Closing the book, she stood up and slipped it back on the shelf.

  ‘Oh my gosh,’ she said out loud. She took a step back and scanned the bookcase from top to bottom. Her granny’s stories had been so magical that she’d even convinced Verity that this cottage had a secret door leading to a secret sitting room, and that door was opened by a book in the bookcase. Very Harry Potter. Maybe her granny should have written children’s books for a living. Verity remembered it very clearly. Her granny had told her that the book was on the second shelf from the top, third from the right, and apparently when you pulled it out a switch caused the bookcase to swing open. She chuckled to herself as her eyes skimmed the bookshelves. ‘I mean, who has secret rooms behind bookshelves?’

  There it was, the second shelf from the top, third book on the right. ‘Surely not,’ she said with a smile, knowing that secret doors only happened in the movies. But something made Verity look at the book in question. She was amazed to see it was the same book she’d bought from the bookshop only yesterday – Pride and Prejudice. Reaching up she took the book off the shelf, disappointed for a moment when the bookcase didn’t swing open as her granny had told her.

  This Pride and Prejudice was an earlier edition than hers, but in immaculate condition. Opening it, she read the inscription.

  To Joe,

  A little something to mark the summer we’ll never forget.

  Love always,

  Hetty x

  Verity’s mouth fell wide open, recognising the familiar handwriting before she’d even read the signature.

  ‘Granny,’ she murmured with instant excitement. ‘Wow!’ She couldn’t take her eyes off it. This was proof! This book connected her grandmother to Joe, and so the postcard had to be from him. With a pounding heart she carefully flicked through the pages hoping for more clues. She couldn’t wait to show Sam, and willed him to hurry back from his shift, wondering if he knew about the writing inside the book.

  And what is your secret? Verity knew if her granny had kept that picture hanging on her wall for years, the bond between her and Joe must have been a special one, though she couldn’t help wondering how her grandfather fitted into the equation. But the main thought that was running through her mind was whether her granny might have told her those stories in so much detail – especially the part about the bookcase – because she wanted her to come to Puffin Island and discover something else? Was it just a coincidence that the book she’d inscribed to Joe was in the exact place she had described? Verity wasn’t sure, but she felt sure there was more to discover about her granny’s visit to Puffin Island. At that moment she made the decision to stay longer on the island. Having been close to Joe, Betty was Verity’s best hope to shed more light on the situation. If she had anything to share, Verity wanted to hear it first-hand.

  Laying the book on the settee, Verity stood on tiptoe and groped around for a switch. Finding one, feeling a thrill, she pressed it. There was an instant whirling sound and the bookcase began to move.

  ‘No way!’

  As she watched in amazement, the bookcase revealed a normal doorway. She stepped into the room and took in her surroundings. It was a comfy office space with a small desk, a computer and a comfy-looking sofa covered in a soft woollen throw. On the wall was a map of the island, showing every building, and to the side a list of all the residents. There was a photograph of The Sea Glass Restaurant on opening night with Sam cutting a ribbon. He hadn’t changed much at all, his hair maybe a little shorter and less wild. On the far wall hung a number of guitars, along with photos of Sam sitting behind a microphone with a guitar on his knee. A number of them showed Amelia and Clemmie standing alongside him.

  Verity wondered what it would be like to live within such a small community where everyone knew everyone. She’d barely ever spoken to her neighbours and though she made a point of saying a cheerful hello if she passed someone on the street, she generally didn’t receive more than a grunt back, if she wasn’t ignored completely. She’d often wished she had a local pub where she could wander in on her own, feeling comfortable chatting to all and sundry. The friendship she’d witnessed between Clemmie and Amelia was something she’d often wished for, a friendship close to home, a place where you could share all your news and go for walks and grab a coffee.

