Page 2 of Whispers from the Past

‘Right,’ Rose nodded as she subconsciously took a step back.

‘Have you read it? I’ve got a copy in my bag if you’d like to borrow it.’

‘No I’m good, thanks. I read it when I was about 18, and it is still pretty much seared into my memory. I’ve never been able to look at a rat in the same way since the book started doing the rounds when I was at secondary school. It was the cool book that my fellow students liked to spout off about trying to make themselves look well read.’

Sam laughed to himself. ‘Yes, the prose is powerful. I just love the characters - Ellis really brings everything to life!’. Rose rolled her eyes as her point was clearly missed by her new nemesis. Which is what she’d decided Sam now was. More often than she would like, someone came into her life with what appeared to be the sole purpose of inciting her hatred. And she was usually a ‘live and let live’ kind of person. But sometimes she couldn’t help it. Someone would gravitate towards her, insistent on making her life unbearable and she’d hate them. It happened to her Mum a lot too when she’d been alive. One time, she recalled when Susie had tried to temper that maternal influence. She’d sent them both a postcard with the message ‘Hate is a word you can never take back’ written artistically on the front after her Mum had regaled a recent encounter with Rose’s head teacher at the time. Her Mum had just laughed and said good, if I’ve said it then I don’t want to take it back. But that postcard had stayed with Rose over the years, and she really tried her very best not to hate someone unless they definitely deserved it. So with that thought sifting to the surface of her memories that morning, Rose stopped the conversation before he started to regale her with his favourite murders or tortures from the book. Although she didn’t enjoy answering it herself, Rose must have asked that favourite book question hundreds of times over the years, and never had the answer coupled with the person who said it, unnerved her to such a degree.

‘Ok well then, that’s good. Why don’t you start sorting through the new books for the shelves. Each needs adding to the library system computer so we can print off the barcode and get them on the shelves.’ She pointed to a large box of new books behind the door and then quickly made her retreat from the tiny office.

Meeting Sam had made getting her head around leaving the library that much harder. She realised that she’d been hoping that meeting her replacement would provide a balm to the wound, not sink a spoon into it to open it up further. Despite her inner turmoil, she couldn’t help but smile at her inner monologue for the reference to the line from the film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. Maybe she just needed to sack off the rest of the day, go home and watch Alan Rickman threaten Kevin Costner with a spoon. But she knew she wouldn’t do that, the only time she’d ever snuck off early from work, she’d felt so guilty she’d ended up working overtime the rest of the week to make up for it. So instead, she pulled up her big girl pants and kept herself busy restacking shelves and helping people find books they wanted to read with vague descriptions of a plot they half remembered from a recommendation. When her lunch break finally came round, she hurried herself out of the doors and made her way out of the Treaty Centre and headed to the imposing church that stood proudly amongst the hustle and bustle of the high street. Rose wasn’t religious, but she was always drawn to the comfort of the building and the friendly faces within, and the cafe wasn’t a bad spot for a bit of lunch. It was what she needed today. As she settled herself down at a small table in the corner she took out the small bookmark she’d been given earlier that morning. Tracing her fingers over the delicate stitching she had to push her brow down to stop herself from crying. Scrunching her face together, with her other hand she took out her phone again and started up the calming app. Why couldn’t someone lovely have turned up this morning, someone she could have enjoyed spending a few days with handing over all the information about the library. Instead the universe had handed her obnoxious Sam, and he wasn’t mud that needed to settle. He was some form of putrid slime. Slime didn’t settle to clear, slime settled and then stayed there. The app was talking to her about her breathing and she had to really fight herself to let go of her anger and just breathe.

After her lunch, and a few cycles of breathing techniques from her app she slowly made her way back to the library. Sam was irritatingly efficient and had finished adding all the new books to the system and had nearly finished adding the barcodes as well.

‘Oh Rose, you’re still here? I thought you’d knocked off early.’

‘No, still here. You’ve got through those well.’

‘Not rocket science is it? I’ll be making a fair few changes around here. With my levels of efficiency I can save the library a couple more members of staff.’

All the good work that her app had done over her lunch break evaporated in the seconds that the conversation had taken up.

‘Sorry John-I mean Sam-I’m not feeling great all of a sudden. Will you be ok to hold the fort if I go early?’

‘I’ll be more than ok. I can do this job in my sleep.’

‘Ok. Thanks. Do you need me to show you how to lock up?’ The dismissive look he gave her was nearly enough to reduce her to tears. ‘No of course you don’t, you probably already know how to lock up all the buildings in the Treaty Centre, right?’ Without waiting for a reply, Rose sidestepped him to get her bag from the small office, which was now irritatingly tidier than when she’d been in there first thing this morning. But she didn’t dwell on her own shortcomings and the obvious betterment of her replacement. She just wanted to get back to her small flat and find out what Susie had sent her this time. She hoped on hope that it was something wonderful to bring some solace to her awful day.

Chapter 2

🎵 Please Mr Postman by The Marvelettes 🎵

The small purple envelope that greeted her on the doormat was not what she was expecting and she doubted it would be what she needed today. The envelope itself was a work of art in stationery form though. This was no standard pound shop envelope, the GSM was high and it felt handmade with the purple hue coming from the lavender embedded within the paper, if the scent it was giving off was anything to go by. But normally, when Susie pre-warned her about an impending delivery it was because it was something big, or exciting, or something big and exciting. Despite the disappointment, she was still excited as she picked up the deceptively heavy, textured envelope. Rose wondered, not for the first time, at the stash of envelopes that Susie must have. Perhaps pressed into the small drawer of a bureau or spilling out from a cupboard in the kitchen. Inside it, she found a newspaper clipping about a carpet sale in Robin Hood’s Bay. Rose was completely stumped. Susie had never sent newspaper clippings before, and if she was starting to do that now why on earth would she send one about carpet sales? Even if this advert was offering an excellent discount, she struggled to find any reason for Susie posting this bizarre clipping to her and then also messaging her about it. Maybe Susie was going to buy her a new carpet? She turned the paper in her hand whilst considering this and thankfully spotted Susie’s handwriting on the reverse.

Saw this and thought of you?! Susie x

JOB VACANCY

BOOKSELLER AT THE BOOK NOOK, ROBIN HOOD’S BAY

Applications are invited for a full-time Bookseller at The Book Nook - a family friendly independent book shop in the heart of the Bay. Accommodation above the shop available on request. Experience preferred but not essential.

Rose couldn’t believe it. This was her perfect job; a live-in position at a small independent bookstore. This was like the unicorn of job adverts! Grabbing her phone, she dialed the number at the bottom of the advertisement. A lady answered on the second ring.

‘The Book Nook. Eleanor speaking.’

‘Hello, my name is Rose Brayling and I’m calling to speak to Mrs Raven about the advert. Is the position still available?’ she asked, the nerves palpable in her voice.

‘This is Mrs Raven speaking, although I’d much prefer just plain Eleanor and yes, the position is very much still available. To be honest, you’re the first enquiry I’ve had.’

‘Oh thank goodness! My aunt sent me the advert in the post and I was terribly worried you would have already filled the position.’

Eleanor chuckled down the line, it was such a warming sound.

‘Who is your aunt? I’ll have to thank her for spreading the word.’

‘Well, when I say aunt, that’s not really an accurate title. She’s an old family friend - Susie, sorry I mean Susan Frampton. Do you know her?’

‘Susie? Of course - lived here all her life. Well if Susie thinks you’re right for the job, who am I to disagree?’.