The Library at Wagtail Ridge by Janet Gover

Author:Janet Gover
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mira
Published: 2022-10-28T00:00:00+00:00

When Lou awoke next morning, she was under the bedclothes. At some point during the night, dazed with sleep, she had sought their warmth. She looked around quickly and saw the necklace lying on the bedside table. For a while there she thought it might have been a dream. When she dressed, she hung the pendant around her neck. It wasn’t visible beneath her T-shirt, but she could feel it against her skin. Every now and then she would reach up and touch it. She didn’t know why, but knowing it was there gave her a sense of contentment.

She spent the morning doing housework. She watered the primrose plant, which had some pretty new cream and yellow flowers about to open. The quilt looked lovely lying across the back of the couch, so she left it there. When it started getting chilly, it would be nice to have while she was watching TV. Maybe with Jake? She probably wouldn’t still be here when it got really cold, but she did like the way the quilt looked. It seemed to match the plain walls and the overflowing bookshelves, giving a homely feel to the room.

She went to the kitchen to look through the cupboards and make a shopping list. There were still a lot of library stops to make. Obviously she’d be here a little longer. It wouldn’t hurt to pick up a few more things. She couldn’t eat at the pub every night.

Armed with a list and her tote bags, she set out for the shop, but on the way she diverted to walk past the hall. Sure enough, Jake’s car was there. The hall was a hive of activity. Jake was assembling more tables and folding chairs while Kelly from the store was covering the tables with paper tablecloths. Sarah, who Lou had liked when they met at the bar, was carrying boxes through a door at the back of the hall. Lou guessed it probably led to a kitchen. Both women called a greeting as they saw her. She nodded back and crossed to Jake.

‘What’s all this activity about, anyway?’

‘This weekend is the town dance.’

Lou raised her eyebrows. ‘A town dance? Any particular reason?’

‘It’s a fundraiser.’ He held up a hand before she could speak. ‘And so you don’t get mad at me for not telling you—yes, it is a fundraiser for the library. We’ve done it every year for the past six years. It’s our biggest social event. It’s important for the town as well as for the library. No-one actually decided we should keep doing it when the library stopped. It just happened.’

‘Oh.’ Lou didn’t know what to say. It was hardly her place to say anything really, except that she owned the library now. Any money raised might come to her and that wasn’t right. She looked around at the other workers in the hall. ‘Is everyone expecting me to take over the library now? Because I’m not going to. This is a one-off run while I find those letters Luca left for me.

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