But, understandably, he wasn’t entirely convinced just yet. There were moments when he would ask a question or make a comment in a way that suggested he believed them, followed by moments when his skepticism was still very much in evidence. Aurelia hoped that hearing the characters’ voices might, just as it had for Antonia, ‘seal the deal.’ He eventually agreed to join Antonia in the stairwell at midnight, and they all sat down to dinner together as Julia continued explaining what she’d seen in the shop, with Aurelia joining in and adding details about her own experiences.
Aurelia felt relieved when, as she and Oliver were washing dishes in the kitchen and Antonia and Julia were queuing up yet another version ofPride and Prejudicein the living room, he’d taken her into his arms and held her.
“This is all… pretty wild,” he said into her neck.
She squeezed him tightly for a moment, then said, “Please know that I know that. I’m not expecting you to think it’s all perfectly normal. I know it took a lot of faith to have even got this far.”
He nodded as he drew back, but worry crossed his features. Before Aurelia could try and reassure him, Julia was calling to them to hurry up so they could start the movie.
Just before midnight, Antonia and Oliver sat themselves at the bottom of the staircase while Aurelia and Julia went into the shop and waited at the Recommended Reads table. Once the characters appeared, they seemed to sense Aurelia’s anxiety, and this time all of them agreed to come up to the mezzanine to speak with Oliver.
Like Antonia, Oliver couldn’t make out what each character was saying, but he could distinguish their voices. He asked them questions, and Aurelia and Julia translated the characters’ answers for him.
Eventually, they opened the door, and Aurelia led him over to the mezzanine railing to watch as the last few mists of parchment and words disappeared back into their books. With her arm around his waist, she felt his body jolt at the sight, heard his breath catch in his throat. She was certain that this final piece of proof had convinced him, though the worry she’d seen on his face earlier was there again when they all went upstairs to the flat. Aurelia planned to ask him if he was alright once they were alone, but Julia’s excitement about the characters—and Biscuit’s matching energy at seeing them all—seemed to wipe the worry from his features.
By the time everyone had settled down and then taken their turn using one bathroom to get ready for bed, Aurelia fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit her pillow.
35
Thenextmorning,Aureliaawoke to find Oliver’s side of the bed empty. She frowned, seeing that it was only just eight o’clock—fairly early for him to be up and about after their late night. Walking out of their bedroom, still groggy after nights of little sleep and days of anxiety, she found Oliver and Antonia speaking in undertones in the kitchen.
Antonia nodded to him, communicating some message that wasn’t yet clear to Aurelia, and then walked over to where she stood.
“I’m just going to wake Julia. Our train leaves in a little over an hour, so I’ve got to get her moving.”
“Train?” Aurelia asked. “Where are you going?”
“We’re going up to see Dad. I figured we’d get out of your hair for a bit.”
“But—” Aurelia began.
Yorkshire had been their backup plan, somewhere for Antonia and Julia to go if Oliver hadn’t believed them and Aurelia needed more time to convince him. But with Oliver convinced of the truth of what happened in the shop after hours, Antonia and Julia didn’t need to leave. Couldn’t things go back to something close to normal now?
Antonia put a hand to Aurelia’s arm and gave her a sympathetic smile. Aurelia cocked her head in a question, but Antonia walked into the guest room and closed the door without giving her an answer.
For a moment, she stared at the door as though Antonia might reemerge and clear the air, but the door remained shut. She then turned to Oliver, who was still in the kitchen. He was leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest and his head down. She felt a sudden unease, as though she were about to be called out for some misdeed, but she still wasn’t sure what exactly it was she’d done wrong. Hadn’t everything been put to rights last night?
Aurelia walked into the kitchen and stood before him, waiting for him to look at her. It seemed to take too long, and she wanted—needed—to see into his face, his eyes, to know it was going to be alright, whateveritwas.
“Oliver, what’s going on?”
“Let’s wait until they leave,” he said quietly, still not making eye contact with her.
“But what is it?”
“I’m going to take Biscuit out for a walk. I’ll bring back breakfast and we can talk then.”
He called to the dog and strode down the stairs, with Aurelia trailing lamely after them before stopping at the top step.
“Oliver?”
“I’ll be back and we’ll talk then,” he called up to her from the bottom of the stairs, just before closing the door behind him.
Aurelia stared at the stairwell for a moment, then walked to the guest room and knocked on the door.
“Antonia? What’s going on?”
Antonia opened the door, then turned back into the room.
