The books were stamped in a tense silence between Ellen and the librarian, though Tom looked quite relaxed as he scooped up his books.

‘See you next time,’ he said cheerily as he stepped out of the van.

The librarian cleared this throat. ‘There is one thing,’ he said, looking uncomfortable. ‘Mrs Thwaite borrowed some books last time and I need them back. That is, I wondered if you would get them … as I know she’s not well, like, and she won’t want to be running up a fine.’

‘A fine, you say?’ said Tom, turning back and looking interested. ‘Well, I reckon she won’t be fined unless you fine her.’

‘Yes, that’s true.’

‘And since you know she’s not well, why would you be imposing a fine?’

‘It’s the rules,’ said the librarian sullenly. ‘I have to impose the fine if the books are late back.’

‘Do you?’ asked Tom, as if he were fascinated by this information. ‘But who’s to know? After all, the lady’s circumstances are no fault of her own, as you seem to be aware, and I think I’d be right in saying she always returns her books on time normally as she’s a library regular. Would it not be an act of kindness, then, to forget the fine, as Mrs Thwaite is away recovering and can’t give you the books herself?’

‘But I need to keep to the rules. I’m not allowed to make exceptions. You could get them, couldn’t you? As you work here?’

Tom looked at the librarian for a long time until the penny dropped.

‘Please?’ the young man added.

‘I don’t work in the house and I can’t get the books for you,’ said Tom.

‘Oh, but—’

‘But I can ask for Mrs Thwaite’s books to be brought out to you.’

‘Thank you,’ the librarian muttered.

Tom and Ellen slipped through the little gate, Ellen waited while he put his books inside the Lodge, then they walked up the drive together.

‘What was that all about?’ said Ellen. ‘The man’s obsessed with his rules, but why is he so bothered about Mrs Thwaite’s books? I doubt he’d care about us running up fines.’

‘Oh, I think he must know Mrs Thwaite,’ said Tom. ‘He was new to the library last time but he knows her name and seems to care, in his own strange way, that she shouldn’t be fined. Anyway, I’ll take your books and put them in the shed while you go and find Gina and ask her if she’d mind dealing with Mrs Thwaite’s books.’

Gina didn’t mind at all. In fact she was surprisingly chipper about running the errand for Mrs Thwaite.

‘I’ll see if I can find them,’ she said, and went to fetch the key to Mrs Thwaite’s room from the hook in the kitchen.