“Now? I thought we’d take the day and go out exploring. We could visit a museum, see a movie—find some air conditioning.”
“Maybe this weekend,” Julia said matter-of-factly. “But today I want to start learning the business.”
Aurelia couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her.
“Already? You’ve got plenty of time.”
“Yeah, but I like being in the shop. Can I do the cash register?”
“Can you operate it?” Aurelia couldn’t help correcting her. “Sure, why not.”
Julia started for the doorway but stopped as Aurelia pointed toward the bedside table.
“I left something there for you.”
“Flowers!” Julia said, just noticing the small vase with a handful of daisies Aurelia had picked up at the local florist. “Mum always puts some out for guests.”
“Your gran always did too. That’s where we got it from,” Aurelia explained. “But I meant the books!”
Julia eyed the stack of books and ran her finger down their spines.
“I’ve heard of this one,” she said, pointing toPride and Prejudice.
“That’s the reading list I promised.”
“You wereserious?” Julia asked, her eyes wide.
“Of course I was! You can’t own a bookshop without knowing the books you’re selling. One day a customer is going to ask you, ‘What about thatCranfordbook? Will I like it?’ Now you’ll be able to tell them all about it.”
“Own it… Is the shop really going to be mine?” Julia asked, her voice a little hushed.
“Well, the shop has always been passed down from aunt to niece, and you’re my only niece.”
“What about Mum? Why wasn’t it passed down to her?”
“She was living in Paris, with you lot. And she knew I loved the shop—I’d been working here for years before… before I took over from Aunt Marigold. But you’ll have to wait a few years to run it since I’m not planning on retiring any time soon.”
“Then that means I’ve got plenty of time to read these,” Julia said mischievously.
“You’re going to like them, I promise!” Aurelia vowed, even as she worried that her grand plan of sharing the books with Julia might not come off as well as she’d hoped. “Here, pick one to start with and you can bring it down to the shop to read.”
“Um…” Julia looked at the books halfheartedly. “I don’t know… This one?”
She picked upJane Eyre.
“Ooohh, good choice,” Aurelia said excitedly. “A creaky old estate, a young woman alone in the world, strange noises coming from a mysterious room…” she intoned as though she were narrating a movie trailer.
“It’s a ghost story?”
“Not really. You’ll see. Come down and I’ll get you a bookmark so you can get started. Then we’ll call your mum and tell her you’ve arrived.”
Raising her eyebrows in begrudging curiosity, Julia followed Aurelia back downstairs.
7
Thatevening,theyhadplans to meet Oliver near his office for dinner. She and Julia decided to walk rather than suffer the airless Tube, and Aurelia pointed out places they could visit and spots she, Antonia, or their mother had liked.
Waiting for them outside his office, they found Oliver with his brother.
