Page 7 of The Secret Librarian
It wasn’t a lie, she thought about Jack often, she just hadn’t been thinking of him in that exact moment. If she had, she’d be feeling far more positive, because he would have been the first to encourage her to go.
‘He’ll be fine, darling,’ her mother said, coming to drop a kiss on to the top of her head before sitting beside Avery’s father and repeating one of her husband’s favourite phrases. ‘Those boys will all be home before you know it, just you wait and see.’
Avery reached over and turned the radio up when the announcer’s voice rang clear through the speaker, eager to hear what news there was to report on the war. Her parents were both silent too, as they all listened.
‘All Jews in France have now been ordered to wear yellow stars pinned to their chests, an order that has also been implemented in occupied Belgium and the Netherlands, a move that intensifies and extends Hitler’s mandate for all Jewish people in Germany and occupied countries.’
Avery closed her eyes, not wanting to imagine what those people were going through. She still didn’t understand why the Nazis hated the Jews so much. The Nazi Party seemed as intent on erasing Jews as they were books that were written by Jews.
She pushed the thoughts out of her head and turned her attention back to the broadcast.
‘Although it will come as no surprise to many Americans, it has been confirmed by the President that our great country has officially declared war on Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania.’
‘They won’t know what’s hit them,’ her father muttered. ‘The Axis don’t stand a chance now that we’re in the war.’
She gave her father a small smile, tucking back further into her armchair as she listened to the rest of the broadcast. Avery wanted to be as optimistic as he was, but she wasn’t certain that it was going to be as easy, or as straightforward, for the Allies to win the war as her father seemed to think.
Thankfully the news of the day was over, and because it was Tuesday the familiar jingle ofThe Pepsodent Showwith Bob Hope began, and Avery found herself laughing so hard at his ridiculous jokes and monologues that her cheeks hurt. Her parents laughed along too, and when the show was over, Avery rose and kissed each of them on the cheek.
‘Goodnight,’ she said.
‘Goodnight, darling,’ her mother said, at the same time as her father blew her a kiss, his ruddy cheeks stretching into a smile.
Avery walked slowly down the hall, trailing her fingers along the wallpaper as she imagined not living in the house she’d always called home. They’d moved there when she was a baby, so she knew no other home and also knew how much she’d miss it, just as she’d miss sitting with her family and listening to the wireless at night, but she also knew that she couldn’t live the rest of her life wondering what else there was in the world if she was given the opportunity to explore it.
An hour later, Charlotte came tiptoeing into the room. Avery lay there and listened to her get changed.
‘How was your night?’ Avery whispered.
‘Sorry, I was trying to be quiet,’ Charlotte said. ‘We had fun, you should have come. Michael was there.’
Avery sighed. ‘Maybe next time.’
The covers rustled then and she listened to Charlotte getting into bed, fluffing her pillows as she had since they were children before going still. Avery was so used to hearing her sister breathingnext to her in the night that she suddenly couldn’t imagine sleeping in a room alone.
‘Charlotte,’ she whispered. ‘Are you still awake?’
Her sister didn’t answer, and Avery lifted her head and heard the soft sound of her snoring.Trust her to fall asleep the moment her head hits the pillow.
‘I think I might be asked to travel overseas,’ Avery said in a low voice, deciding she was probably better off telling her sister when she wasn’t awake. ‘And if they do, I think I’ll say yes.’
She closed her eyes tight and imagined how it would feel to tell her parents if she was asked, or how she’d break the news to Michael.
‘And the best part is, I’ll have a reason to call off the wedding.’
Avery turned over on to her stomach and buried her face in the pillow, wishing upon wishing that everything about her life hadn’t suddenly become so complicated.
Chapter Three
Avery
Avery had been awake since well before daybreak, and before that she felt as if she’d tossed and turned all night. But now, after the longest morning in history, she was finally walking up the steps of the Gramercy Park Hotel, double-checking the number on the building before walking through the doors. She was surprised to be meeting at a hotel, but then she guessed that it was a logical place for someone out of town to hold meetings.
‘May I help you?’ the concierge asked, clearly seeing how confused she looked.
‘I’m, ah ...’ Avery cleared her throat and glanced at the now deeply lined piece of paper in her hand. She’d folded and unfolded it so many times since being given it the day before that it was almost falling apart. ‘I’m here to meet a Mr Frederick Kilgour.’
‘Come this way,’ the concierge said.
