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‘Is it the stress of me being away that’s causing this?’ Dad has never defended me against Mum before; he’s always followed her almost in awe and I’d hate to think I’m the reason for this.
He pauses for the longest time. ‘I’m sure it’s not that,’ he says but his words are hollow. ‘Or not only that at least.’
Tears streak down my face at my predicament. ‘Be honest, Teddy. This is serious. If Dad is sick because of the stress of me leaving and him having to argue on my behalf, then I have to come home.I can’t let his health deteriorate because of a choice I made.’
‘Urgh, this is all such BS. Mother is the one who needs to pull her head in here.She’sthe one causing all this undue stress! I don’t know what else to say, Elodie, except maybe you better come back, at least for now, until we know more about Dad’s condition.’
‘OK, I’ll get back as quickly as I can.’
He lets out a sigh of relief. ‘Are you sure?’
‘I’m sure,’ I lie.
That Thursday I’m with Finn at Fuoco, trying my level best to appear happy when inside I’m slowly dying. It might be one of the last times we’ll be together like this before I have to leave. Do I tell him who I really am? I don’t want to ruin this evening, I want to hold on to the memory of him, soak him up so it can last in my mind for as long as it can. Once I’ve submitted the funding paperwork, then my time here will be over. It’s still so hard to comprehend.
Donatella is buzzing because Finn’s write-up has done wonders and the place is packed. He’s got a way of writing that makes people believe. Our conversation is stilted because I’m close to choking up every time I picture leaving him. Leaving this extraordinary life. When he finds out it was all a lie will he forgive me? Or will he assume the princess didn’t want the pauper life and the experiment was just a way for me to pretend to be one of them?
‘You’re quiet tonight.’ Finn brushes his hand over mine. ‘Is everything OK?’
I gulp back a lump in my throat. ‘It’s been a long week. I need to hide under the covers and devour a book and a tub of ice cream.’If only it could be such a quick fix.
He groans. ‘I wish I could join you.’ Finn’s off to London for the weekend to celebrate his sister Frankie’s surprise engagement. ‘But I’m keen to meet this guy that Frankie’s fallen for. It all seems a little too whirlwind for my liking.’
‘Ever the protective brother,’ I say with a smile.
He gives me a cheeky grin. ‘She’s already given me a list of things I’m not to ask him.’
‘But you’ll ask anyway?’
‘Of course!’
We finish up and wave goodbye to Donatella who commits to a launch hug instead and knocks the wind out of me. ‘Come back soon, yeah?’
‘For sure,’ I say, my heart breaking just that little bit more. I’ve grown to love these people I call friends. London will seem so empty without them.
Outside the autumnal rain comes down hard and, like the gentleman he is, Finn hands me his jacket to drape over my head while he gets thoroughly drenched. We dash to the car and he offers me the keys. ‘No thank you! Even Lewis Hamilton would baulk at driving around in this weather!’
Finn drops me off home, and we kiss a thousand final goodbyes. At least that’s what it feels like. ‘You sure you won’t come to the engagement party?’ he asks. ‘They’d love to meet you.’
I shake my head sadly, unable to fight the feeling of gloom that’s settled heavily in my heart. ‘No, it’s a family celebration. I’ll wait until the next one.’ If it’s time to start cutting ties, I don’t want to be making any new ones.
Finn dashes back to his car and drives away slowly on the uneven road.As I wave him away, I realise I’ve still got his jacket on. It’s a sopping mess anyway so I decide to wash it for him so it’ll be fresh upon his return. I check his pockets to make sure there’s nothing of value in them and find a stack of handwritten notes. I pop them on the bench and put the jacket in to wash.
Once that’s done, I take the notes, which are stuck together as one and damp with rain. Could I gently prise them apart and dry them out? I’m concerned they could be important notes for a story and will be unreadable if I don’t do something now.
I slowly pry them apart and start to place them in a row on the table. When I see what’s written on them shock jolts me out of my morose mood.
Ellie Astor is Elodie Halifax?
There are also printouts of pictures of me at Astor premieres, and my Astor bio. There’s a copy of my résumé for Willow Grove library. Highlighted is my experience with Henry Ackley, and then a note about how Astor published his memoir, and how I’m linked to him. Just how did he get a copy of my résumé? I suppose the council would have it on file after my interview. It wouldn’t take much for Finn to wangle his way in there with that charming smile of his.
The notes are scribbled as if written in haste.
Ulterior motive for the People Library experiment? Will eventually come out that the great Ellie Astor is the mastermind behind it – for what reason? In order to become more famous/well liked? Do Astor plan to buy all the public libraries – is this a plot to make even more money/have control?
Befriends all the outcasts on purpose?Not because she’s genuine.
Check whether she is a librarian or not? Is her paperwork fake?
