Katie had the bracelet on her wrist, but it was hidden under the sleeve of her jacket and she wanted to keep it that way. She liked to wear it as often as she could. It made her feel close to her mum, wherever she was. Somehow, she knew the bracelet was linked with her disappearance. Until they solved the mystery, she wanted to make sure it was always with her just in case.
“Ah. The bracelets. So many antique dealers and collectors have come here looking for the same information. I’ve heard that they are worth a lot of money,” the librarian said as she got up from her chair. “Come with me, lassies. I have a whole collection of books from the 18th and 19th Century about the Walsh family and their relatives. Maybe you can find what you’re looking for there. I like to read them on slow days. Hobby of mine,” the Librarian confessed in a very friendly voice as she continued on.
“When I first started looking into my family tree, it was just for a bit of fun really. I was studying to become a librarian as part of my university degree. I had to do a genealogy project for one of my assignments. At that time, I had no idea that I had any connection to the Walsh family, but the more I researched, the more secrets unfolded from my family’s past. I’ve been studying it ever since.” The librarian chattered happily. She carried on talking as she guided them towards a small room at the back of the library. Chloe and Katie were enthralled by her level of knowledge on the Walsh family history.
“From what I read and researched, the bracelets are supposed to have a time traveling ability. They allow the wearers of both bracelets to travel back and forth through time. Personally, I think that’s all hooey – old wives tales and such – but it keeps the story alive. Those who believe in the bracelets are prepared to pay a pretty penny to own them.” She guided them into a room that was full of books.
“Wow! These books must be worth a fortune,” Chloe said as she looked at the dates gold-leafed into the covers of the books.
“Are these the actual original books? Not reprints?” Katie asked as she looked at the rows and rows of beautiful books lined across the old antique bookshelf.
“Yes, they are,” the Librarian grinned. “I found many of them in an old trunk that belonged to my great grandfather. He had it stowed away in his attic. His grandfather was the brother of James and Reid Walsh’s, great grandfather Lord Grayson Walsh who married Lady Bella Rose. Apparently Grayson Manor, where the artists paint and they hold functions on the other side of Carrowbeg River, was named after him. Others, I acquired from relatives, antique stores, and people peddling them at garage sales and such. Most folks have no interest in or idea of their worth. Because it was part of my history, I decided to collect them myself.” The girls started to browse, perusing the impressive collection. “Sadly, I have never been able to find the original book, The Timeless Love Affair. It’s the only one I’m missing.” The Librarian bent down towards the bottom of the bookcase to grab a later edition of the original book.
Chloe chanced a quick glance at Katie to see if she would mention that she had it, but Katie shook her head and Chloe thought better of telling her. There must be a reason she was keeping it to herself and she would ask her about that later. Right now, they were more interested in the Walsh family and the history of the bracelets and antiques, all eerily similar in their craftsmanship.
As she bent over to grab a book, Chloe and Katie happened to glance down together. They both gasped. There, along the bottom of the antique bookcase, were the exact same carvings - jewels and words that they had found on both the mirror, the antique chair in the dressing room, and also on Katie’s jewelry box. ‘Entwined together forever’.
“What’s the matter?” Abbey asked, snapping back up and pressing her hand over her heart. She quickly searched the floor, presumably for bugs. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost!”
“Where – Where did you get that bookcase, Mrs. McMullen?” Katie whispered.
“Please. Call me Abbey,” the Librarian replied. “Oh, that. It’s beautiful isn’t it? This bookcase was also stowed away with the books in my great Grandfather’s attic. I fell in love with the rose wood carvings. The jewels, to my surprise, are actually real. I thought about selling it, but it’s such an irreplaceable heirloom… I’ve had it ever since. Why do you ask?” Abbey looked inquisitively at the girls as they bent down to inspect the jewels sparkling back at them from the handmade antique bookshelf.
“No reason,” Katie scrambled to say, giving Chloe a gentle prod with her elbow to remind her to pick her jaw up from the floor. “I’ve never seen such a beautiful bookcase in all my life.” It was only half a lie, she decided. Quickly, “It reminded me of the antique nightstand my mother has. That’s all.”
All of a sudden, someone rang the bell at the front of the library. “Oh, gracious. That will be a new customer. I have to get back to work, lassies. Feel free to stay in here as long as you like. Let me know if you have any questions. I’ve read most of these books several times over. Know them like the back of my hand, I do.”
