A New Chapter at Midnight (Midnights On the Square #3)

1

The city was hot: oppressively, uncomfortably hot.

Almost as soon as June had arrived, so had the heat.

It seemed as though London netted only one day of vaguely cool relief for every six of steamy misery, adding up to weeks of grumbled complaints from the city’s inhabitants.

There was the occasional dry waft of air that one might have called a breeze if only it didn’t feel like the hot breath of an exhaust vent.

Some escaped to country houses or rentals, stretching holidays to the breaking point in order to avoid returning to the London boil.

Others, like Aurelia, were stuck trying to make do in order to keep their businesses running.

The bookshop’s close quarters didn’t allow for much air to circulate, and it felt as though the velvet curtains were retaining heat in every fold.

And the higher up you went in the building, the warmer it got, so that their flat on the top floor felt like being seated inside the brick oven at a restaurant.

Aurelia and Oliver sometimes visited Hampstead Heath for a swim in the ponds after she closed up shop for the day, though now, in late June, the water was lukewarm rather than refreshing.

With her niece Julia due to arrive in just a few days, Aurelia had tried to make their flat a little more comfortable.

She’d put a large fan in the guest room and finally cleared out the remaining few boxes that had been stashed there after Oliver’s move the year before.

He’d helped her arrange the furniture and make the bed, and was now standing behind her in the doorway as they assessed their handiwork.

Looking around, Aurelia thought it seemed like a room a fourteen-year-old girl might enjoy staying in for a month.

“She’s going to roast in there,” Oliver announced, planting his chin on Aurelia’s shoulder as he looked past her into the room.

“She won’t. There’s a window and a fan,” Aurelia said, pointing toward both.

“Yes, but you can hardly even open that old window. The fan will just be moving hot air around like a convection oven.”

“It’ll build character, then. Toughen her up for life and the rough streets of London,” Aurelia said determinedly.

“You’re planning to let her wander the rough streets of London?” Oliver asked, barely managing to hold in a laugh.

“Of course not! I won’t be letting her out of my sight. It’ll be the bookshop, the flat, and supervised outings.” Aurelia counted off each on her fingers, her tone less like an aunt and more like a general outlining a plan of attack.

“Oh, she’s going to have a great time,” Oliver said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he drew back and leaned against the doorframe, boxing Aurelia in with a smile.

“She is,” Aurelia insisted, turning around to face him. “Any niece would be so lucky.”

They squared off as Aurelia put her hands on her hips and Oliver raised his eyebrows up, up, and up. She gave his stomach a sudden poke and he folded, grabbing her into his sweaty arms and kissing her through a laugh.

“You’re right, she is lucky,” he said, “but not as lucky as me.”

“Nice try,” Aurelia teased, pushing at him before reversing course and pulling him in for another kiss. “If you’re so lucky, why are you running off before the big day?”

She couldn’t help the whine that had crept into her voice.

“I’ll only be gone a week,” Oliver said gently.

He was scheduled to go out of town for a combination book fair and work retreat, leaving soon after Julia’s arrival and returning less than three weeks before their wedding.

“Just over a week,” she reminded him.

“Still, I’ll be back before you know it. And back in plenty of time to rescue Julia from her cell.”

Aurelia poked him again but grew thoughtful.

Julia would stay with them until the week of the wedding, then she’d shift over to stay with Aurelia’s sister, Antonia, once she came up from Paris.

Julia had begged to stay for the entire summer, but once they’d factored in her school holidays, the wedding, and Antonia’s usual August travel plans with her husband’s family, they were left with only a few weeks in July.

Still, Aurelia was determined to make the most of their time together and had an itinerary and daily schedule mapped out that included helping her in the shop, cultural events, and—of course—a reading list.

“Do you really think she’ll be bored?” Aurelia asked, doubt creeping into her voice.

“Never,” Oliver reassured her. “You two will have fun together. And if she’s not a bookworm when she arrives, you’ll transform her into one by the time she leaves.”

“Hmm… I should work that into a slogan for the shop.”

Biscuit and Fezz—their silly dog and dignified cat—appeared, looking eager to add the freshly rearranged guest room to their territory.

“I’m sorry, sir,” Oliver said as he scooped Fezz up and carried him out to the living area. “You’ve been given strict instructions from the lady of the house: no fur on the bed until Julia arrives.”

Aurelia looked down at Biscuit, who sat at her feet, clearly hoping for special dispensation. Bending down to pet the dog, she gave him marching orders of his own.

“And no scratching at the bed wishing you could jump up and join Fezz.”

With a satisfied sigh, Aurelia straightened and smiled as she took a final look at their handiwork. Then she closed the door until Julia’s arrival.