"I have work to do."
"Lily. Go see your friends. You've been working nonstop. You need a break."
"But—"
"No buts. It’ll be fine. And you'll come back tomorrow, right?"
"If you want me to."
"I do."
I bite my lip. "Okay. I'll go."
"Good." He stands, collecting our plates. "But first, you're coming with me to the rare book shop."
"You want to come?" I ask him.
"I want to see what you're working on. Plus, it'll be fun."
I don't know why that makes me so happy, but it does.
We spend the afternoon at Marcus's shop, a cramped, dusty space filled with floor-to-ceiling shelves of books. Marcus himself is exactly what I expected: older with gray hair, bookish, with a passion for literature that's infectious.
"This is the one," he says, pulling a leather-bound volume from a locked case which holds more treasures that I hope to explore someday. If they are locked up, they have to be rare.
I hold my breath as he opens the book carefully.
Pride and Prejudice. First edition. 1813.
It's beautiful. The pages are yellowed with age, but the text is clear. And on the inside cover, there's an inscription.
To my dearest Jane. May you always find your Mr. Darcy.
I look at Ethan. "This is perfect."
"I agree," he says.
Marcus names his price and Ethan doesn't even flinch. Twelve thousand dollars. Twelve. Thousand. Dollars. For a birthday present. He must really love his sister.
"We'll take it," he says.
"But wait," I say, an idea forming. "Can you get it signed?"
Marcus raises an eyebrow. "By whom? Austen's been dead for two hundred years."
"By a living author. Someone Claire admires."
"Who?"
I pull out my phone and scroll through Claire's social media. She posts constantly about books, and there's one author she mentions more than anyone else.
"Lydia Hartley," I say. "She writes historical romance. Claire is obsessed with her."
Marcus strokes his beard. "I know Lydia. We've worked together before. I wouldn’t have anyone mar an original copy of Pride and Prejudice though. How about we get a copy of her newest book? It won’t be released for a month yet but I know she already has some on hand. I can reach out."
"Really?"
"For an extra fee."
