Page 58 of An Enchanted Moment on Ever After Street
I never in a million years thought I could do something like this, and now it’s actually here, it feels exciting rather than overwhelming. I’ve prepped everything, I’ve got help from Cleo and my Ever After Street colleagues, and the panic I was expecting this morning simply hasn’t arrived. Rather than something I’m doing alone, it’s become an Ever After Street event and everyone’s pitched in and made me feel like part of a team rather than as isolated as I’ve felt without Mum.
Ever After Street is busy for a Saturday morning. It’s almost 9a.m., there’s an hour before the castle opens, and I settle MrsPotts in her window seat and open the shop. One of the girls from Christmas Ever After has volunteered to cover A Tale As Old As Time for the day, because I need to be in two places at once and I don’t want to close with the extra booklovers who might be passing by.
She’s happy to look after Mrs Potts too and I make sure she’s got my number and an overflowing tin of Dreamies, and instead of being nervous, I’m excited to get up to the castle before opening time and help with any last-minute preparations.
Mickey and Lissa are setting up the book swap tables in the courtyard, already stacked up with books locals have donated, and I’ve added in my damaged or otherwise unsellable stock, and inside, Sadie and Witt are arranging the castle’s theatre room ready for the author talks early this afternoon, and I thank them for all they’re doing and go to find Cleo, who’s commandeered one of the ballrooms and has got various tables set up, and stacks of deconstructed books and craft supplies. The first item on the festival agenda is Cleo taking a class on repurposing books that have come to the end of their lifetime, and she’ll be teaching a morning of classes on various book-themed crafts.
‘Book paper roses here.’ Cleo gives me a hug when I come in and shows me around each station, pointing out the first table with a vase displaying a bouquet of roses made out of book pages.
‘Darcy would like that one.’ The sentence leaves me with a jolt of sadness because this is something I wish I could share with him. He’s done so much to help me and to make me believe I can do this, but he hasn’t made any mention of actually coming so I assume his initial refusal still stands.
Cleo looks like she can tell what I’m thinking. And there’s nothing anyone can do about it, so she opts for distraction instead. ‘Wreaths made from book pages here.’ She leads meto another table that’s stacked with pages she’s pre-rolled, and then points out the two other crafting stations in the huge room. ‘Book page pinwheels here, and make-your-own greeting cards over there.’
Everything is running like clockwork so far, and as I walk around the castle, saying hello to colleagues that I’d never considered friends until now, I wonder if maybe a book festival is exactly what Ever After Street needed to bring us all together. I’ve always thought that books have a way of doing that.
As 10a.m. comes and visitors start streaming in, I join Cleo’s class and make a rose for Darcy with the surviving pages of a damaged copy ofPride and Prejudice, because I think he’ll appreciate it, and I can’t help looking around as I fold squares of book paper into triangles to form the petals.
There are so many people here. More than I ever expected. Over fifty people have turned up for the morning of bookish crafts, and everyone seems to be having a good time. Cleo’s got quiet Disney music playing in the background and the age of our attendees ranges from young to old and everyone in between, giving a real multi-generational feel, and it makes my heart soar to see so many grandparents helping young grandchildren to glue their paper petals into position, because if they’re doing this together, they must be doing other bookish things together and sharing a love of reading through families and across generations.
After a morning of crafting, there are author talks in the theatre room of the grand old castle. Our three local romance authors chat about different aspects of the writing and publishing process, from getting a book deal to creating memorable love interests and building settings. Ali has volunteered as the host and he sits at the side of the stage, asking questions and keeping conversation up with enthusiastic ease. It’s fun and easy-going and the theatre seats are filled withreaders, listening to each author’s every word, some scribbling down notes and questions to be asked at the Q&A session tomorrow.
The afternoon brings with it the time for a literary afternoon tea, where ticket holders are gathered in one of the castle’s entertainment rooms. Lots of little tables have been set up, and the three authors are mingling and chatting. There’s a buffet of finger food that Cleo’s arranged with Lilith’s daughter-in-law, who’s been hastily brought in to cover the tearooms in Lilith’s absence, and our guests are enjoying miniature sandwiches, scones, and bite-sized cakes, along with copious amounts of tea, and as this is a more child-friendly part of the event, Cleo’s love ofAlice in Wonderlandhas crept in, and children can choose between book-shaped biscuits, ‘eat me’ cupcakes, and a selection of squashes served in mason jars with ‘drink me’ tags attached.
By the time 4p.m. rolls around and people start leaving for the day, I’m left feeling utterly joyful at the success it’s been, and with a sense of disbelief that it’s all gone without a hitch. I never imagined that I could do something like this, and somehow, I have.Wehave.
