Page 59 of The Bookshop Ladies

‘You’ll have to find somewhere to put it, I mean, even if Sandrine came over in the next few days, we can’t just leave it lying about,’ Fern said.

‘Leave what lying about?’ Albie had materialised at Joy’s elbow. They’d been so deeply engrossed in discussingAlice, they hadn’t even heard the old-fashioned bell ring as the door had been pushed open.

‘Oh, Albie, the most exciting news,’ Fern gushed and she looked between Joy and Robyn for permission to spill the story to him. Albie listened carefully while Fern told him all about the book. Robyn just nodded, she was weary with excitement, as if she’d spent the whole morning pushing back the tide on the shore. She hadn’t an ounce of energy left for anything other than to sit there staring at the cloth-covered book on the counter between them.

‘Our safe would be, but…’ Albie took the book up gingerly now and examined it. He was as delighted as Fern at the unexpected turn of fortune in the bookshop.

‘That’s exactly where it could go.’ Joy clapped her hands together as if this was the answer she’d been looking for all along.

‘But, it’s not reliable, it doesn’t always lock and it doesn’t always open. I’m afraid it’s as old as Methuselah and every bit as tired.’

‘Oh dear, I’m just remembering when we decided to hide your birthday present in there, Robyn.’ Fern rolled her eyes and then looked towards Joy to explain. ‘It took two years to get it out again and, by then, she was well over the neon eye shadow palette phase.’

‘In hindsight, you probably did me a favour.’ Robyn laughed now.

‘Okay, so maybe just keep it here, I mean, upstairs there are so many books, just slot it into one of the shelves, it’ll be like a needle in a haystack,’ Joy said.

‘Still though,’ Albie was examining the book, ‘just think, a little book like this, worth so much money, it almost makes your head spin, doesn’t it?’ He looked at Robyn and she had a feeling he knew exactly how she felt.

40

Joy felt as if they could do no more.

The bookshop looked perfect. She walked through each section slowly, her eyes searching from the top to the bottom of each shelf as she passed.

Robyn had worked hard over the last few weeks, they both had; organising every book into its correct section. Now, it was possible to walk to within three inches and place your hand on the spine of any book you wanted with ease.

Even better, the reorganisation of the shop had come together with a host of ideas to give the place the sort of character that made it perfect to spend ages browsing in.

They were lucky with the overall layout, a large shop floor at the front, but then a warren of smaller rooms and alcoves reaching off into little nooks. The graphic novel section was tiny. Evidently the previous owner was not a fan. It fitted snugly into a corner hardly bigger than an old-fashioned telephone booth. Just outside the cubicle, Robyn had placed a movie director’s chair that she had covered in Batman material salvaged from a duvet cover long out of use.

It was the main part of the shop that was absolutely knock-out for the evening ahead. Vases of wild flowers dotted the tables and their scent lingered on the air, making Joy feel as if the whole place was pregnant with expectation.

Leo had been good enough to come in when he closed up the bakery and help them push tables back to the sides and carry the stock that usually sat piled high on them to the steps running up to the flat upstairs. Fern had covered over the tables with freshly laundered cloths. ‘They belonged to my mother, I think,’ Fern murmured as she traced her hand across them. The tables were laid out with finger food and folded napkins at their centres. The outer part of each table was left clear so guests could rest their glasses.

There wasn’t much room for chairs, but Robyn brought down a few dining chairs from the flat for some of the older people who had promised to turn up on the night. No matter how much Albie might pooh-pooh the suggestion of catching his breath, Joy knew he’d be glad of somewhere to rest if the night was a long one.

Earlier, Joy had convinced Robyn to go for a run on the beach. She made her promise she’d take her time and then have a shower and get ready for the evening ahead. Fern was cooking a light dinner for the three of them with plenty to spare if Kian and Imogene arrived early; although Joy wasn’t sure she wanted to be a fly on the wall if that happened. Robyn was already nervous – a nasty remark from Imogene could be enough to knock her back and she deserved to enjoy her big night.

Joy closed the door of the shop out at four thirty. She planned to go back to the flat, put on a nice dress and fix herself up for later.

It was when she caught sight of herself in the little mirror in her bedroom that she realised there was one more thing she had to do to make the night just perfect for Robyn.

Joy couldn’t put into words what it meant to her to have begun to forge this unexpected relationship with Robyn and Fern. FindingAliceand the real fear of how much it could change things only illuminated how perfect things were at a time when she expected the very opposite. For the first time, since her mother had passed away, it felt as if she had a family to call her own.

That was why she decided that the brooch she’d worn every day since Yves had pinned it on her jacket many years ago should belong to Robyn.

‘I can’t accept that, it must be worth a fortune.’

‘Probably, but more than that, Yves told me once it’s the reason his family survived the war. They believed the mezuzah was a symbol of protection. His mother was convinced it was what brought them safely from Poland to Paris just as their neighbours were being rounded up and sent to concentration camps.’

‘That’s an amazing gift, Joy,’ Fern said softly and she touched the brooch gently, admiring the lustre of the pearls and the gleam from the diamonds.

‘I can’t take it, it’s too much.’ Robyn shook her head.

‘It’s not nearly enough. Yves would have wanted you to have it, I mean, who deserves it more?’

‘You do.’ Robyn laughed as Joy stood back to admire it. She had pinned it on Robyn’s dress and, suddenly, she felt overwhelmed by love. It almost moved her to tears to think it had now passed to the next generation.

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