Page 89 of The Midnight Book Club
“That’s exactly why I like doing it.A little memorial that’s just between me and them, whoever they were.”
Oliver was smiling as he listened when his eyebrows drew together in a frown.
“Are you alright, being here?You’ll have to tell me if you want to leave—it’s no problem if you do.We could go and get a coffee instead.”
“I’m okay, actually,” Aurelia said, realizing in that moment that she was, in fact, very okay.Being surrounded by memorials to lost loved ones wasn’t exactly a cheerful activity, but the good company helped.“It’s nice being back here.”
Oliver smiled again and Aurelia smiled back, the moment stretching as their steps slowed.She’d been looking at him for too long, though, because she tripped over a tree root and had to grab him to right herself.
“Sorry!”
“It’s fine.Are you alright?”
“I’m fine!”
She realized she was still holding onto him and let go, stepping back to reinstate a friend-like distance between them.
“Should we cross back over to the East Side?”she asked quickly, nodding in that direction as she led the way.
Later, as they were heading for the gate to leave, Oliver stopped in front of a small, worn headstone.It was tipping forward with age and he squatted down to gently brush away the dirt and weeds around it.
“‘Vivienne Paumier, 1850 to 1885,’” Oliver read aloud from the stone.
“Oh, she was our age, wasn’t she?How sad.”
“There’s a saying here—a quotation, I think, but it’s too hard to read.”
Aurelia squatted next to him and moved her hand over the carvings in the stone as she tried to read it too, but time and weather had worn the words away.They kept a moment of respectful silence before standing and looking down at the headstone again.
“Her name sounds French,” Oliver observed.“Like someone Vronsky might have met if he’d lived your sequel.”
“It does,” Aurelia agreed, smiling as they continued walking back out into the London bustle.
Even after they’d said goodbye and made plans to meet soon to go over the next round of revisions to Vronsky’s story, the name Vivienne—her short life and lost future—stuck in Aurelia’s head, like a burr that wouldn’t shake loose.
54
Twoweekspassedandit was June, full of fine weather and longer days, but shorter nights to spend with the characters.She and Vronsky had worked hard in the time they’d had to add to his story and build in each new round of edits from Oliver.All of a sudden, on a Friday late in the month, they were finished.
“That’s it,” Aurelia said as she made a final note on the page they’d been editing.
“It?What is ‘it’?”Vronsky asked.
“It’s the end.We’ve finished the book.”
She’d known it was coming and thought it might happen that evening, but she was still awestruck to be drawing her hands away from pen and paper in an act of finality.She turned to look at him, smiles breaking out on both their faces.
“My story is complete,” he said, as if trying to believe it.
“It is—we’ve done it!”
Others came over to join them, asking if it were true and congratulating them.She and Vronsky were swept up in the excitement, joining in their cheers.Aurelia watched as everyone shook Vronsky’s hand or clapped him on the back and she wished she, too, could hug Marmee or shake Cuff’s hand.They all agreed that the following evening, she would read them the final chapter of his story and they would celebrate as they had after hearing the first few chapters all those months ago.
“And now, Aurelia?When will you have a copy of the book?”Marianne asked.
“We’ve been aiming for an autumn publication date, so it should be just a matter of months.I’ll type up these changes tomorrow, then call Oliver and let him know we’re done.”
Aurelia wasted no time in calling Oliver the next morning to give him the news.In honor of the occasion, he wanted to take her to dinner that night to celebrate.She tried to argue for a celebratory lunch instead, but he was resolute.Aurelia looked around the shop, worried at the possibility that she might get home late and miss the characters and their party.But she reminded herself of her new resolution to get out more, and knew this was the perfect opportunity to do just that.
