buttons.
Shelly seemed equally enthralled. “You could wear this today and still be right in style.”
Ivy turned to the delicate embroidered lace folded over an old wooden coat hanger. “I bet this was for a bridal veil. I’ve seen old photos of wedding gowns, and this one looks similar, although much nicer.”
Shelly’s lips parted. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“What?”
“You should wear this gown for your wedding,” Shelly said. “We could have worn Mom’s if it hadn’t gone missing.”
Carlotta’s wedding dress had been lost years ago. She had loaned it to a friend for her marriage, and afterward, the suitcase had disappeared at the airport.
Ivy shook her head. “Look at the waist on that dress. I don’t think I could’ve worn it even when I was young and slim. What about you?”
“Sadly, it’s too short for me,” Shelly said with a sigh. “That would have been better than a swimsuit and coverup.”
“I’ll say.”
The two women stared longingly at the dress and the accompanying lace coat and lace fabric.
“What a shame,” Ivy finally said. “It would have been such a nice tribute to Amelia.”
Shelly ran her hand along the smooth silk. “Sure wish I could wear this. But I do want a long dress, even if it is a beach cover-up. Maybe this dress will fit Poppy or one of our other nieces someday.”
“That’s an idea. I’ll have it cleaned.”
Wistfully, Shelly touched the lace collar. “Ask them to be extra careful.”
They continued going through the clothes. The menswear looked dapper yet dated, though Ivy thought a few of the women’s styles could be worn today. One was a drop-waisted flapper style, and another was a trim navy suit. Still, they looked more like costumes.
Later that day, Ivy shared their findings with Poppy, who was also amazed at the discovery. After the rain ceased and sunny skies again prevailed, they checked in another guest, bade Mrs. Mehta farewell on her journey to see her grandchildren, and made reservations for massages for the bachelorette party.
“Ready for a break?” Ivy asked Poppy. “I hear Shelly in the kitchen.”
When they opened the door, Shelly looked over her shoulder at the sink where she was rinsing fresh mint. Sliced oranges sat to one side. “I’m going to whip up a virgin Sea Breeze cocktail. Want one?”
“Sounds refreshing,” Poppy said. “I need extra energy to finish that marketing campaign for my new client. We’re meeting later.”
“One of you can grab the pink grapefruit and cranberry juices in Gertie,” Shelly said, patting the mint dry.
Ivy opened one of the twin turquoise refrigerators they’d nicknamed Gert and Gertie and brought out the juices. “Here you go.”
After Shelly poured the juice coolers, she slid onto a stool at the center prep island. “So why do you think that little room was concealed?”
“I’ll bet it had something to do with the secret attic rooms,” Ivy replied. “The closet next to the one we broke open has the trap door to the attic. It would make sense to have a place where people could quickly dash into hiding.” She had inspected the rear panel, which was actually a hinged door. A strip of fabric could be used to pull the panel shut, and clothes on the rack in front would conceal it.
“They probably needed a place to dress after they bathed,” Poppy said, leaning her chin on her hand. “If it were me, I’d store extra stuff in there for them. Bet that’s why there were a lot of old clothes. Imagine having to start over with nothing and hide like that.”
“It takes a lot of faith, resilience, and perseverance.” Ivy sighed. She spoke from experience.
Poppy took in her words and said softly, “It must have been hard for you after Jeremy died, Aunt Ivy.”
“It was.” To get through that period, Ivy had tried to put her situation in perspective. “I often thought about how, in comparison, so many others have suffered far worse. Remember the story that Nick shared with us?”
At Christmas, Ivy had discovered that one of their guest’s grandparents had fled the war in Europe. Nick Snow had sought out the inn to visit the home his grandparents had once talked about. He shared how Amelia Erickson had sheltered them until they could find work and obtain work permits. Amelia had provided a second chance for many European artists caught in the literal crossfire of the Second World War.
According to Amelia’s writings that Ivy had discovered, the news story of a refugee ship from Europe turned back from American shores