  The window of the office looked out on to Lighthouse Lane and right outside was an old-fashioned-looking lamppost that resembled something from a Disney movie. The stream was bubbling away towards the harbour and the sun was beginning to shine down on the day. Feeling exhausted, Verity pulled back the throw and climbed underneath it. Resting her head on the cushion, before she knew it, she’d fallen asleep.

  What seemed like only seconds later was in fact quite a few hours. Woken by a loud clang, Verity opened her eyes to find she was being watched by another pair of eyes, huge ones that were firmly fixed on her. ‘Good morning, Jimmy!’ As soon as Jimmy heard her voice his tail wagged furiously, then he sat back on his hind legs with his front paws stretched out and woofed playfully.

  ‘No, Jimmy!’ But it was too late. Jimmy launched himself at her and began licking her face. Quickly bringing the throw up to shield herself, Verity managed to wrestle him and push him off before he woofed again and bounded out of the room, soon returning shaking a toy in his mouth.

  Smiling, Sam walked into the room behind the pup and handed her a mug of coffee. ‘I see Jimmy’s found you and you’ve discovered the secret room.’

  Verity shot up right. ‘I can’t believe it. The switch was exactly where Granny said it was.’ Her voice was full of excitement. ‘And there’s more…’ Verity threw back the throw and hurried to retrieve the book that was still lying on the sofa in the next room. She bounded back, as excitable as Jimmy, and thrust the book into Sam’s hand.

  Sam pointed. ‘You know you can just push the door open?’

  ‘And where’s the fun in that when you have secret switches to open doors? And never mind that. Look! Pride and Prejudice!’

  ‘Pride and Prejudice, arguably one of the greatest romance novels of all time. The opinionated heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, frequently finding herself at odds with her beau, the uptight Mr Darcy.’

  ‘A man in touch with the classics, very impressive.’

  ‘You look like you’re about to combust.’

  ‘This book was in the place of the secret switch. Now open it! That’s definitely my granny’s writing. Have you seen this before?’

  ‘These classics were all boxed up in the attic. I stumbled across them about ten years ago and dusted them down. I didn’t even check inside them.’

  ‘You do know what this means though, don’t you?’

  ‘That they liked classics?’

  Verity rolled her eyes. ‘This confirms they knew each other. I’m convinced W is your grandfather! He has to be; it all fits. I wonder how long my granny was here for. Did they have a relationship? Did they keep in touch after she left the island?’

  Sam shook his head. ‘They didn’t.’

  ‘But you don’t know that.’

  ‘I do. The postcard was dated 1972, and this inscription mentions the summer they’ll never forget. If it was the same summer, my grandfather passed away at the end of it.’

  ‘That’s so sad.’ Verity stared at the book with her hand on her heart, suddenly feeling teary. ‘Do you think she knew?’

  Sam shrugged. ‘Your guess is as good as mine.’

  ‘We know she was here for the summer so she must have given him the book before she went home.’

  Sam nodded. ‘I do know that summer was the best of his life.’

  ‘I’d like to think that had something to do with my grandmother.’ She smiled.

  ‘That was the summer his music began to take off. Betty told me everything. The crowds of girls flocking to the pub when the band was playing. That was the summer they got offered the record deal and it was confirmed they would support Bowie…and then everything changed.’ Sam finished his tea and Verity realised it was because of Joe’s death that the band didn’t tour.

  ‘I’d love to have heard him play. I have all the songs that he’d written kept in that cupboard over there. He had a songbook where he used to scribble down lyrics and music.’

  ‘What a fantastic keepsake.’

  ‘I didn’t think much to their band name though.’ Sam chuckled. ‘The Men from Puffin Island.’

  ‘My granny loved music, too. She was an amazing singer but she didn’t seem to pass that gene on to me. Apparently she’d get up at any opportunity and belt out a song. I think we have our answer. I do think the postcard is from your grandfather.’ Verity smiled. ‘And I don’t know where my grandfather fits into all this but if Joe couldn’t live without her, I think they had a summer fling. She was a good catch, my granny, just like her granddaughter.’ She playfully nudged Sam’s arm and he gave her a heart-warming smile. ‘I’m glad it’s your grandfather, I think it’s so romantic. Maybe when I get home there will be a postcard waiting on the mat telling me you can’t live without me.’ Verity was teasing but secretly she really wanted to see his reaction.

