Still clutching the journal and humming, I stepped in time to the door and wrestled briefly with the deadbolt before opening it. The woman on the other side was … surprisingly modern. With a name like Adelaide, I’d pictured a matronly, middle-aged woman with wisps of graying hair escaping from her bun and spectacles hanging from a chain across her bosom. This woman was reminiscent of an aging runway model. Her pale blonde hair brushed her chin in an asymmetric style. And her designer ensemble—wedged pumps, pinstripe suit, and flared navy blue raincoat—reminded me of something I’d seen recently in a Saks Fifth Avenue window. Despite the overcast skies, she didn’t carry an umbrella.
“Good mornin’ girls.” The woman stepped into the foyer and waited for me to close the door before extending her hand. “You must be Mackenna. I’m Addie Dell. Well now, you’ve grown into a lovely young woman.”
“Thanks.” I didn’t remember meeting her during my previous visits, but it had been seven years since the last time I’d been to Alloway. When I shook her hand, I complimented her on the renovations. “Everything is even more amazing than in the pictures.”
“I’m ever so pleased the upgrades are to your liking.” Addie’s regal smile faltered slightly as her sharp green eyes slid past me. “And you, of course, are the friend.”
Following Addie’s gaze, I noticed Vee was still in her candy-striped sleep shorts and pink tank that read EAT SLEEP DANCE REPEAT. Of course, I was no better in my sweat pants and oversized Les Mis T-shirt. Feeling fifty shades of awkward, I hastily introduced my bestie to the woman who’d taken such meticulous care of my late aunt’s legacy.
Addie clasped Vee’s hand in both of hers and gave it a shake. Rather than let go, she lingered, staring with narrow, speculative eyes. “Allyson didn’t tell me you were so … passionate.”
The way she said it—almost like another word had been on the tip of her tongue—made me wonder what she meant. She finally let go of Vee’s hand and focused on her shirt. “You’re a dancer, I see.”
Vee nodded but crossed her arms over her chest self-consciously as I stepped between them. “Sorry, you caught us in our pajamas.”
Addie nodded politely, as if wearing pajamas instead of real clothes was a valid life choice. She pulled a sleek black binder from her designer bag and extended it to me. “Then I’ll just leave this paperwork with you and scoot to my next appointment.”
The “paperwork” was to transfer Dunbrae Cottage into my name. As Addie handed me the documents, her eyes widened. “Is that your aunt’s journal?” When I nodded, she covered my hand, and the book, with her own perfectly manicured fingers. Her touch, cold but gentle, zapped me with a shock of static electricity. “I could’ve sworn that it was boxed up in the attic with the rest of your aunt’s personal effects. How ever did you come across it?”
Vee stepped forward. “I found it in the library. With the books on Scotland.”
Addie arched a thin, perfectly sculpted brow. “Did you now? How very peculiar. I must say, that is a most fortuitous discovery.”
Since we were on the subject of my aunt’s belongs, there was another item I needed to locate. I cleared my throat and Addie turned to me, unleashing a bright smile the exact replica of her daughter’s. “Yes, dear?”
“Uh, my aunt had a green vase that she kept in the library. Do you know what happened to it?”
“I expect you’ll find it in the attic with the rest of Mrs. Lockhart’s personal effects.” She cast a quick glance in Vee’s direction before continuing. “However, if you don’t, I’d consult wee Veronica here. She seems to be particularly clever in the area of finding hidden things.”
With a friendly wave, Addie strode away on her stylish shoes. The minute her candy apple red Mini Cooper roared down the lane, the skies opened up. Cold droplets of rain pelted the earth in an angry staccato, making me anxious to get back to the sanctuary of the library.
As I closed the door, Vee asked, “Do you still want to go down to the Brig o’ Doon today?”
“In this monsoon?” I shook my head. “We’ve got two whole months to play tourist. What I really want is to find Gracie’s vase before we meet Ally tonight.”