Chapter Sixty-Seven
“Do you want to take the tobacco back home or should I?” Violet asked Theo. “Either way, we should definitely bring it on Friday when we meet up with Lux.”
“I’ll take it,” he answered. “That way I’ll have it and can always show it to her even if something derails your plans.”
“Nothing is going to keep me from meeting up with you there. I’ve already told my mom and dad I have to be in Wilmington for the day. They weren’t happy about it, but they’re also relieved I’m not lying in my bed depressed.”
“Holidays can be hard.” Theo paused. “It sounds stupid, but when we lost our family’s golden retriever, Thanksgiving… Christmas, all of those holidays after Sundance died were just awful. My mom told us the reason it hurts so bad is because we miss the love.”
Violet nodded. Even though she had never spent a Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Eve with Hugo, beginning freshman year, he still had been a part of her holidays.
They’d made sure to always start each one together, by leaving Boston on the same Amtrak train, with Hugo getting off at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, as she continued on to Philly.
Then they would meet up the day after their family celebrations.
This would be the first Thanksgiving since she arrived at Harvard that she wouldn’t have either of these shared moments with him.
“That really sums it up perfectly,” she said.
Theo looked at her. “I’m sorry it feels so hard for you.”
“You’re making it a little easier.” Violet managed a smile. “This meeting with Lux is a good distraction. Hugo, Harry, my grandmother Helen? Will any of them speak through her? I can’t wait to hear what she has to say.”
Violet walked into Widener at the end of the day, heading straight to pick up the delivery of flowers. Just as Lottie had described, the floral bouquet was a beautiful arrangement of vibrant blooms that were chosen not just with care, but also with affection.
She walked up the marble steps toward Harry’s study, moved past the velvet rope, and entered the sacred space.
She set down the flowers and breathed in the smell of books intermingling with the aroma of the fresh roses and the earthy smell of the thistle leaves Lottie had used.
Did she also catch the scent of tobacco again?
The blend that Leavitt and Peirce had made just for Harry?
Violet took another deep breath before she was interrupted by Madeline.
“Violet… I’m so glad I caught you before the break.” Madeline seemed uncharacteristically flustered.
“I had Harry’s flowers delivered a day early. I wanted to make sure he had a special set for Thanksgiving,” Violet said. She looked toward the colorful bouquet and smiled. “I thought Mrs. Widener would have wanted that.”
Madeline’s face appeared strained. “That’s kind of what I wanted to discuss with you, Violet.
You’ve helped me so much in addition to your page work—with the miniscula and the transcriptions and making sure the flowers are ordered and delivered on time…
But I’m growing a bit concerned that you’re getting too close to everything. ”
“What do you mean?” Violet was puzzled. “I’m only doing what you asked of me.”
“I know, but even the language you just used… ‘Harry’s flowers,’ or ‘what Mrs. Widener would have wanted.’ It feels like you’ve imagined a personal connection to them that isn’t grounded in reality.”
“I’m really not following why you’re upset with me.” Violet’s voice broke. “I haven’t done anything wrong, have I?”
Madeline looked painfully uncomfortable. “The thing is there’s been another act of vandalism in the library. A book was found with a page torn out of it and some words scribbled inside that are particularly upsetting.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Violet said. “But it had nothing to do with me.”
“Here’s the issue,” Madeline began. “The book that was ruined was paged just last week, and it says in the records that you were the one who reported it missing from the shelves.”
“I’m not following,” Violet said. “Which book was vandalized?”
“A nineteenth-century copy of A Book of Hours.”
“The French one with the illustrations? I remember. I couldn’t find it anywhere when it was paged last week.”
“Well, we found it on the carousel downstairs. And it was defaced.” Madeline swallowed hard. “The vandal wrote in thick black Sharpie on the title page: ‘Ghosts are everywhere.’”
“It made me think about how you and I have on occasion discussed whether Harry’s ghost might be in the library. I was joking, of course,” she said nervously. “But I wondered if you were?”
“What are you saying, you think I might be the book slasher?”
“I’m not accusing you, Violet. It’s just that… well… we have to consider every person who has access to the library, and you have more access than most.”
“Me and all the other pages… have you asked them, too?”
“Please don’t get upset. I’m only doing my job, Violet.”
“Are you firing me?”
“No,” Madeline clarified.
Violet was holding back tears.
“I think the police are probably going to want to interview you again, though. As a precaution.” She cleared her throat.
“And there’s just one more thing. You’re definitely not being fired, but I think it’s best to have you take a break from working at the library until we sort all of this out.
I’m going to suggest to the student employment office that you pick up some hours at the Visitor’s Center for the time being. ”
“I don’t understand where this is all coming from,” Violet said. She felt a mixture of indignation and anger swelling inside her. Her voice cracked. “Haven’t I done everything right since I started working with you?
“Of course.” Madeline gave her a genuinely sympathetic look.
“You’ve done an excellent job with the Rosenbach transcriptions and with your page work.
But you have mentioned Harry’s ghost more than once…
” She inhaled. “And others now seem to be picking up that you have become increasingly preoccupied with it lately.”
Violet’s face flushed red. She suspected Lara had started a rumor about her mental health and it had somehow reached the library’s administrators.
“I’m sure all of this will be resolved after the break. It’s really just the college wanting to be extra cautious until we get to the bottom of the vandalism.” Madeline softened her voice. “Really, please try not to worry about it too much.”