Page 34 of The Last Library of Paris

He shrugged. ‘He’s a good man. He’ll help us.’

There was silence for a second. My mind was racing. Sylvie was right that we couldn’t do everything. I didn’t want to give up delivering books to our Jewish neighbours and I didn’t want to doom the soldier service to failure before it had started. Slowly, reluctantly, I nodded. ‘Please ask Alain if he will help with deliveries,’ I said.

Guy smiled.

‘I will.’

Under the desk I crossed my fingers and hoped that I wouldn’t live to regret this.

When Alain arrived at the library, having been summoned by Guy, he appeared to be so lacking in enthusiasm that I almost told him to stick it.

‘I am very busy,’ he said. He was a tall man, and really rather handsome, but he leaned on whatever structure he was closest to. Now he was draped over the loans desk in a way I found irritating. I fought the temptation to tell him to stand up straight.

‘With Resistance work?’ I asked, still unconvinced by his claims.

‘Among other things.’

‘But you can help with the deliveries?’

Alain paused for so long I almost thought he’d fallen asleep on Sylvie’s desk.

‘I can help.’

‘Great,’ I said. ‘Thank you. I can show you what to do.’

‘I know what to do. Deliver the books.’

‘All the same, I’d like to show you.’

Alain gave me a withering glance. ‘If it makes you feel better.’

‘Yes,’ I said, forcing a smile. ‘It does.’

Chapter 9

Though I hated to admit it, Alain did know what he was doing, which made me suspect he’d been helping Guy for a while.

By the time he had been helping with the deliveries for a couple of days Alain was already making a difference. He seemed fearless, though I thought that came from his arrogance. He would load up his bicycle basket with books every day and whizz all over the city, taking books to our Jewish friends who were banned from using the library. Alain was quick and we needed him.

I helped too, but Alain had taken on most of the deliveries. I was worried he might annoy some of the people we delivered to, but when I popped in to see Maurice, he sang Alain’s praises.

‘Apparently he saves his charm for other people,’ I told Sylvie, wryly. ‘And we get the rest of him.’

‘He is arrogant,’ she said. ‘And he thinks a lot of himself.’

‘You’ve got that right.’

Sylvie frowned. ‘But perhaps he is not a bad person.’

I snorted. ‘He reminds me of my ex-husband. He was very good at always being right, even when he was wrong. And I believed everything he said. More fool me.’

‘Perhaps that’s why Alain annoys you so much,’ Sylvie suggested.

‘It was a long time ago,’ I said firmly, though the thought of my cheating, lying husband Vince affecting my judgement so many years later was unsettling.

I snorted again.

‘We’re ready to send out another soldier delivery,’ I said, changing the subject. ‘And we’ve already had requests from more hospitals. The people at the Red Cross are really spreading the word.’