“And if you need help with cleaning or sorting out anything at all, it’s no trouble.” Jimmy Hill, a sprightly 80-year-old who’d been my aunt’s faithful friend and admirer for decades, left his accustomed seat in the prime position to see everyone. He and Aunt Violet had perfected the art of sneaking out through the games room and the back door if anyone coming in promised to be a nuisance. His mottled hand shook as he stroked Cosmo’s head. He seemed shrunk and lost. Aunt Violet’s death had hit him as hard as me. The cat purred, and Jimmy’s hand steadied.
The third person, a young woman with a ponytail and baggy jeans, was new to me. Where the other two had tried to reassure me, she looked as if she needed comfort. In her haste to jump up, she nearly knocked over the candleholder and the hand-carved tissue holder with the embossed table number. “I’m sorry if I’m a bit pushy, but can you tell me when you’ll reopen the library?” she asked.
I raised my eyebrows at Harper, who took care of the bar. “We all heard the news.” she said.
“That was fast.”
“Not really. Brian stopped for a bite before he set off again. He left a note for you.” She handed me an envelope. I folded it and shoved it into my pants pocket. “Soup and bread roll okay for you too?”
“Perfect,” I said. I addressed the young woman. “I hope soon, but it all depends on how long probate takes.”
Her brows knitted. “Do you think they’d speed it up if we all ask together?”
“Great idea,” Jimmy said.
Cosmo headbutted my arm with growing enthusiasm.
“It’s my son’s happy place,” the young woman explained. “Noah’s not healthy and when he feels bad, Violet gives – gave him books andtea or lemonade. She’d read to him until he’d smile again. And he adores Cosmo. I’m Sarah Fitch, by the way.”
Over Cosmo’s head, we shook hands. “I’ll do my best,” I promised.
“Why don’t you get Louisa to drop by?” Jimmy asked. “If we all asked her and reasoned with her, and it’s all going to be yours anyway –”
Did Cosmo wink and nod at me? Maybe Bex Merriweather, apprentice witch, possessed secret powers that my old self hadn’t so much as dreamt of. How else could it be that Louisa came into the bar while I tucked into home-made butternut squash soup and a crusty roll worthy of a gourmet restaurant?
A hush fell over the company. It became so quiet I heard my spoon dip into the soup. Louisa squeezed in next to me, although there were enough free places to sit a baseball team.
“Hello, again,” I said.
She sniffed. “The soup smells good.”
“Another portion coming up.” Harper bustled through to the kitchen.
“Go on, eat.” Louisa drummed on the table.
“I will, unless you have bad news for me.” I crossed my fingers. Had the cousins changed their minds? What if Cosmo and I were stranded for months, without the vital access to the house? I’d come close to passing out on the staircase. What would happen if I had powers but no idea how to deal with them?
Cosmo meowed. I took a deep breath.
“I’ve had a chat with the court clerk,” she said.
“Okay?”
“There’ve been a few calls already, about the lending library.” Willowmere hadn’t had a public library since before I was born, so my aunt had filled aserious gap.
“Please say it’s fine,” Sarah said under her breath.
“The long and short of it is, if I as the designated executor compile a full inventory list, in your presence if you want to, you can move in tomorrow and reopen as soon as you’re ready.”
Sarah clapped, Jimmy nodded, and I had to prevent my jaw from dropping. “A full inventory? Are you kidding? There must be 10,000 books in the library and the storeroom. That’ll take forever.” Aunt Violet had used the Dewey Decimal system, so all the books had a handy tag on the spine, but she didn’t use a scanner. Every borrow and return had been logged manually into the computer. After hours, she’d added them to the customer’s notes which she kept, rolodex-style. It helped her remember what books people loved and what kind of book was wrong for them. Her book keeping was equally old-fashioned. Subscribers paid a small monthly fee.
“I can come over,” Jimmy said. “I know ‘bout every single thing in Violet’s place, apart from her bedroom.”
“I’d appreciate that, if Bex is fine with it? And we’ll accept the computer inventory for the books. It’s more to make sure that nobody can say there’s something missing. She’s made several small bequests which I didn’t go into earlier. Nothing of great monetary value.”
Harper arrived with Louisa’s meal. “What have I missed?” she asked.
“You’re losing an overnight guest and gaining a librarian,” I said.
