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He waves me away. ‘It’d be like reading the telephone book, monotonous and sleep-inducing. There’s not much to tell. Time has marched on and nothing much has changed in my life, except the dreary weather.’
‘Are you single?’ He’s never outright said so and I think about all those unanswered phone calls. ‘Or been married, divorced, anything juicy?’
He packs his iPad away. ‘Single as they come. There’s not been a lot of time for romantic pursuits with family commitments, that sort of thing. My life is slower now, so I’m hoping that can change. What about you, got any ex-husbands stashed away?’
I bite my lip to tame laughter. I haven’t even had a relationship go the distance, let alone get to the point of matrimony. ‘I’ve had alotof romantic attachments, some sizzling bad boys, some home-grown heroes, cowboys, billionaire businessmen – you name it, I’ve loved them all …’
He waggles a brow. ‘Book boyfriends?’
‘This is how I know you’re a keeper, Finn. That you even know the termbook boyfriendssays a lot.’ He’s a reader too and that is a definite plus for me. ‘Are you happy here? Was this where you always wanted to be?’
He considers it. There’s more to his story, but what? I never seem to get past the surface level with him. Probably because I’m not sharing much either, but I have a reason, so he must have one too.
‘I had these big dreams once,’ he says looking just past me, ‘of being an investigative reporter,but it’ll stay just that – a dream. Why leave all this behind?’ Finn points to the high street where the trees sway in the wind and the odd shopper or two walk by, heads down against the breeze. ‘I’m happy in Willow Grove.’
I smile back at him, but I question why he hasn’t tried to find work as an investigative reporter, if that is where his heart lies. Surely it’s as easy as applying for that job. I know, I’ve lived that life and had to vet many of our staff at Astor news. If I owned up to who I really am, I could help get Finn the job of his dreams, but if he really wanted that, wouldn’t he have tried himself? Finn doesn’t come across as unambitious to me. Is it a confidence thing? Probably not – he presents as self-assured and in control, albeit without the cockiness and ego that so many men in the news business wear so proudly. I bet he’s too good to fight to the death over a breaking story. ‘So why didn’t you follow your dream?’
‘Life got in the way, I suppose. But I’m grateful for what I have and the way things ended up. Did you always dream of being a librarian in a small town, or did you have your sights set on something else?’
I pile my plate with olives while I figure out what to say. ‘I worked in publishing for a bit, at a large company, but it wasn’t what I thought it would be. Being chained to a chair in a boardroom didn’t suit me. It was less about the beauty of books and more about business. Saying that, it was a good learning curve; it’s made me aware that I want to be on the ground level, helping in the community, being part of initiatives that make a difference. I want to bring books and programs to those less fortunate, so they have the same chances as everyone else. But I’m still working out how to achieve that. In my previous job,I didn’t really feel like what I did mattered. I wasn’t helping anyone except the company – and that’s fine if you’re the type who cares about a big salary and the bottom line, but that doesn’t inspire me at all. It’s a sort of hollow road.
‘When I saw your article for the library, it felt like my whole purpose came into focus, so I have you to thank for that. The power of words, of books, and what reading means to people can’t be diminished. We can’t allow libraries to close, because if so where does it end?’ My light-bulb moment, really I’m still pinching myself that I’m here.
‘I love that, Elodie. You’re here for the right reasons. That’s why I wrote that article and I used whatever contacts I could find – which wasn’t many – to share it far and wide. In the end I used most of my yearly marketing budget on paid Facebook ads to spread the word. I feel exactly the same about libraries closing. Such a daunting thought. My biggest fear was that we wouldn’t find a librarian. Who’d take on such a task with the odds stacked against them? And then in you walked, our miracle maker.’
‘Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.’ I let out a nervous laugh. ‘We can only hope everyone embraces the People Library experiment.’
‘How can they not? I myself can’t wait to hear Harry’s story.’
‘Me too. Let’s hope he doesn’t get stage fright.’ Harry hasn’t actually confirmed he’ll be part of it yet. It’s on my list to follow up ahead of Finn’s article but something tells me Harry will do it, even if his voice shakes and his knees knock. There’s a quiet resolve to Harry, as if he’s ready to open up no matter what it costs him.
‘I’m sure he’ll surprise you. Surprise all of us. But you understand you’ll probably have some locals who oppose the idea when the article publishes,right?’ He grimaces as if the thought pains him.
I nod, knowing from experience nothing good comes easy. ‘I’m expecting it. But won’t that make a great talking point?’
‘You’re good at this, taking risks, fighting for what’s right.’
‘Either good or wildly naïve.’ One or the other!
‘I’m going with good. Now since this was purely a business meeting, I’d like to confirm we’re still on for Friday night dinner?’
I grin. ‘You’re a brave man, actively pursuing a home-cooked meal by me.’
‘I’m prepared to risk it.’
‘Get the article done first, just in case.’ We laugh. If I can’t live authentically here where can I? I cross my fingers that the experiment will work, and get us closer to those magic numbers so we can file the funding paperwork. I have so many ideas to get people back to the library but it all comes down to having the finances and time to invest in them. If I save the library, then it’ll be a sure-fire sign that I can let down the last part of my guard with Finn and see what blossoms.
Chapter 12
Later that week, I’m dusting a cobweb off my arm. I shudder as I gingerly walk around the basement using my phone light to guide me. So far I’ve unearthed boxes of old encyclopaedias. I dig through them, happy to find that they’re full sets. I drag the boxes close to the stairs to carry up once I’m done. They’re sure to sell for a decent chunk of money as they’ve become popular for collectors now they’re no longer in print.
Off to one side, I find some dusty old library catalogue drawers. I open them, excited to see cards written in cursive with the names of the books and the old borrowers. These will fetch a pretty penny! Mum recently purchased one for her home library and paid a significant amount for it. I give them a wipe-down with my sleeve and take some photos so I can list them for sale. There’s boxes of old-style Christmas decorations, a raggedy old tree and some knotty lights. I spend a bit more time hunting around but only find junk, broken stools, burst beanbags. When I trip over a plastic skeleton, I squeal in fright, and hop, skip and jump out of the bowels of the basement. Leaving the encyclopaedias abandoned for another day. Perhaps a day where Finn visits and I can send that big, brave man down instead.
I head back up, taking the stairs two at a time, before seeing the light and letting out a gasp. I’m alive! After patting myself down to remove the dust from 1967, I take a deep breath and vow never to go down there again unless it’s with an electrician who can sort the lighting out.
Once my pulse returns to regular programming, I go to my computer to search for other library card catalogues for comparison prices. They sell from anywhere between a thousand pounds apiece up to tens of thousands for those with a more French flair. These ones are a plainer, more commercial style, so I presume will be at the lower price point. Still, if they sell, it’ll be a win for us. We could buy some new stock, for a start. Pay for the carpet cleaner whose quote was a little higher than I expected, so Alfie can handle the history section. Pay for the catering.
Teddy’s name flashes up on my mobile and I catch Maisie glance at it. I make a mental note to change his name just in case. I hurry into a cubicle and shut the door. ‘Hey, how are you?’
