Page 17 of The Midnight Book Club
She reached out to shake their hands, then—remembering that it hadn’t worked with Count Vronsky—she turned it into a wave instead.
“Miss Lyndham, I am Theodore Laurence, and this is my mother-in-law.You can call her Marmee—we all do.And you can call me anything you like, but I’m quite partial to the nickname Laurie.”
Aurelia’s eyes widened.She felt for the arm of the chair and dropped into it again.
“Laurie… and Marmee?”
The two characters exchanged amused glances, then smiled at her.The warmth of Marmee’s smile almost undid Aurelia—it was the smile of an indulgent mother, of hugs when you’re sad or even when you’re happy—and she had to keep holding onto the chair to stop from flinging herself into Marmee’s arms as if she were her own mother.
Aurelia closed her eyes and took a deep breath.She had just met Count Vronsky fromAnna Karenina, and now Laurie and Marmee fromLittle Women.This was the stuff of dreams and fantasies!Any booklover would jump at the chance to sit and talk to their favorite characters, and here Aurelia was trying not to pass out.She took another deep breath and opened her eyes.Laurie, Marmee, Vronsky, and Cuff were watching her with a mixture of curiosity and concern.Maybe it was a dream, or maybe she was hallucinating; either way, they were standing in front of her, waiting for her to talk to them.
“I’m sorry, I think I’ve recovered now.”Aurelia stood again.“I don’t quite understand what’s happening here—or how it’s happening—or if it really is happening… But, anyway,” she continued with a shake of her head, “I feel like I know all of you, like I’ve known you for years.I’m sure that sounds very strange.”
“Not strange at all, dear.Though I am glad to see you standing and the color returning to your cheeks,” Marmee said, smiling.
“I’ve read your books—you’re in novels that I’ve read and loved.Is that… Do you know about your novels?”Aurelia still couldn’t quite grasp whether these people knew that they were, in fact, fictional.
“Oh, yes.We know all about them.”Laurie nodded enthusiastically.
“Laurie and Marmee, I’ve read your book so many times and know, or feel like I know, you and your family.”She was struggling to keep her tone polite, not to fawn over people who, just a few hours before, had existed only in her imagination.
“Thank you, Miss Lyndham.What very nice things to say.I have no doubt my girls would be pleased to hear you speak so fondly of them.”Marmee gave Aurelia another warm smile.“I visited the shop several times before with my daughter, Jo, who enjoyed talking with Marigold—your aunt?—about all things literary.”
“Of course!Jo, not Joe,” Aurelia said, remembering the conversation she’d overheard earlier.“Is she here?”Aurelia looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Marmee’s bookish daughter.
“Not tonight.”Marmee looked thoughtful.“Just Laurie and me.”
Sergeant Cuff stepped forward, inserting himself into the conversation by announcing, “I believe you will find, miss, that no more than two people from each book may appear at any given time.I first discovered this with Cristobel.”
“You knew my great-great aunt Cristobel?”Aurelia asked, incredulous.“And you said Aunt Marigold also knew about you?”
“Yes, as did Lucy, your great aunt.”
Everyone in her family who had run the shop had met a collection of characters from books, then.And now me, Aurelia thought.
“I have visited the shop on countless occasions.I seem to be quite popular with the ladies of this establishment.”Cuff straightened himself and puffed out his chest.
“But Aunt Marigold never said—she never told me anything about this.”Aurelia wasn’t fully convinced of the reality of this new discovery but still felt hurt at the idea that Marigold might have kept it all a secret.
“No, indeed.She and I discussed how to tell you and determined it best ifIexplained things,” Cuff said importantly.“She thought you might not believe her if she told you herself, before you’d met us.But then, you said her time came sooner than expected.She must not have had the chance to make our introductions.”
“No, but… She didn’t even give me a hint.”
“I cannot speak for Marigold, but I can understand why she might not have shared such an incredible tale,” Marmee said gently.
“Would you have believed her if she had told you?”Laurie asked.“I don’t think I would have believed even Jo if she had told me that her favorite characters from Charles Dickens or Sir Walter Scott had appeared before her.”
Aurelia nodded, conceding the point.
“You were here, when I came in last night, and the night before?”she asked Cuff, though she was certain she knew the answer.
“I was.As was Rachel.”
“Why didn’t you call out to me or say something?”
“You didn’t give me a chance, miss!”Cuff said, laughing.“You scampered away each time, scared of your own shadow.”
“Well,” Aurelia said defensively, “in fairness, it was pretty shocking to walk into what should have been an empty shop only to see it full of people.”
