‘Mrs Stellion allows Uncle Tom and me to take a few when we’re tidying up,’ Ellen explained, anxious that the elderly librarian shouldn’t think she’d pinched them.

The girls asked after Mr Shepherd’s health and then Sally said, ‘Mr Shepherd, you must tell us about your books.’ Her eyes were wide as she took in that there were many hundreds in the room. ‘Have you read them all …?’

And so the afternoon passed in wonderful bookish talk.

When it was time to go, the girls left with a list of reading recommendations, Mr Shepherd’s good wishes to pass on to Sally’s mother and Ellen’s uncle, and an invitation to the girls to call again as soon as they could.

‘I’m so glad to see you,’ Mr Shepherd said, reluctantly showing them out late in the afternoon. ‘It’s good to see young people, and to exchange some views and learn how folk are doing.’

‘Don’t you have many visitors?’ Sally asked, while Ellen dug her discreetly in the ribs, but Mr Shepherd didn’t seem to mind the question.

‘A few. Folk round here are good souls, but it’s not like going all over in the library van every day. I used to meet all sorts in the villages around here, but I reckon I won’t see some of them again. It’s amazing what you get to know about people from the books they borrow and the pleasantries exchanged over the years. You get to care, like.’

He looked sad and Ellen noticed how his shoulders drooped and the lines of arthritic pain were etched in his friendly old face when he let down his guard.

‘We’ll let any regulars of yours we see know that you’d be pleased for them to visit, if you like?’ she suggested.

‘Yes, Ellen, thank you. I’d be glad to see any who’re prepared to drop by,’ Mr Shepherd said, ‘what with me finding it difficult to go far myself now. And I’ll see you both again soon, I hope?’

‘Yes, please,’ they chorused, and waved as they went to the gate.

It wasn’t raining yet and they decided to walk home to save the bus fare.

‘It always seems more uphill going back from Great Grindle,’ said Sally. ‘It can’t be, though, can it?’

‘It’s ’cos the really steep bit is at the beginning this way. I’m so pleased we decided to go, though.’

‘Your idea. Thanks for asking me. He’s such a lovely man.’

‘I wanted to ask about the new librarian, but he made a mean joke about Mr Shepherd being “assigned to the archives”, which Uncle Tom and me think was heartless, so I didn’t like to mention the new fella and spoil the afternoon.’

‘No, I reckon it was telling that Mr Shepherd didn’t ask about him or mention him either,’ said Sally.