“Thank you,” the girls chimed in together. Abbey headed back to her desk. Katie and Chloe quickly grabbed a couple of books and started reading. With the amount of material to cover, it was quickly stacking up to be a long day.
“There’s no way this could be a coincidence, Kate,” Chloe whispered.
“I know,” Katie agreed, her brows knitting together. “But what does that mean?”
~*~
Chapter 9: The Missing Books
~*~
After hours of fruitless scouring through page after page, Chloe looked up. “Katie, you know it could take you weeks to go through all these books, if not months. Most of them are history about buildings, wars, and battles that existed in the period, not the family themselves… let alone their decorating habits.”
Katie sighed in defeat. “I know, Chloe. This will take forever,” she agreed. She pouted, propping her elbow on the table and her cheek on her fist. “Do you think we should just tell Abbey what we are looking for and see if she can help us?”
“I think that is a great idea. You keep looking. I’ll go and see if she’s free!” Chloe got up from her seat to stretch her legs. Chloe walked out of the room and up to the front of the Library where Abbey was closing up shop.
Abbey smiled at Chloe. “How did it go, lassie? Did you find what you were looking for?”
Chloe wrung her hands. “Not really, Abbey. We were actually wondering if perhaps you could give us some help.” Chloe’s smile pleaded with her.
“Sure thing. I’m just about to shut up the Library for the day. Give me a minute and I will meet you at the back,” Abbey obliged as she hung the closed sign on the front door.
Chloe and Abbey walked back to the room where Katie was tirelessly sifting through more books, trying to find something about the bracelets.
“Anything?” Chloe asked. Katie shook her head.
Abbey narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, the expression casting a whimsical shadow over her friendly wrinkled face. “What are you really looking for, lassie?”
Katie knew if she was going to find out about her mum in this lifetime, she needed to trust people. She believed that Abbey was a good woman to start with.
“I have something to show you,” she admitted nervously. Katie rolled up the sleeve of her jacket.
Abbey looked at Katie’s wrist and gasped out loud. “My god, the bracelet!” Chloe, quickly grabbed Abbey before she toppled over.
“Pretty crazy, huh? Here sit down,” Chloe coaxed as she guided Abbey to a chair close by.
“Is it… Is it real?” Abbey managed in her wonderment.
Katie and Chloe exchanged glances. “It’s real,” Katie answered. “We confirmed it recently at the antique shop.”
“Landsakes… Where did you find it?” Abbey asked, b
ristling with excitement. “Do you mind if I have a look? Do you have the other one?”
“No, this is the only one. We found it hidden in my mum’s nightstand when I was clearing away her things,” Katie explained.
“That same one you mentioned earlier? What happened to your mum, if you don’t mind me asking?” Abbey asked gently as Katie handed over the bracelet for her to take a closer look.
Katie told Abbey the whole story. She went on to explain that she also had the original Timeless Love Affair book that she would read to her mother most nights when she got sick. She told her about the funny noises in the costume shop and the strange locked dressing room. Finally, she came to the antique mirror and chair plus her jewelry box with the exact same carvings, jewels and words ’entwined together forever’. The bookcase too.
Abbey listened attentively.
Katie then went on to explain that she believed that the bracelet and the costume shop had something to do with her mother’s sudden disappearance and that she hoped that within the pages of one of these books, she would be able to find the answers.
Abbey sat back and stared at the girls in awe. She inspected Katie before continuing. “I have two books at home that are not here in the Library. I keep them at home because I love to read them over and over again. They are the only books that I have that reference specific family members, so they are very dear to me. But, I think they may hold the answers to what you are trying to find out. One of the books is about the history of the bracelets and how the Walsh family inherited the magic that lay within them. The other is the story of how James Walsh supposedly disappeared for a short time only to come back home with a women by the name of Isabelle… whom no one had met or heard of before. I think that was the last book written on the Walsh family history, outside of James Walsh’s memoirs, which is the well-known Timeless Love Affair story that his brother Reid Walsh penned for him. After many years of research, I learned that most people thought the Time Travelling Love Affair was the last book written by Reid Walsh about his brother James’ life. I later found out when doing my genealogy, and after speaking to my grandfather, that there is believed to be one more unfinished manuscript still floating around out there. Apparently, it is supposed to be about James and the love of his life Isabelle and how he talked her into going back in time to the 19th Century to become his wife, unfinished and unfound.”
Enchanted - The Dressing Room Affair [Time Travel Historical Romance Novella] (Entwined Together Forever) Page 5
