“It doesn’t look as if anything is broken.” Mary Beth moved the light a little closer to the back of the clock. It was the one she used for fine needlework, and it was bright and clear—perfect for the task. “It does look a little dusty in there.”
“Maybe a good cleaning and a tune-up is all it needs.”
Mary Beth shook her head. “I’m sure you’re right. I guess it’s going to have to sit still for a while until I can get it looked at by a real clockmaker.”
“I tell you what,” Annie said. “I’m supposed to go into Brunswick on Friday. How about letting me take it with me to the clock shop there? They’ll probably want to keep it for a week or two, but I know they’ll do a good job. I’ve taken some of Gram’s things there for repairs in the past. Mr. Malcolm is a genius with antiques.”
“You know I can’t do it right now, Annie.”
“I know you have the shop open during the day. That’s why I’ll be happy to take it for you.”
“I appreciate it, but it’s not the lack of time that’s the problem. I wish it was only that.”
“Oh.” Annie looked a little flustered. “Listen, I know what this clock means to you. Why don’t you let me take it in? My treat.”
“Do you know what repairs on these things cost?”
“I have a pretty good idea. I had to get some of Gram’s things fixed too. Come on, Mary Beth. Let me do one nice thing for you.”
“This isn’t the same thing as springing for lunch, you know. It might cost three or four hundred dollars to fix it.” Mary Beth frowned, thinking of Frank Sanders. “Besides, you’re not the one who broke it.”
“I don’t think it’s really broken. Just out of whack somewhere. And like you said, it does need cleaning. When was the last time somebody looked at it?”
“Never,” Mary Beth admitted. “Not since I’ve had it anyway. I know it could use some fixing up, but I can’t let you pay for it. It’s too expensive.”
She felt herself weakening though. She did love the clock, and it would be so nice to have something good happen right now.
“An heirloom like that ought to be taken good care of.” Annie put her arm through Mary Beth’s and squeezed tightly. “Come on, let me take it. If you have to, you can pay me back when you’re rich and famous.”
Mary Beth swallowed hard. Then, with a laugh, she pushed free and stood up, blinking hard. “Annie Dawson, you are not going to do this to me. You’re not going to make me cry over that dumb clock.”
“You know this isn’t about the clock, which certainly isn’t dumb, by the way.” Annie looked at her almost reprovingly. “You don’t realize how much we all love you, and you ought to. You’re worth every bit of it.”
Mary Beth looked down at the table, knowing her face was flushed, but unable to decide if it was from embarrassment or pleasure. Maybe it was a little of both.
“Now,” Annie said softly. “You’re going to let me take your clock with me on Friday, right?”
“No, really, Annie. You’re so sweet to offer, but I can’t let you spend that much. It’s crazy.”
Annie thought for a minute. “What if I just take it for an estimate? I’m going to be right there anyway. The worst that could happen is that I’ll bring it back to you like it is. No harm, no foul, right?”
Mary Beth nodded her head, laughing. “Just an estimate. I mean it.”
Annie grinned.
****
As planned, Annie took the clock to Brunswick on Friday. Mr. Malcolm at the repair shop was almost as fascinated with the clock as Frank Sanders had been. The estimate he gave her for repairs and cleaning was fairly broad and contingent on what he found when he made a detailed examination, but he told her he would call when they had more specific information, and if she decided to proceed, she would probably be able to pick up the clock in two weeks.
When she got back home to Grey Gables, Alice rushed out of the carriage house next door to meet her.
“You’ll never believe what happened. Mary Beth’s house was broken into.”
“No!” Annie scrambled out of her car. “As if she didn’t have enough to worry about. Poor thing. Is she all right?”
“Hanging in there. She was at the shop, of course, so she didn’t know until she got home. Her window was broken out, the one by the back door in her dining room. Whoever it was just let himself in.”
“Did he clean out everything?”
“It’s funny. Mary Beth says there wasn’t anything taken that was worth much—a pack of soft drinks from the fridge, a box of cookies and a couple of bags of chips and her CD player and DVD/VCR. I don’t remember what else. Not much.”