‘Before you show me around, could you direct me to the bathroom?’ he asked.
‘Through there.’ Elle pointed.
As Aiden disappeared through the door Elle turned towards Pippa. ‘I know that dreamy look.’
‘There is a God is all I’m saying!’
‘Pippa! This morning there was the man on the bus, then Wilson and now…’
‘It’s good to keep your options open,’ protested Pippa. ‘I knew these glasses were going to be the making of my love life.’ She waggled the arms of her glasses behind her ears, making Elle laugh as they comically bounced up and down.
‘Do not go complicating things.’
‘I’m not sure what you mean and shush, he’s coming back.’
Elle looked towards Aiden. ‘Let me show you the staffroom and get you settled before we set you up on the computer system.’
‘Sounds like a plan,’ he replied.
Elle picked up the box of flapjacks that was left on the desk. ‘Come on, this way.’ She dared to look back over her shoulder at Pippa, who winked.
Elle rolled her eyes; she certainly had her work cut out for her sometimes, being Pippa’s boss.
ChapterFour
For most of the morning, Pippa had sat amongst the little humans in the children’s book corner. Every Monday at eleven a.m. Pippa prised the puppet from the story sack and mesmerised the toddlers with her funny voices and facial expressions while she read from the latest children’s books.
‘Do you want my opinion?’ Aiden asked as he watched Pippa from the front desk.
‘What about?’ Elle replied, carefully stacking the returned books from that morning into a basket, ready to be filed back on to the shelves after lunch.
‘She’s a natural.’ He smiled in Pippa’s direction. ‘Just look at her. She comes alive when she’s around children.’
Elle looked over. She knew exactly what Aiden meant.
He continued. ‘My mum used to sit with me for hours when I was a child, reading the old classics. My favourite was alwaysHuckleberry Finn. Maybe that’s why I love books so much.’
‘The classics are always the best,’ agreed Elle.
‘Did your mum read to you? Is that why you love books too?’ Aiden gave her a sideward glance.
Elle had been passed from foster home to foster home until she was placed with Irene and couldn’t remember anyone ever reading to her when she was small. Once again, her thoughts turned to her birth mother. She had so many gnawing questions that could only be answered by discovering where and whom she had come from. The question that turned over and over in her mind the most was whether her birth mother had ever tried to find her.
Elle had a wonderful life with Irene, a job she loved and a good circle of friends, but there was always a dull ache, a longing to discover exactly who she was, and over the years the curiosity had intensified about the identity of her biological family and the circumstances that led to her being given up as a baby.
‘Yes,’ replied Elle, telling a little white lie.
‘I meant to ask earlier, what happens at lunchtime?’ Aiden said as a loud growl escaped from his stomach.
‘Pippa and I usually go on separate lunches. We sometimes nip out to Bonnie’s Teashop or The Old Bakehouse. There’s the pub too, and the creperie. Do you want to come on first lunch with me?’
Pippa was wrapping up the session and caught Elle’s eye. She tapped her watch and motioned to say she was off for lunch, and Pippa nodded in acknowledgement.
‘That’ll be great,’ he replied as Pippa appeared beside them with a smile hitched on her face.
‘I know it’s not the norm to like Mondays, but it’s my favourite time of the week,’ she said enthusiastically.
‘Aiden was just saying what a natural you look with the children.’
