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Back The Library Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. THE LIBRARY
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. EPILOGUE
  54. Questions for your Book Club
  55. Acknowledgements
  56. About the Author
  57. Become an Aria Addict

He looked up midchew. ‘You wouldn’t be an apprentice forever – it’s a rung on the ladder. It’ll get you started. Get you earning.’

And there it was – the real reason for all this. Money. None of this was about what was best for me or what I wanted. It was all about him. All about the great pile of crap he’d got himself into. ‘So I can pay the bills?’

His shoulders tensed and I waited for the backlash, but he relaxed and forked up some more beans. ‘It’s about time you paid your way. I was working full-time at sixteen. It didn’t do me any harm.’

I glanced around the room, the smell of overcooked fish fingers hanging in the air. If this was the prize you got for working forty-hour weeks for years and years I didn’t want it.

18

MAGGIE

Maggie was looking a little more conventional; her wild mane of hair was wrestled into a neat bun and she was wearing a long dark cardigan and jeans. Although the flared bottoms were a little out of sync with other ladies her age they showed off her red Doc Martens every time she strode about the library giving out instructions, which was every few seconds. The book club regulars had stayed on to help set up for the inaugural Save the Library meeting and Christine was like a caged bird being circled by a ravenous cat and seemed to jump at every order.

‘Christine? Are you all right?’ asked Maggie, her voice gentle.

Christine breathed in deeply. ‘No. I’m not all right. We’ve got umpteen people arriving for a meeting. I’ve not told the council that we’re holding it here and I don’t think any of it will really do any good and…’

‘Christine. Breathe,’ instructed Maggie, taking her by the forearms and breathing slowly with her. ‘Breathe in peace and tranquillity. Hold it. Breathe out negativity and stress.’

Tom continued to put the returns back in the right places on the shelves, giving only a cursory glance at the two women and their mutual breathing exercises. The door opened and he spun around. Seeing who it was he almost tripped over his feet in haste.

‘Hiya,’ said Farah. ‘I brought my friend, Amy. Is that okay?’

‘Yeah. Come in.’ Amy and Tom exchanged taut expressions.

‘Hiya,’ repeated Farah in Maggie and Christine’s direction.

‘Christine’s a bit stressed,’ explained Tom in a whisper because Amy was looking slightly alarmed by the synchronised puffing that was going on.

After a few breaths Christine seemed to be calmer. She gave a series of hurried nods. ‘I’m fine. It’s just that everything hinges on this.’

‘I know,’ said Maggie. ‘That’s why we’re here.’ Christine gave her a weak smile. ‘Right, Tom, are you sure you’ll be all right doing refreshments?’ asked Maggie.