“Marian Keyes? Are you sure you want to borrow this?” Mrs.B surveyed a book suspiciously. “I read one of hers once and it was shit.”
“I really like them, actually,” the woman said, snatching the book back.
“Suit yourself.” Mrs.B raised her eyebrows and then spotted June. “Well, well, look who the cat’s dragged in.”
“Hello, Mrs.B,” June said. “I can’t believe they let you deal with the public.”
Mrs.B laughed and gave June a punch on the shoulder. “It’s good to see you again, my friend. What do you think of the old place, then?”
June turned to survey the library, bracing herself for a painful rush of nostalgia. But the room was almost unrecognizable from the last time she’d been here. The shelves on the back wall had been replaced by a counter with a coffee machine, and half of the floor space was taken up by small round tables, all occupied with people chatting. Vera was standing behind the counter, manning the till, and next to her Leila was placing cakes onto a plate. The computers had been moved to the front and Marjorie’s office had been turnedback into a stockroom, with a shiny new trolley sitting by the door. The Children’s Room looked like it had been redecorated too, and she could see Jackson in there wearing a badge that saidvolunteer children’s librarian. But the main thing that caught June’s eye was a huge framed photo on the wall above the door. It had been taken during the occupation and it showed Stanley, June, and Mrs.Bransworth standing outside, a largesave chalcot librarybanner above their heads. Their arms were round one another’s shoulders and they were all grinning at the camera. Seeing Stanley brought a lump to June’s throat.
“It looks so different,” she said.
“It’s been a hell of a battle. We nearly didn’t raise enough money, but Marjorie managed to secure us a sponsor just in time.”
“Is she here?”
“Of course. I can’t get rid of the old battle-ax, even if I wanted to.” Mrs.B nodded toward the stockroom, and as June got nearer she could hear her old boss berating an elderly gentleman.
“I know it looks prettier organizing books by their color, Donald, but the Dewey decimal system has been refined over decades and is a highly efficient classification system. Please try to use it next time.”
“Hi, Marjorie,” June said.
“I’m going to kill one of them,” Marjorie muttered as the volunteer walked away. “They all think they know best and it’s driving me mad. God, I miss you.”
June was pretty sure this was the first time Marjorie had ever paid her a compliment. “The library looks great.”
Marjorie wrinkled her nose. “It’s not the same—we can’t run half the activities we used to—but I’m proud of what we’ve achieved, especially given how hard it’s been to raise the money.”
“And you’re still volunteering here?”
“Actually, I’m paid a salary to work part-time. It’s all thanks to our donor.”
“What donor?”
“Haven’t you met him yet? He’s over there.” Marjorie pointed across the room to a man talking to Chantal. He was tall and wearing an expensive-looking suit, his dark hair salted with gray. He looked up and caught June staring at him, then crossed the busy library in long strides.
“Are you June?”
She nodded. There was something vaguely familiar about this man, but she couldn’t think where she’d seen him before.
“I’m so happy to meet you,” he said, giving her a warm smile. He had a slight accent, although June couldn’t place it. “They told me you weren’t involved with the library anymore, so I thought we’d never get the chance to meet.”
His eyes were blue and intense, and June felt herself blushing under his gaze. He really was very handsome. “I’m sorry, but who—”
“Could I get everybody’s attention?” Mrs.Bransworth’s voice rang out across the library. She paused, waiting for the room to quieten, and June and the man both turned to listen.
“For those of you who don’t know me, I’m the chairperson of the Friends of Chalcot Library. For the past seven months, FOCL have fought tooth and nail to set up this library. Those Dunningshire Council bastards have made life difficult for us at every step of the way, and we nearly gave up several times. So, it’s wonderful to be able to welcome you all here today for the grand opening of our community library.”
A small cheer went round the room.
“I’ll keep this quick, but there are a few people I need to thank. Firstly, to my fellow members of FOCL. Thank you to Chantal andJackson, who’ve brought a much-needed dose of youth to this place, and Vera and Leila for running the café. And in particular thanks to Marjorie; you and I may have had our differences over the years, but it’s thanks to your expertise and hard work that we’re here today.”
June looked across and saw the five of them standing together, grinning.
“I’d also like to thank our solicitor, Ellie Davis, who’s worked pro bono to help us with the legal side of things. I hate lawyers, as a rule, but Ellie is one of the good ones.” Mrs.B nodded toward a pretty blond woman, and June felt her stomach drop. So, this was Alex’s flatmate. They’d exchanged e-mails about Stanley’s will and the lease, but June had never met her before. She looked lovely.
“Where’s June?” Mrs.B said.