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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

‘Usually it’s midweek daytime but maybe we could do midweek four o’clock and mums could bring primary age children too,’ suggested Christine.

‘That would work for me,’ said Farah, looking delighted at the prospect. ‘I’m here on a Tuesday straight from school anyway. I could also do one on a Saturday.’

Tom cleared his throat. ‘I could run the silver surfers internet class if you like,’ he said, sounding unsure.

‘Top job, Tom. I’m sure you’ll charm all the oldies,’ said Maggie.

They ticked off the last few points and a few sniffs from Christine made the others look her way. She buried her face in a tissue. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘You’ve all been brilliant today. I don’t know what I’d have done without you. Actually I think I’d have probably curled up in a corner and accepted my fate.’

‘You’re stronger than you think, Christine,’ said Maggie, patting her arm.

Christine shook her head. ‘I don’t know what I’d do if I lost this job.’ She blew her nose again. Tom busied himself with clearing away cups.

‘You’d bounce back,’ said Maggie and Christine looked alarmed that Maggie wasn’t offering her a guarantee. ‘But let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,’ Maggie added. She wasn’t one for offering false hope, only practical solutions.

19

TOM

There was no answer from Maggie’s when I knocked. I peered through the living room window and was relieved that she wasn’t sitting dead in the chair as that horror had suddenly charged into my mind. Although there was still the thought that she could be lying somewhere else in the house. I tried the door but it was locked. I had got the earlier bus so perhaps I was too early. Maybe she was having a Sunday lie-in after her rousing speech at the library yesterday?

I was looking forward to having a chat to her because I’d finished Pride and Prejudice, which she’d recommended, and I’d loved it. The whole time I was reading it I kept thinking about Farah. Partly because I kept picturing her as Elizabeth Bennet but mainly because I knew she’d love it too. I could also see myself as Darcy but nobody needed to know that.