Free Enchanted - The Dressing Room Affair [Time Travel Historical Romance Novella] (Entwined Together Forever) by Sierra Hunter

to grab her coat and run out the door, something caught her eye. She turned towards the dressing room at the back of the shop and noticed that the door was ajar. Katie blanched and blinked, just to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. She distinctly remembered locking it last night. She scanned the shop for an intruder.
    “How the heck …?” she mused. She inched towards the door, opened it, and peered inside. She was instantly bombarded with the seductive aroma of cologne. It was strong, as though the wearer had just passed through the room.
    Katie switched the light on to try and figure out where the smell was coming from. She gasped when she saw a fresh bright red rose laid across the antique chair. There was a note tie d with a ribbon underneath it. She searched the room, but the entire store was empty.
    Maybe Chloe came in and left it for me as a surprise, she thought. That must be it. I’ll have to tell her to change her perfume.
    Katie picked up the rose, letting its pleasant scent waft up into her nose. It reminded her of her mother. She slipped the ribbon off the note and unrolled it. Katie squinted. It was written in some form of calligraphy with real ink, making it difficult to decipher.
    “Wait…” she whispered. Katie dropped the rose. She collapsed into the chair when she realized it was a note… from her mother.
    My dearest Katie, how I have missed you.
    You have been in my thoughts every waking moment of each and every day. I know you must be wondering what happened to me. I do not want you to worry, so I sent you this note to let you know that I am alive and well.
    I imagine this is very hard for you to understand and it makes little sense, but one day we will see each other again. I promise. For now, rejoice. I am no longer sick and you are in my heart always. Our hearts are entwined together forever, my child.
    All my love,
    Your mother,
    Isabelle.
    Tears started streaming down Katie’s face.
    “I don’t understand, mum,” she choked out. “If you can write me a letter, where are you? Why can’t I come and see you? Why won’t you come and see me?”
    All of a sudden, Katie’s bracelet started to glow. She felt energy surging through her body. Frightened, Katie looked up to see the mirror was swirling in a whirlpool of glossy silver. The glass stilled and smoothed over. Isabelle’s face appeared in the reflection.
    Katie screamed and jumped up from the chair. She sprinted out of the dressing room, slammed the door, and quickly locked it behind her. Her heart was hammering. She seized her car keys and drove straight to Chloe’s. She ran inside where Chloe was just packing up some things, getting ready for their afternoon with Abbey.
    Chloe whirled around in alarm. “Katie? What’s wrong? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost!”
    Katie struggled to catch her breath. “I think I have, Chloe. Seriously.” Tears sprang to her eyes.
    Chloe approached her cautiously, coaxing Katie into a nearby chair. She could see she was shaken and something had upset her terribly. “Tell me what happened,” she entreated.
    Katie explained what she had found in the dressing room. She told her about the strong masculine scent, the rose, and the note . She told her about the bracelet glowing and the mirror starting to swirl. Then the tears started streaming down Katie’s face again.
    “Mum appeared in the mirror, Chloe. I saw her. I swear, I saw her! It was so real,” Katie blurted out.
    “Did she say anything?” Chloe asked, clearly struggling to comprehend what she was hearing.
    “I don’t know,” Katie lamented, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “I ran out the door and locked it and came straight here.” Only then did she realize how much she was trembling. “Am I going mad, Chloe? Am I crazy?”
    “No. I would never ever think that. Something is going on in that room and I think it is time we figured out what.” She laid her hand on Katie’s arm. “Do you want me to call Abbey and