She should have brought Angie. Or Dory. Or Zelda, or Delight, or anyone else. She should have brought someone with her given the interaction she had last time, but she had to be completely and absolutely mad to have done this alone. That was the only reason. Rowan felt rooted to the spot as she looked up at the very three faces she'd confronted last time. Their eyes, glassy and watery peered down at her, pinning her where she stood. It was a wonder the room wasn't filled with the pounding of her heartbeat as she clenched her fists and glared at them.

Since deciding to keep her job, Rowan had also been able to come across some extra pocket money - the debutante she'd pricked in the ankle at the Sanditon had been somehow made to pay her for the work she did. And so with the smallest sliver of hope, she'd entered the shop in hopes someone else would be at the counter. Of course, she'd been sorely mistaken. One by one, they'd made their way up to the counter, and of course, one by one, customers had left with their purchases and soon she was the only one in the shop.

Of course, when she'd asked they'd laughed in her face and said they'd sold it. But given that she could see the pearl earring in the case right there in front of her she was not going anywhere. As if she could, given she felt like someone had just cast a body bind curse on her.

She'd finally found her voice and flung a desperately coated, "You lie I know you have it!" at the great oafs when the bell on the door behind her rung and she turned, half relieved, half annoyed at the intruder.

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