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‘Huh, it seems written in the stars. You boarded so close and you’d been to the library as a child – thankfully not under Agnes’s reign or you may not have wanted to be a librarian. I’ve heard about Hamersley and some of the bigger scandals. Like when they drained the lake nearby as a prank. And the statue of poor old Queen Liz who lost her head.’
I giggle, remembering all the silly little things that went on to help pass the time. ‘There was a lot of that, especially at the boys’ school.’ I don’t say my brother was one of the main culprits and my parents paid a fair bit of restitution so he didn’t get expelled. ‘What about you? Do you have family here?’
‘My siblings were close by for a bit but now they’ve moved on, scattered like so many marbles. Anyway, I’m the reporter here. Shouldn’t I be quizzingyou?’
‘I haven’t even got down to the gritty questions yet and you’re turning the tables on me already?’ I say, feeling relaxed in Finn’s company.
He laughs, displaying those pearly whites of his. ‘You’ve kept me hanging for ages about this big idea of yours, and I’mdesperateto know just what you’ve cooked up to save Willow Grove library. Put a man out of his misery, please?’
Donatella comes back with a bottle of chianti and pours us two glasses.She darts back to the counter and returns with a plate oftagliere di salumi. There’s all sorts of thinly sliced cured meats, cheeses, olives and pickled vegetables. ‘Wow,’ I say, eyeing the lusciously presented platter. ‘This looks delicious, and absolutely perfect for the library event. Members can graze as they listen …’ It strikes me just how many amazingly talented people there are in Willow Grove. If only they’d connect! Sofia for one would love this place. I make a mental note to invite her to dinner here.
‘Grazie,grazie, Elodie. I would love to help at your event. Now eat, eat because there’s a lot more coming. Arancini, focaccia … many other things!’
‘This is exactly what I want for the event.’ The antipasto is a feast for the eyes with all the different colours and it smells delicious peppered with the scent of garlic and rosemary.
Donatella thanks us again and heads to the front door to welcome a table of two inside.
‘If this tastes as good as it looks I can’t understand why this place isn’t packed every night of the week,’ I say, filling my plate with delicious morsels.
‘Wait until you try it; it’s even better than it looks and their wood-fired pizzas will transport you straight to Italy. Don’t even get me started on how good the stuffed porchetta is. But let’s not get distracted. You were saying …?’
I grin through a mouthful of thinly sliced prosciutto which thankfully melts in my mouth. I hold a finger up while I finish. ‘Right, so I had this idea called the People Library experiment …’ I go on in detail about the plan to Finn, who stops eating and starts making notes on his iPad. As I continue his grin grows wider and I know he thinks it’s a great idea – or maybe just that it will make a popular article?Either way, he seems entranced by the idea, which is a massive relief.
‘Elodie, this is gold.Seriously.Let me write up the article. You can approve it if you want. Get some photos of you and the “books” ahead of the first event …’
I almost choke on an olive. ‘No, no, I don’t want to be part of it. I want it to be all about the “books” and library itself. Really, Finn, we only get one chance to get their attention and get them through the doors so I’d rather focus on that than boring them with the fact I’m new to town.’
Finn stops typing and stares at me. ‘But everyone is curious about you and itwillhelp draw a crowd.’
I nod as if I agree, and dab at my mouth with a napkin while I formulate an answer that’s believable. If I showed my face in the paper and my parents found out, they’d be furious that I didn’t tell them the real reason I left. More so, that they’ve lied to their staff about my whereabouts. It wouldn’t look good for anyone. ‘The People Library experiment has the potential to be huge. That’s worth promoting more than the fact there’s a new librarian. The library itself needs to stand on its own two feet, rather than be centred around one person. And I’m hopeful that we might be able to find new members from far and wide because we’re offering something unique. Let’s not muddy the waters, eh?’
He considers it. ‘OK, that makes sense. Itcouldbe massive. Most people would love to take the credit and have their face splashed all over the paper but not you.’
‘It’s not about me, it’s about the “books” and that’s why it’s so special.’
‘I see your point. Where did you come up with the idea?’
‘The library is dangerously in the red. There’s no money for new books, so I figured if I couldn’t lend new books, I’d have to lend people! But really, Finn, it’s about so much more than that. It’s about not judging a book by its cover as I’ve seen so many people in Willow Grove do. It’s about prying those pages open and reading between the lines. I can use cliché after cliché to explain it, but what I’m hoping is that it changes the way people treat others. Instead of gossiping behind their backs and calling them awful names maybe they’ll reach out to them instead, offer a helping hand. I’m hoping they’ll relate to their plight in some way –there but for the grace of God, go Isort of thing.’
His eyes are wide with excitement, as if he’s trying to take it all in at once. ‘I have to get this article right. Make sure I sum it up in such a way so that they’re intrigued andhaveto know more because this has such a huge potential that it could change lives.’ He blows out a breath. ‘I’m going to put everything I have into it.’
I let go of all the worry. Finn gets it! ‘I know you’ll do an expert job, like you always do.’ Finn’s articles are different from most, in that he writes with more feeling, making a person want to join his crusade, as it were. Like the article that led me here – it had been written in such a way that I could envision a town with no books and had to act. I’m hoping whatever he writes for the People Library is a call to arms as well. ‘You’re a bit of a superstar, Finn, and I know whatever you write will convince the masses to see what all the fuss is about.’
‘Superstar, that’s me.’ He shakes his head as if he’s anything but. ‘So let’s aim to publish next week, or the week after? Does that give you enough time?’
‘As soon as you’re ready. I’ve organised as much as I can; now it’ll be all down to my special human books.For their sakes, I hope this goes the way I want it to.’
‘It’s an experiment, that’s for sure. And all experiments need tweaks, so we’ll adjust if needed. Perhaps the article will be a serial, so people can follow along and those who don’t come to the first couple, might come after and we’ll keep those numbers ticking over.’
‘That’s a great idea. I’m going to make a real event of it. A real party atmosphere, as if we’re celebrating. I get the feeling—’ I look around the empty restaurant ‘—they don’t like change much in Willow Grove.’
He takes a slug of wine. ‘But they do like gossip.’
‘True.’
‘Where have you come from, Elodie, to dream so big like this?’ He gazes at me like I’m something special. It’s enough to make my heart race, because when I look at him I see a man who I could fall in love with. A man I trust implicitly because he has no idea who I really am and he likes me on my own merits. Will this lead to something more? Part of me is desperate for it to happen; the other part is telling me to slow down, to wait. Would Finn care if I admitted I was Ellie Astor? Lost Ellie Astor who in this bumbling backwards way is trying to find the path right for her? It’s hard to tell.
I toy with the stem of my wineglass. ‘Dreaming big is all I know, and up until recently, I never had the chance to act on those dreams. If I can save the library, that will give me the confidence that anything’s possible. That I can pursue my passions and design my very own future. Anyway, it’s you I’m interested in.’ I have to divert the conversation away from me, as the more wine I drink, the more I want to open up to Finn.‘You’re a reporter for theChronicle, and you moved here a few years ago and that’s all I know about you. Wouldyoumake a good “book”?’
