Page 12 of The Romance Library

None of this made any sense.

‘Jessica?’ Cecil said softly. ‘Do you understand what I just said?’ I shook my head. ‘Mrs Davis wants you to create and run The Romance Library for her. This has always been her dream. She called me as soon as you left her house to tell me she wanted to amend her will and came to see me the very next day to formally authorise the changes. This was her wish.’

‘What were you doing at my mother’s house?’ Mr Davis barked. ‘What did you do? Did you threaten her? You’re sick! Taking advantage of a frail, vulnerable old woman for your own gain!’

‘Mr Davis, I can assure you that Miss Johnson is completely innocent in all of this. Your mother has been planning this for some time—ever since she discovered that she didn’t have long left on this earth. She sold her house last year to free up the cash and has been renting it from the owner ever since. She’s been searching for the right person to run the library for years and told me she would know instantly when she found them. And she assured me with absolute clarity of mind that person was Miss Johnson.’

‘How long have you known my mother?’

‘I-I just met her,’ I stuttered, finally recovering the power of speech. ‘I just did one shift. I don’t understand!’

‘One shift? Why would she leave a total stranger everything she owns? I don’t care what you say. This woman manipulated my mother. Look at her! She doesn’t have two pennies to rub together. And now conveniently after meeting my mother precisely once, she’s a million pounds richer! This is daylight robbery. Fraud!’

‘The one million pounds is not for Miss Johnson’s own personal enrichment,’ Cecil clarified. ‘That money has been left solely for the purpose of the library. The only funds Miss Johnson will gain personally are the first year’s salary, which I and Mrs Davis’s accountant will oversee. Her salary thereafter will be dependent on the success of the library.’

‘Forty grand for one shift’s work seems like a pretty good deal!’ he scoffed. ‘And what about me? What did she leave for me?’

‘She did ask me to give you this…’ Cecil reached in his drawer, pulled out a mirror and handed it to Mr Davis.

‘What the hell’s this for?’

‘I’ll read her exact words…’ Cecil cleared his throat. ‘“To my son I bequeath my least favourite mirror so that he can take a long, hard look at himself.”’

My head snapped up and I looked at Cecil, who was trying to keep a straight face. Something told me Mrs Davis wasn’t a fan of her son.

‘That’s ridiculous! She must’ve left me something else?’

‘Actually…’ He paused. ‘She did.’

‘Good!’ A grin spread across his face. ‘I knew the old bat had some more money stored away somewhere!’

Cecil reached back into his drawer, slowly pulled out a chocolate bar and slid it across the table.

‘What’s this?’

‘It’s the other thing she left you.’

‘Is this some kind of joke?’

‘Not at all. It’s in her will. She asked me to read you this message: “To my son, Barnaby, I considered giving you nothing. Then I decided to leave you a chocolate bar because despite what you think, I’m not completely evil.”’

Her son’s white skin turned scarlet, and his cheeks were so inflated he looked like he was about to spontaneously combust.

‘You won’t get away with this!’ He waggled his finger before storming off towards the door and slamming it behind him.

‘So’—Cecil leant forward—‘I know this must have come as a bit of a shock, but believe me, Meredith—Mrs Davis—would not have put you forward for this unless she believed in you.’

‘But that’s the thing!’ I shouted. ‘She didn’t even know me! And I don’t know the first thing about running a library, never mind setting one up! Can’t you just hire an expert—a businessperson? They’d do a much better job.’

‘Meredith suspected that you’d have your concerns. She asked me to give you this.’ He flicked to the back of his folder and handed me a piece of paper.

I opened it up and saw that it was a handwritten note.

Dear Jessica,

If you’re reading this, it means I’m no longer here and you’ve just been given the exciting news that I’d like you to bring to life my dream: The Romance Library.

I understand this may come as a shock, considering we only met briefly, but I’ve always been a firm believer in trusting my gut.

---