Rose reached over and refreshed the page. ‘Just humour me. Try again.’
With a long-suffering sigh, Pippa tapped in a fresh search. Then something caught her eye.
‘Oh my…’
‘What?’ Rose leaned in. ‘Why do you sound like you’re about to combust?’
Pippa handed over the phone so Rose could read what she’d found.
WIN A STAY AT CLOCKMAKER’S COTTAGE
Calling all Puffin Island Horology Convention attendees…
Set your watches and take your chance to turn back time with a two-night stay at the historic Clockmaker’s Cottage, tucked away on Puffin Island and surrounded by ticking treasures, sea air, and centuries of craftsmanship.
Every ticket purchased is automatically entered into the Clockmaker’s Draw Lottery where one careful turn of the key could unlock something special.
Entry closes at 3.00 p.m. on 15th July.
Winners announced by email at 3.30 p.m.
Pippa’s eyes widened as she realised something. ‘Clockmaker’s Cottage… I’m sure that’s Walter Vale’s cottage! I’ve researched it in the past but… it can’t be.’
‘It’s the home of one of the actual brothers and it’s available? This weekend?’
‘Not quite,’ said Pippa, her eyes scanning the words quickly as she read the small print. ‘The Horology Committee have teamed up with Horace Vale, who apparently still owns the property, to offer this exclusive one-off opportunity. A couple of convention attendees can win the chance to stay in the cottage during the event. Anyone who buys a ticket online is automatically entered into a draw for the stay… and the entry window closes in’—she checked her watch—‘five minutes.’
‘Five minutes?’ Rose exclaimed. ‘Get yourself a ticket! Take a chance. Are there any left?’
Pippa’s fingers flew across the keyboard. ‘Yes! Come on… come on…’ Tapping furiously, she was all fingers and thumbs as her heart was racing so fast. She hurried back to the tiny registration box that was buried at the bottom of the page and typed her name and her email. She cursed under her breath as she mistyped the address, watching the countdown tick lower. Three minutes. Two minutes. Finally, with thirty seconds to spare, she finished filling in her details and hit ‘enter’. The page spun… The screen stalled…
‘No, no, no! Don’t freeze on me now!’
‘Have you got a ticket?’ pressed Rose.
Pippa stared at the screen. It flashed… then went blank for a second…
‘Yes!’ she exclaimed as the confirmation page loaded. ‘Ticket purchased! So sorry, just used your Apple Pay– I’ll pay you back. They’ll notify the winner in… thirty minutes, by email. They’re leaving this right to the wire, given the convention starts tomorrow, aren’t they?’
‘It’s more exciting if it’s a last-minute opportunity.’
‘Verylast-minute. Just imagine if I won! If I don’t, I’ve got a ticket for a convention with nowhere to stay, but worse things have happened today.’ She handed back Rose’s phone as her own phone’s screen lit up again.
Reluctantly, she picked it up. Her notifications were stacking up. Rob. His family. Bridesmaids. Friends. Even the caterer, for heaven’s sake. Everyone wanted a piece of her, but the only person she wanted to speak to was her dad. With a shaky hand, she rang him. She felt dreadful and guilty. Shehadn’t even warned him! She’d just run and no doubt left him fending off questions.
It rang twice, and she almost lost her nerve, but then his voice came on the line, warm and steady as ever. ‘Pip? Are you okay?’
She swallowed. ‘No,’ she croaked. ‘I mean, yes. I mean, I don’t know. Dad, I’m so sorry.’
There was a second of silence that made her heart pound. Then he asked, ever so gently, ‘Sorry? What on earth for?’
‘For today. For humiliating you. For running out on Rob. For leaving everyone sitting there in their wedding hats wondering what went wrong. I’ve ruined everything. All I could think about was what Mum said and?—’
‘Stop right there,’ her father said firmly. ‘You haven’t ruined anything, do you hear me? You haven’t let anyone down. You’ve been true to yourself, Pip. That’s the bravest thing a person can do.’
The tears came hot and fast, and she let them roll. ‘But I saw your face, Dad. You looked so proud when you walked me down the aisle and then… then I bolted. Who does that?’
‘A woman who realised in time that she wanted something different,’ he said without hesitation. ‘Sweetheart, walking you down that aisle was one of the proudest moments of my life, and nothing can take that away. But I’d rather you walked away today than walked into a marriage that wasn’t right for you.’