  Sam shook his head in jest. ‘I’ve no time for writing a postcard today, I have a meeting at one p.m., but I can make you some food before I go. I’m assuming you decided against catching the ferry today?’

  Startled, Verity sat up straight. ‘I still haven’t messaged Ava! And I should be on the boat to Amsterdam right now.’

  ‘Yeah, you’ve long missed that ferry ride.’

  Verity exhaled. ‘I’m not looking forward to this phone call. Ava isn’t going to be happy. I need to charge my phone.’ She disappeared into the other room, pulled out her phone and charger from her rucksack and plugged them in a socket at the side of the settee.

  ‘I’ll go and make you some food whilst you apologise and sort out your travel plans. Oh, and before I forget, there’s a pile of clothes here from Clemmie. I picked them up from the tearoom on my way home.’

  ‘Thank you, that’s so kind.’

  Sam headed towards the kitchen with Jimmy hot on his heels. Verity looked at the screen of her phone, willing it to light up. As soon as a tiny bit of charge kicked in, it burst into life. From the continuous beep Verity could see there were at least nine missed calls from Ava and a voicemail. Damn. Her heart was racing as she checked her messages, her eyes closing as Ava’s voice sounded out.

  ‘I’ve tried to ring you umpteen times. Where are you? You shouldn’t be on the ferry just yet.’ Verity knew this message had probably been left hours ago when she was stranded on the causeway. Ava continued, ‘I know you’ve always thought I’m a bit of a flaky friend and I’m so sorry but I’m going to live up to that reputation. Please don’t kill me but I’m not on the ferry.’ There was a long pause and Verity knew that Ava was trying to work out how to soften the blow. ‘I applied for a job with a TV company, had the interview and never really thought much more of it. But I got the job and it starts in London on Monday. I’m so sorry, Verity, but it’s an opportunity I can’t give up. You can still go to Amsterdam without me though! You can do this by yourself. Ring me when you get a minute.’

  Verity put the phone down with a huge smile on her face. She blew out a breath as Sam walked back into the room holding a tray. ‘She didn’t kill you then?’

  ‘I’ve not actually spoken to her yet.’

  ‘Verity!’

  ‘No, it’s okay, she’s left me a voicemail. Ava’s not on the ferry. She’s not going to Amsterdam. She’s been offered a job in London and is starting on Monday, but she’s insisting I still go and find myself. She thinks it’ll be good for me.’

  ‘And what do you think about that?’

  Her smile grew wider. ‘I’m secretly chuffed. I wanted to spend more time on the island and this gives me the perfect opportunity.’

  ‘Well, that makes sense, but I have to say, at this time of year it’ll be difficult to get a room at the hotel, and the B&B is usually booked up far in advance.’

  ‘Even if my van can’t go anywhere, once everything has dried out, I can still sleep in it, if Nathan can tow it to a safe spot for me. This was meant to be.’ Verity could already picture herself sleeping on top of the cliffs and waking up to the sunrise overlooking the puffins and the harbour. That type of adventure was more on her level than fighting for her life dodging the thousands of bicycles on the busy streets of Amsterdam.

  ‘There’s always a spare room here in the meantime, until you get yourself sorted – and I don’t mean the sofa in my office.’

  ‘That’s very kind of you. Thank you.’

  ‘And anyway, I’m invested now.’

  ‘Invested?’

  ‘I want to know more about our grandparents, but in the meantime’—he pointed to the tray— ‘sandwich, chocolate flapjack and crisps.’

  ‘That looks amazing.’

