Rosemary Aitken Read Online Free PDF Page B

for a day or two; Major Knight would probably dismiss the whole staff on the spot if his beloved daughter ever asked him to. It wasn’t wise to annoy Miss Caroline so it was important that Effie turned up very soon indeed. Otherwise . . .
    Dear Heaven and all the angels! There was Effie now, being escorted by a policeman, of all people, at the far end of the street – it looked as if he was marching her back home. He was clearly asking questions and Effie chatted back.
    What had she been saying? It must be about the books. Was the policeman going to come for Lettie next? Her mind began to race. Perhaps she could offer to return the lending fee. She began to calculate if she had a few pence clear, but she’d spent it all on ribbons yesterday to impress the grocer’s boy. She could pawn her combs perhaps? She was getting ready to promise something of the kind but the policeman did not even glance at her, just helped Effie firmly across the road and they disappeared again towards where Mrs Thatchell lived.
    She sent up a silent prayer to whatever gods might be. It was obvious that Effie was not involving her. It made her feel quite guilty – would she have done as much? – though it was a great relief. But it didn’t solve the problem. What about the missing book? And there was no escaping; Miss Blanche was on the step, baring her long teeth in a horsey smile.
    ‘Ah, it’s young Lettie, isn’t it, come for Miss Caroline’s books? I’m sorry if there was no-one in the shop. Have you been waiting? Miss Pearl and I were talking to the butcher in the court and didn’t realize we couldn’t hear the bell. I’m afraid there was a little incident there this morning, and we had to call the police. But it’s all been taken care of and we’re back to normal now. So come in, do. Have you brought back some books?’
    She had of course – but only five of them. But there was nothing for it except to go inside and hand them in, before they started earning lateness fines themselves. Perhaps she could pass the missing volume off as a mistake? She put them quickly on the shelf reserved for the returns, but there was no disguising the fact that she did not have all six. There were no others – if any had come in, the Miss Westons had obviously already dealt with them.
    And now Lettie must find some new ones to take home; Miss Caroline would be sure to notice otherwise. She selected five at random – hardly bothering to see which ones they were – then went up to the counter so that Miss Blanche could issue them. Lettie could hardly wait for all the rigmarole – taking the card out of the book and filing it in the little box under today’s date, stamping the due date on the book itself, writing the titles in spiky script in the foolscap register under Miss Caroline’s account and finally taking the penny lending fee for each.
    Miss Blanche stamped the books and began to write the titles against Miss Caroline’s account. She did the first two and then looked up surprised. ‘Oh, you didn’t need to put this through again. You could just have brought it straight up here and I’d change the date by hand. But I’m glad your mistress liked it. I’ve never known her take a book out twice. Or was it just that she didn’t finish it?’
    For a moment Lettie didn’t understand.
    She must have looked puzzled because Miss Blanche gave a laugh. ‘Either way, she must have wanted it. If we get another by that author, I’ll put it by for you!’
    And Lettie, who had just recognized the cover of the book, and worked out that Effie had somehow – bless her – contrived to return the missing volume to the shelf, managed to stammer, ‘That would be kind, Miss Blanche, though I think my mistress simply hadn’t read it!’ Which at least was true!
    She and Effie had got away with it. She was so relieved she stopped to gossip with the grocer’s boy again, when he happened to ride past on his bicycle, accidentally-on-purpose, with