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Callum had been relieved about the weekend, but more than a little dismayed to find out they were making plans for the bookshop. Thea did ask him for his mobile phone number in case she was free on Sunday, but he was hoping that turned out not to be the case.Callum was going to spend the weekend doing a bit of research into the history of the bookshop and seeing what he could find out about his father’s double life here in Aldeburgh.
He frowned. Of course, The Gossip Girls sounded like the perfect resource to approach about all things Aldeburgh, but he wasn’t in their good books just then; at least not in Marjorie’s, in any case. And he guessed that whatever Mabel’s big sister said would stand.
So there he was, in the local library, staring at a young American, wondering how she had come to be in this part of the world, and finding it rather refreshing to meet someone else who had not watched his show.
‘I can’t wait to meet Thea and see the inside of the bookshop. It’s always intrigued me, what might have happened to the last owner,’ said Lexi. ‘Do you know that it’s been shut up, gathering dust, for years? Oh, I expect you know that already. But I wonder how Thea came by the shop?’ She stared at Callum, expecting him to tell her.
Callum just smiled at her, hoping that inviting the inquisitive librarian into the shop, and their lives, was a good idea.
‘I’ve just had an amazing idea. You know I mentioned that my grandmother is a writer?’
‘Yes.’
She’s finished writing her new book. Wouldn’t it be amazing if she could do a book signing in the bookshop, and release the book first at The Bookshop of Memories? She’d love that. I’ll mention it to her.’
Callum actually thought that wasn’t a bad idea. If Lexi was going to roll up her sleeves and volunteer in the shop, that was the least he could do, let her grandmother, a local writer, sign a few copies of her book for her friends in the local bookshop. ‘That’s a great idea. I’m sure she’d love it.’
‘She’s quite a well-known author, you know,’ said Lexi proudly.
‘Is she?’ Callum imagined she was quite well-known in her local community.
‘Oh, yes. She’s Margot Dorey. Have you heard of her?’
‘TheMargot Dorey?’ Callum looked at her, shocked. ‘My mum used to read me her books as a child. She’s bloody famous. Well, she was. I thought she stopped writing. Sorry, but I thought she’d passed on.’
‘Nope, not dead. Very much alive. She did stop writing for a while, though. But she’s back. And I tell you, if she agrees to launch her book in Thea’s little bookshop, she’ll have queues right down the street. It would bring people from all over, and would be a great way to really put the old bookshop back on the map. Just imagine it. We could have like a grand opening of the bookshop at the same time. I could invite a few friends. There’ll be the press—’
‘The press?’ Callum swallowed.
‘My friend knows a journalist for a local paper. She’d love to—’
‘Nope. No. Absolutely not.’ Next his face would be all over the papers, along with truth about who really owned the bookshop.So tell Thea the truth first. ‘Not yet!’ he blurted, talking to himself, knowing that meant telling her the truth about Henry.
Lexi said, ‘What do you mean –not yet?’
‘Er, I meant … um … that we’re obviously nowhere near ready to reopen the bookshop, so it couldn’t be yet, having your grandmother round to do a book signing.’
‘Something tells me you’re not keen on the publicity.’
Callum felt uncomfortable under her gaze.
Lexi narrowed her eyes. ‘Didn’t you say you starred in a TV show?’
‘Well, yes.’
‘Are you, like, famous?’
Callum shrugged, glancing around the small library. It was in a modern, single-storey building, and the open-plan room that housed the library was a bit too small for his liking. He lowered his voice. ‘Kind of, I guess.’
‘And you’re trying to stay under the radar?’
He looked at her, and said, ‘Yes.’ But not for the reason she might think. He could just imagine some reporter nosing around, getting the scoop on the bookshop that had been dormant for years, and then discovering that it wasn’t Thea who owned the place, even if she was clearly under the misapprehension that she did, or her sister did – or was it their mum?
It turned out that Toby had found the key in his mum’s possession, who had in turn probably found it in the boxes that Toby’s grandmother, who was in Nepal in some yoga retreat, had stored in their garage. That was what Toby had said to him as they spent time bookbinding.
‘My good friend, Ray, would love to see the bookshop reopened. He’s always been keen to find out more about the place.’
Callum stared at her. ‘Who’s Ray?’