  ‘You can thank Beachcomber Bakery. I took the chance you’d still be here and grabbed it all on my way back. I always think a sandwich tastes better when it’s made by someone else. I’ve got to head out now to a meeting but feel free to stay here. Keep the key in case you want to go out.’ Sam called Jimmy and clipped on his lead. ‘Make yourself at home.’

  Verity was still smiling as the front door shut behind them. She stood by the window and watched them walk down the lane. Not quite believing the turn of events in the last twenty-four hours, she looked up to the sky. A day of sunshine was not to be missed. She thought about last night as well, the same sky but dark with twinkling stars. When the shooting star whizzed across the night sky, she’d closed her eyes and made a wish, and that wish had just come true. She was staying on Puffin Island for a while longer, which gave her time to try to uncover more about her granny’s time here – but, more importantly, it gave her an opportunity to hang around with Sam, which brought a huge smile to her face.

  Chapter Nine

  An hour later, Verity had eaten and changed into the clothes donated by Clemmie. She’d included a pair of trainers, luckily the same size as Verity’s, which would do until her own were dry. She’d noticed that Sam had already placed her trainers on top of the Aga to dry out, which made her smile. She was soon walking down Lighthouse Lane, planning to call in to see Amelia in the bookshop and surprise her with the fact she was still here. Afterwards, she would pop into the tearoom to thank Clemmie (who obviously knew she was still here). Then she was going to make her way back up the cliffs to locate Nathan in the garage and assess the damage of the van, though she wasn’t holding out much hope. Even if she was lucky and the insurance company paid out for the van, it wouldn’t bring much money. The van was old, and the new fixtures and fittings were probably worth more than the vehicle.

  Surprisingly, there wasn’t a soul in sight on Lighthouse Lane. The whole place seemed deserted. Puffin Island had suddenly become a ghost town. Verity wondered where everyone was, considering it was early afternoon.

  Strange, she thought, pushing on the door of The Story Shop, but it didn’t open. Verity tried again but it was firmly shut. Then she noticed the note pinned to the front door.

  The Story Shop is closed for the next two hours and will reopen at two-thirty p.m. Sorry for the inconvenience.

  Maybe Amelia was taking a long lunch hour, possibly in the pub? Verity decided to head that way after calling in on Clemmie, but the tearoom had exactly the same note pinned to the front door. Finding the pub closed, and with a similar note outside, Verity carried on walking down Anchor Way, perplexed. She passed the hotel and headed towards Quaint Quarters, a small square filled with antique shops and an art gallery. She loved a good antique shop, with its distinct smell, where every item told its own story. But all the shops there were closed too. Just at that moment Verity noticed a woman hurrying out of the nearest antique shop. She locked the door and slapped a note on it.

  ‘Excuse me?’ said Verity, catching the woman’s attention. ‘Why is everywhere shut?’

  ‘Island meeting. The usual clash of the titans.’

  Verity had no clue what she meant and didn’t have time to ask as the woman’s heels were navigating the cobblestones at speed, heading towards the harbour. Verity decided to follow her, intrigued to know what the meeting was about. Once she reached the harbour, the woman headed past the jetty that led to The Sea Glass Restaurant and pushed open the door of a quaint black and white building nearby.

  Above the door was a small wooden sign reading The Island Hall. Verity assumed it was equivalent to a village hall. She could hear voices echoing inside, as though someone was speaking through a microphone. Pinned to the door was a notice.

  Puffin Island Meeting, one p.m., all residents welcome.

  Curious to know what was going on inside, Verity took her chance and slipped into the building when she heard the sound of rapturous applause. Quickly taking a spare seat at the back of the room, she immediately spotted Amelia and Clemmie sitting in the front row. She recognised Cora and Dan from the pub, and Pete, too, who was sitting at the side of the stage. She slid down in her seat as Sam took to the stage and stood behind the microphone. Verity noticed that one side of the room began to grumble and didn’t sound very welcoming at all.