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Thea had found a small first aid kit in one of the kitchen cupboards and had used a cotton wool bud, and a plaster to stem the bleeding from the scratch. She’d insisted. For some reason, Callum had appeared tense the whole time that she was bathing his wound. She knew he felt it too, when they touched, the connection they inexplicably had so soon after meeting. They barely knew each other, but it was there nonetheless, and neither of them could deny it.
Thea smiled when she thought about it as she made the tea. Although Mabel had said she’d be there next week, she imagined that she’d still have to help Marjorie in the charity shop too, but she’d pop in when she could. That had pleased Thea no end, imagining that Mabel wouldn’t be around all the time.
Despite spending a lot of time with Callum, she didn’t feel he’d talked about himself much or really opened up. She hoped that with Toby back at school, when it was just the two of them, he might tell her more about his life.
Thea was also aware that she was only meant to be in Suffolk for a fortnight. That was the plan. She’d taken two weeks’ annual leave. She couldn’t imagine returning to London, though.
Gracie had been in touch, asking how she was. She had tentatively asked Gracie if she thought it would be cheeky to ask for more time off if she wanted to extend her stay. Thea had mentioned her sister, and her father’s bookshop, explaining that after so many years of it being shut down, she was trying to sort it out to reopen it for her sister to work in.
Gracie had put her mind at ease, telling her she’d have a word with Edward about extending her leave. However, she had said that perhaps it was best not to mention the bookshop. After all, the normal notice period for requesting leave had been waived because of exceptional personal circumstances – the break-up of her relationship, and her sister’s accident.
Although her boss was a close family friend, Gracie reminded her that Edward still couldn’t be seen to be bending the rules just because of who she was. If she told him that Thea was working, he might have to decline any further requests, and then his most senior archivist would have to return to work.
Although Thea imagined that Edward wouldn’t do that, Gracie was right; he couldn’t be seen to be favouring her. Besides, Thea didn’t want to put him in an awkward position. She was just rather disappointed that she couldn’t tell one of her closest friends, and her father’s best friend from years earlier, about the shop. She imagined he’d be over the moon if he found out she was hoping to reopen her father’s bookshop.
Thea walked out of the back room carrying a tea tray. There was a cup of English breakfast tea with two sugars and a dash of milk for Mabel, a glass of juice for Toby, and a plate of chocolate digestive biscuits that Marjorie had sent over for elevenses. Thea looked at the biscuits as she set the tray down on the coffee table. It wasn’t eleven o’clock in the morning; it was getting on for four o’clock, and she’d have to leave soon to pick up Katie.
Toby’s school uniform was in his school bag ready to change back into, just to make it appear that he’d been at school all day and had just come along with her to pick Katie up. Thea was relieved that their little charade had come to an end. What would Katie think if she caught them?
Callum had joined Mabel on the sofa. Toby sat next to Callum. Thea handed Toby his juice.
‘Shall I make the coffee?’ offered Callum, glancing at the coffee maker that Mabel had collected from home.
‘I hope it works,’ said Mabel. ‘It’s never been used.’
Callum turned to Mabel. ‘Let’s find out.’ He stood up.
They’d set up a coffee station on the counter near the till with some glass mugs that Mabel had also brought with her. Callum had popped to a local shop in the town and bought a large box of assorted coffee pods.
He opened the box. ‘Café latte for you, Thea?’ He’d remembered what Thea had ordered at the café in the town.
‘Yes, please.’ She smiled at him. It was what she had every morning – a takeaway latte from the café on her way to the bookshop. Now, she wouldn’t have to buy a coffee to go. She could have one when she arrived.
Callum made two cups of coffee, and the aroma filled the shop. When they were all seated on the sofa, Callum in between Mabel and Toby, Thea at the other end with the cat curled in her lap, and the dog sitting by Callum’s feet, Mabel asked, ‘How is it? Does the machine work?’
‘I’ll say,’ Callum replied. ‘This coffee is amazing.’
‘I’ll second that,’ said Thea, approvingly.
They all sat there with their drinks, staring around the shop.
Mabel broke the silence. ‘What a transformation. And the musty smell is well and truly gone.’
There were murmurs of agreement all round.
‘The thing is,’ said Thea, voicing her thoughts, ‘the bookshelves are still a mess. I’m worried that if we do get customers, they won’t buy because they won’t be able to find anything. And that’s even if there’s anything here they want to buy. All the books are so …’ she glanced at Mabel, ‘… old.’
Mabel put her cup of tea on the table and turned to Thea at the other end of the sofa. ‘Would you like my penny’s worth?’
Thea nodded.
Mabel glanced about her. ‘This isn’t called The Bookshop of Memories for nothing. Everyone has a favourite book that resonates, that they remember. Perhaps it’s not necessary to stock all the new releases and bestsellers. There’s nothing wrong with stocking books from yesteryear. In fact, it’s the bookshop’s strength. Imagine – people can come in and browse, and discover that annual they remember from their childhood, or that favourite book they thought was out of print.’
Thea stared at her. Toby and Callum turned to look at Mabel too.
Thea looked again at the bookshelves surrounding them. Perhaps Mabel was right, it was a place to browse, and find the unexpected, and lose yourself in the past.
For someone who worked with old books, maps and artefacts for a living, Thea couldn’t deny that this was right up her street, and it turned out that it was right up Toby’s street too.
