Page 42 of The Secret Librarian
Avery ignored him. It had been the most magical evening and she wanted to keep hold of it for a little bit longer before addressing her slight issue of hoarding.
‘Come on, let me clear out some of my mess from your bedroom. You must be beat.’
Chapter Thirteen
Avery
Avery wandered into the bookshop as she did almost every other morning. Even if Camille didn’t have anything for her, calling in and saying hello had become a favourite part of her daily routine. And she’d also been thinking a lot about what Camille had proposed – and whether she would be capable of helping her or not.
‘Good morning!’ she called out.
Only her voice died in her throat when she realised Camille wasn’t alone. Usually there would be maybe one customer late morning – it was often busier in the afternoons – but today Camille’s German friend was in the shop. When he turned, a shiver ran the length of Avery’s spine, and she immediately wished she could retrace her steps and come back later. But she knew that such a move would make her look more than a little suspicious, and so instead she fixed her smile and nodded to him. She was relieved when he turned his attention back to Camille.
‘Oh, good morning, Avery!’ Camille said, a little too brightly. ‘I have your book waiting for you out the back.’
‘My b—’ she began. ‘Oh, thank you, I didn’t expect it to be in so soon.’
Avery smiled again at the man, who was looking at her. It was most unsettling.
‘Avery, I’d like you to officially meet Kiefer. Kiefer, this is one of my very good customers, Avery.’
Kiefer’s smile was cool but polite, and he folded his hands behind his back as he greeted her. She was surprised he didn’t offer to shake her hand.
‘Pleased to meet you, Avery,’ he said.
‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, too,’ she replied. ‘Are you here for business or pleasure?’
Avery cringed and immediately wished she’d kept her mouth shut when he didn’t answer. She hadn’t meant it to sound like that, and she quickly tried to correct herself.
‘I often call in to say hello, but then I always end up buying something. It’s impossible not to with such a wonderful selection of books to choose from.’ Avery knew she was prattling, as she often did when she was nervous, but she couldn’t seem to help it.
‘Avery, would you like to browse the store while I dash out the back to get your book?’ Camille suggested, saving her from having to talk to Kiefer, who was proving to be most unsettling.
She nodded and moved away, feeling as if her every move was being scrutinised. Without a doubt, this was the closest she’d ever knowingly been to a Nazi. She had no idea how Camille could be around him so easily.
‘Here we go,’ Camille said within a few minutes, passing Avery a book that she’d never heard of before and pressing it into her hands, giving her a strange look that she had no hope of deciphering.
Nevertheless, Avery followed her to the counter and paid, her hands trembling ever so slightly as she continued to feel Kiefer’s gaze on her.
‘I’ll see you again soon, Avery,’ Camille said brightly, and Avery found herself saying goodbye and walking straight back out the door.
When she looked down at the book, she had the strangest notion that Camille had been trying to tell her something. Was she scared? Did she need help? Was there a message in the title? But it wasGone with the Wind; what message could there possibly be? Unless Camille was indicating that she should be gone with the wind and flee, which she certainly hoped wasn’t the case.
It wasn’t until she opened the book and flicked through a few pages that a note fell out, hastily written and on paper torn from a large notepad. Avery bent to collect it from where it had fluttered to the ground.
Come back when he’s long gone. Need to see you. Make sure no one’s following you.
If Avery had been nervous before, now she was downright scared. Follow her? Why would anyone be following her, unless Kiefer was suspicious about their friendship for some reason? And why would Camille need to see her so urgently that she’d gone to the effort of writing a note and hiding it in a book?
Avery started to walk away, the book tucked under her arm, and glanced over her shoulder every few steps, more nervous than she’d ever been. In fact, she was so nervous that her feet walked her all the way to the square by James’s hotel, but she didn’t let herself go in.
You came here because you wanted to be taken seriously. If you run to him at the first roadblock, you may as well give up and go home.
So she started to walk again, counting down the minutes until she felt it was safe to go back to the shop without Kiefer knowing she’d returned. And knowing that when she did, she was going totell Camille that she would do whatever she needed her to do. It might be dangerous, but the sight of all those families huddled together in the square when she’d last been there was imprinted in her mind now, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she didn’t do something to help them.
‘You came back.’
‘Of course I came back! After that cryptic message you gave me, I’ve been pacing the streets waiting until I could come back! Why the ruse?’
