“Do I know you from somewhere?” the man asked, his expression now calm and watchful.
“Puddle? Car? Forgotten already?”
“Not that. I didn’t get a clear look at your face yesterday. You look familiar.”
Fen didn’t know why. He’d have recalled this guy, he was sure. But he felt as if he was being mapped, placed in some file for future use. He had to fight not to swallow hard as an irrational surge of lust blocked his throat. That level of interest didn’t come over him very often, and Fen strangled, then stamped down on it.Forget it. He’s not interested in me. He’dneverbe interested in me.Fen could still ogle though, and maybe try to impress him with his knowledge.
“The art ofkintsugiis linked to the Japanese philosophy ofwabi-sabi, which focusses on the acceptance of imperfection, things not lasting forever and the beauty found in simplicity. Imperfect beauty has always been praised in Japan. Sometimes repaired pieces are more valuable for their history than for what they actually are. The Japanese have made an art of appreciating the beauty in almost anything and embracing imperfection. I think it’s a great philosophy.”
“Even if it’s something ugly?”
Fen’s heart faltered.Does he mean me?“Ugly to one person can be beautiful to another. There’s too much made of perfection. The Japanese principle is that if something broken can be repaired, then it can be useful again. Striving for faultlessness only leads to stress. Things don’t have to be perfect.”
“Hmm.” He glanced at Fen’s crutch.
Fen felt himself shrinking. He thought about challenging him for the look he’d given his crutch. Fen might be able to appreciate this man’s beauty, but beneath it, he was as cold and hard as steel. But maybe he was seeing something that hadn’t been there. Fen was still touchy about having to walk with an aid. It was a reminder about the future he’d rather ignore.
“In an age of mass production, the ability to celebrate imperfect things is something to be praised.” Fen still wanted him to see the point. “Fragments of disappointment can be transformed into something different, something to admire. Something might not be quite what you expected but as time passes, you might change your mind. To me, this globe is beautiful. It’s strong and different. It’s not a useful object in one way but it demonstrates resilience and persistence. It’s a thing of beauty to the person who repaired it and hopefully to the person who buys it. It can teach us a lesson. Don’t be too quick to judge.”
Fen met the guy’s gaze and didn’t look away.Still going to be a dickhead?
“That box of items…” the man said.
“That you want back.” Fen had called the auction house earlier and been told they’d given this guy the address of the shop. “How do I know you weren’t late arriving at the auction, missed bidding for them and you’re trying it on?”
He stared at him so intently, Fen felt like a bug under a microscope.
“It isn’t the case.”
“So you say.”
“The auction house was very helpful. They gave me your name. Fen Wood. And told me you work here.”
Fen wasn’t sure that was either ethical or legal, but what could he do now?
“I can see from your face how you feel about that, but the box is very important to me. I know exactly how much you paid. So my offer of a hundred pounds was fair.”
Not if Fen was going to get awkward about how much the medal was worth. A George Cross could be worth thousands of pounds, maybe tens of thousands. “Not necessarily. What’s your name?”
“Ripley Belmont.”
Fen gave a quiet sigh.Right.So the medal most likely belonged to him. “What relationship are you to Russell Belmont?”
“He was my grandfather. Why?”
Whysuggested he didn’t know about the medal, though Fen still wouldn’t keep it. He had it in a zipped pocket inside his coat.
“How did the box come to be at the auction?” Fen asked.
“My mother…made a mistake. I got everything else removed from sale: a side table, gramophone, chairs, punchbowl and so on, but the box of bits and pieces slipped through.”
That explained all those lots being missing. “Okay. Wait here a moment, please.”
He turned to go back to the workroom and saw Scott and Vicki standing by the counter, listening. Fen retrieved the medal then went back into the shop. Charles was in there too now.
“If you bought the lot fair and square, you don’t have to give it back,” Scott whispered as Fen went past.
Fen ignored him and stopped in front of the guy. “You can take this with you now. I don’t have the rest of the things here.”
