The Sewing Queen

Something's Up

Chapter 18 ~Link's POV~

"Is everything alright?" Lucie asked.

Does anything look alright? I wanted to scream. She was only saying it to break the silence and I'm glad she did because I am speechless. As soon as I saw his car parked outside I knew something was up but I wasn't expecting to see my dad sat in the Rose's living room crying. Something was serious because the last time dad cried was when his mum died, two years ago.

"You two come and sit down" Maggie said, how is she so calm during situations like this.

"Let me tell him Maggie" Dad crocked. I knew something was seriously up by the tone in his voice. Had something happened to mum?

"Link, I came here to find you. You didn't tell either me or your mother where you were and I knew if you weren't at home you would be here but you weren't you were on your date so I decided to wait here for you to come back once you had finished your date. I was planning on waiting in the car after I spoke to Maggie I just broke into tears and couldn't hold myself together any longer. I didn't really want to tell anyone that was not family but I guess you guys are family now but I need to tell you this Link...."

Dad took a long pause and I could tell what was to come next wasn't going to be nice.

"Link when I came home this evening from the press conference about the next collection, I came in the fine both the design studio's a complete mess and all the designs missing. The police are at the house still with your mother and were going through the CTV footage from in the rooms when I left but it will take those ages to go through it all"

"WHAT? HOW? WHY?" I shouted I couldn't believe what I was hearing; all my work and some of the designs were Lucie's from when we were coming up with ideas for the summer collection for when she starts working for us. All gone. No other copies. There were about 700 all over the place and the only way to know they are mine is my signature in pencil over the feet of each drawing.

"I need you to come home now to write up a list of what is missing" Dad said. Now I no way he was crying all his life he has worked so hard to get to where he is now and within the space of a couple of hours from when I left to when he came back it's been ruined. Whoever it was must have seen me leave and knew there was no one else in the house. Like the Rose family we only have staff to work for us during events, if you don't count the weekly gardener.

"I'll come with you if you want?" Lucie asked knowing that this was going to be a long night for me and I would need her support let alone help.

"Is that aright dad?"

"Of course"

"I'll just grab a change of clothes" Lucie said getting up and leaving the room.

"Link you did take the photos of your draws in your studio, right?"

"Yeah, they are saved on the computer; don't say that's gone as well?"

"No but the screen is broken"

"WHAT!"

"Just wait until you have seen it"

"I saved them onto my laptop as well, which was in my room when I left"

"Oh good, we better be going." He said noticing Lucie had come back into the room, "Thank you"

"What are friends for" Maggie said giving dad a hug.

The journey home was hell, we all sat in silence. Dad had insisted that we all go home in one car so I left mine at Lucie's and was planning on collecting it when we drop Lucie off tomorrow. My mind was on overload trying to work out how bad the room was going to be. Lucie sat next to me holding my hand; I didn't need to say anything to tell her how much I needed her right now she already knew it. Our perfect ending to our perfect date had been ruined.