Page 109 of Authentically, Izzy
“I’d love to show you what you are capable of and I’d love to show Mum what a little creative thinking can do. What better time than one of the largest festivals of the year?” He leaned close, teasing her grin. “Are you up for the challenge, Karre?”
This was her chance. Her opportunity. He was holding out a precious gift for her to take all these ideas and see them become a reality, without her having to keep the books or deal with meetings or anything like that.
“As long as you're with me, let’s do it!”
He pressed his lips to hers in a quick kiss. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
Chapter22
Text from Izzy to Josephine:Josephine, I love you, but I want you to reread your message to me and ask yourself one question: What if Izzy’s future isn’t in Mt. Airy? (I’m not saying it’s not, but what if?) What if the love of Izzy’s wonderful family, including her well-organized and generous-hearted eldest cousin, has prepared her to be brave and try something totally different than anything any of them had ever imagined? Izzy knows it’s scary and possibly sad, but she’s only able to take a chance because she’s been loved so well by... her family. Izzy just wants you to think about that. (And Izzy will stop referring to herself in third person now.) I’m sending a longer email to all of you, so hopefully... well, hopefully it will explain a little more.
Izzy:I know you love me too.
From: Izzy Edgewood
To: Luke Edgewood, Josephine Martin, Penelope Edgewood
Date: June24
Subject: Epiphany of all epiphanies
Dear Cousins,
I’ve had a breakthrough, I think. I won’t go into all the details about it, but suffice it to say, I think I’ve pinpointed not only oneof my deepest problems but also one of my greatest loves. (And no, Penelope, it isn’t Brodie, though my heart is certainly moving in that direction.)
Yesterday Brodie and I developed a strategy to put into practice some of the things I’ve learned and love about books and book shopping. As you all know, I’ve been slightly obsessed with bookshops for years and have a great deal of information in my head that has been spending more time in daydreams than reality, but with Brodie’s encouragement and some nudging from Luke, I’ve stepped out into that reality.
Taking a dream from its perfect place in your head and placing it into the precarious real world is a dangerous endeavor. Whether the dream is a romantic happily ever after, a practically perfect job, or an abject vulnerability of laying our own skills and talents bare for the world to see and judge, when the shine is placed in daylight, what does it really look like?
So with those foreboding thoughts in mind, I’ve taken a leap into bringing my dreams to life. Hopefully they’ll emerge more like a waking princess than a Frankenstein’s monster, but here we go. When Brodie and I presented my suggestions to his mother, I thought at first she might refuse, and who can blame her?! A young woman sweeps into her son’s life and suggests upending her dear husband’s life’s work? Ugh. When I state it that way, I do sound like Frankenstein's monster. But as I explained that these little adjustments won’t change the heart of her store at all, but are more like adding clothes and jewelry to a well-built (in fact, I think I used the wordclassic) model, she seemed to catch the vision, admittedly reluctantly.
So here’s the plan: For the next three days we are going to put into place some of my suggestions and rearrange theshop. Brodie is going to contact local folks for merchandise we can introduce to Sutherland’s and its shoppers. (He’s asked for my help in doing this since, surprisingly enough, I’m the bigger talker of the two of us.) Ellen is going to help me restructure the store, as well as bring Brynna in for some social media/website suggestions. The King and Queen Festival is one of the largest events in Skymar, so if we’re going to measure the impact of change,thisis the time to do it. If I don’t check in as frequently, just assume I’m buried beneath hundreds of classic hardcovers. Actually, I can think of worse ways to die.
I know Aunt Louisa allowed me to help decorate the library, but I’ve never been given the liberty of actually putting feet to all these imaginations in my head. We’ve worked the entire day and are taking a break for supper, but I’m sure we’ll be up late tonight and tomorrow. Penelope, you would love this festival. It’s all about royalty. I found this princess hat in one of the toy stores here that looked exactly like the pink one you used to have. The one you wore all. Of. The. Time. Was that the one that got stuck in a tree when Uncle Herman accidentally used it as a kite for Josephine’s school project?
I think that if Ellen still likes me after all of this and if Brodie still wants to kiss me even when I’m a sweaty mess from shifting books around for four hours, then I could very well be living my own fairy tale right here in Skern.
I’m attaching photos of Brodie’s house. Yes, those are REAL photos of Brodie’s house. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it. Luke, you’d love the woodwork inside this place. Two-hundred-year-old craftsmanship, from what Brodie says. I added a few of those pictures, too, just for your benefit.
I have a feeling the only sight I’ll be seeing for the next two days is the inside of Sutherland’s of Skern, so photos may be on the low side for the next email; however, since I’m in a bookshop and there’s a Brodie around, my visual needs are happily satisfied. Speaking of vision, I’ve given Fiona the job of sorting the Braille books in a very specific orderandin helping me update the children’s book section. She reads even more voraciously than I do and she has a memory that’s a little scary. I thought I was the only person who categorized favorite books in alphabetical order in my head by the author’s name! She’s helping with kid merchandise too. I want to adopt her, but she already has a wonderful family and I don’t even know if I’ll have a job when I get back to the States.
Anyway, I’ve gotta run! Lylla, one of the shop assistants, is trying to put Austen in the Fantasy section and someone needs to help her realize that Mr.Darcy, though swoony at times, is not in the fantasy genre... well, unless he’s coming out of a pond in a white shirt. Then, maybe.
Love you all!
Izzy
PS: Ellen has the full set of Waverley Novels from 1857!!! She keeps them in a locked case, along with several first edition Austens and an embossed history of Skymar from 1812. She’s promised to show me some of her other treasures too! I think my wild ideas are growing on her.
PPS: Having my boyfriend make a candlelit dinner for me in his cliffside manor house wasn’t even on my bucket list! And I still got it!
From: Luke Edgewood
To: Izzy Edgewood, Josephine Martin, Penelope Edgewood
Date: June24
Subject: Re: Epiphany of all epiphanies