Even though Sadie and Witt insist they don’t need any help, I stay to tidy up, as do most of my other Ever After Street colleagues and between us we clear up the food and tidy away chairs and tables. Mickey mops the floor, and Lissa goes around with a binbag collecting any debris guests have left behind. Everyone seems happy to help and it makes me feel that sense of community again. The fact that one person can have a slightly barmy idea, and then everyone pitches in to make it come to fruition.
It’s what I love most about Ever After Street.
Sunday morning is a damper affair as the rain pours down again, and I’m glad that today’s activities take place inside. A Tale As Old As Time is closed today, so I’ve brought Mrs Potts with me, and I’ve got her tucked under my arm inside my jacket as I hold an umbrella over both of us and hurry through the woods towards the castle.
Judging by the sludgy puddles squelching around my welly boots and the crash of the river rushing through the gorge below us, it’s been raining for most of the night, although I was so pleasantly exhausted when I got home that I must’ve slept through most of it.
This morning is the author Q&A session followed by a book signing, and when I arrive at the castle, I strip my coat off, leave my umbrella in a stand in the foyer, and make sure Mrs Potts is dry and safely on her harness as we go to see where we can help with the setting up.
The book swap tables, greatly diminished after their popularity yesterday, have been hastily dragged out of the rain and into the castle foyer, and Mickey and Lissa are setting them up all over again. There are two ballrooms in the castle – the one on the right of the grand entrance hall is closed off, although no one seems to know why, and the one to the left is where the author Q&A and book signings are taking place, and everyone is in there getting things ready. A small stage where a live band would usually play has now been commandeered for the Q&A session, and there are three tables spread around the perimeter of the huge room where the authors will sign books, and each author is currently setting out their own tables full of paperbacks and promotional materials.
The ballroom is pre-decorated for the literary costume ball later, but it’s so dull outside that Witt has put all the fairy lights on early to cheer the room up, which gives it a sparkly, magical feeling, like we really are standing in an enchanted castle.
Festival attendees start arriving, and I keep Mrs Potts in my arms so she’s not getting under anyone’s feet. I don’t know if it was the best idea to bring her, but I don’t like leaving her home alone for long days, and she seems to be enjoying all the fuss she gets when being introduced as the bookshop cat.
Ali chairs the Q&A like a pro, and I stand on the edges of the huge ballroom and watch, my tablet in one hand with a list of pre-prepared questions in case there’s a lull, but the attendees are so immersed that we easily fill the allotted time with questions and overrun with even more, and eventually the authors head to their tables for the book signings and I wander away, knowing that as soon as they’re done, it will be all systems go to clear the ballroom, ready for the costume ball to kick off at 6p.m.
In the grand entrance hall, Witt has brought in a makeshift stage and a freestanding spotlight, just in case U.N.Known really does turn up. I’m convinced he won’t, but it’s been such a great weekend that it doesn’t seem to matter any more. I thought no one would come without some big draw like finally revealing the mystery of the unknown author, but it turns out that some people just really love books, and judging by the bulging till when I got back to the shop yesterday, they also love independent bookshops and want to support them.
This was such a distant pipe dream at first, but now, instead of impossible, it feels like something I’d like to do again sometime. We could make it an annual thing. Now there’s been one Bookishly Ever After, there will be write-ups and reviews online. Lissa’s been taking photos for travel destination websites and the Ever After Street blog and social media. There havealready been comments from people saying they wish they lived near enough to attend or they would have made plans to come if they’d known sooner. There’s going to be a journalist from a national newspaper here tonight so more people will hear about it. Maybe next year, more people will want to come. Maybe more authors will be interested in being a part of it. Maybe there’s a genuine possibility that A Tale As Old As Time could play host to a book festival every year from now on, to share a love of books and a way to meet new bookish friends…
…Unless I’m going to be evicted and no longer have a bookshoptosupport. Mr Rowbotham is supposed to be here today. I sent him an email informing him that the garden was ready for inspection and everyone from Ever After Street would be at the castle if he wanted to discuss anything, but he didn’t reply, which is either a good sign or a really, really bad one.
After clearing the ballroom and watching the afternoon pass in a blur, I’m still trying to keep my mind off the worst happening when Sadie puts a hand on my shoulder. ‘Time to get changed.’
I glance at the Roman numerals of the clock at the top of the stairway in surprise. It’s not even 5p.m. ‘It won’t take me two hours to get into a dress. There’s ages yet.’
‘Not for you, my friend.’ Her hand tightens on my shoulder, and two others appear from where they were hiding under the stairs.
Cleo takes Mrs Potts and rustles a packet of Dreamies concealed in her pocket, Lissa wrestles my tablet from my hand, and Sadie herds me towards the stairs before I have a chance to protest.
‘We’ve got it covered down here,’ Lissa assures me, flicking my tablet on and ticking off an item on one of my painstakingly prepared to-do lists. ‘Mickey’s around, Ali and Witt are on hand,and we’re all taking over while you have some much-needed me time. Well,youtime.’
