Chapter Eleven
Justina decided to ride into Kidsgrove. She went to the stables after breakfast and had her horse saddled. The day was cold, but there was no wind whatsoever. The journey only took her a few minutes.
She stopped at Mr. Gerry’s, leaving her horse with the blacksmith and telling him she would probably be gone several hours, telling the blacksmith she would be helping Mr. Rochester in organizing the new books he had received.
“Mr. Rochester’s lending library is the talk of Kidsgrove, my lady,” the blacksmith told her. “There are already many who have signed up to be members of the lending library.” He grinned. “Including me.”
“I think it will be a wonderful thing for the residents of Kidsgrove and beyond,” Justina said.
“Not everyone has the available funds to purchase books, but being a part of the lending library will be something many can enjoy. I am glad you will be a part of it, Mr. Geary. I will return sometime this afternoon.”
“Cleo will be waiting for you, my lady,” he promised.
Justina made her way down to David’s shop. The sign on the door said the shop was still closed, but she tapped slightly upon the windowpane when she caught sight of him. He looked up, beaming at her, making her feel as if she were the most important person in the world.
Opening the door, he said, “Good morning, Justina. I’m glad you decided to come and help me.”
“I told you that I would be happy to help you do so, David,” she said as she entered the shop, and he shut the door behind her. Glancing around, she said, “It seems as if you have changed some of the merchandise around since I was last here.”
“Yes, I am experimenting each day with placing goods in different areas. Seeing if things get noticed that way.” He laughed.
“One customer told me yesterday that she had to go through the entire store to find what she was looking for. I hated to tell her that was one of the reasons why I was changing things around as often as I do. People have a habit of going to the area where the one or two items they need is located. If they have to move throughout the entire store to locate their goods, then they might see something else they wish to buy.”
“You are hoping that it is an impulse buy on some goods, aren’t you? I find that to be very clever, David.”
“Come upstairs. You will not believe how many crates were delivered.”
He indicated for her to go first, so Justina made her way up the staircase. She sensed him watching her and couldn’t help but put an extra twitch in her hips. They would be alone upstairs. Out of sight. She only hoped he would think to kiss her. And if he didn’t?
She just might kiss him first.
As they reached the top of the staircase, she entered the largest of the rooms upstairs.
Actually, there weren’t true rooms anymore.
He and the marquess had demolished the few existing walls.
They would use half-shelves to provide a barrier and indicate a new room, as well as dividing the books to be loaned from those which were for sale.
Spying the stacks of crates, she exclaimed, “My, you really did get quite a few books from the duke’s library, didn’t you?”
“His Grace is nothing if not generous.”
“I see that you have pried open several of the crates. Do you have any idea how you wish to organize the volumes?”
“I would like to hear your ideas first,” he told her. “I am open to any and every suggestion which you might have.”
Justina began explaining to him what she would do, and David nodded his head thoughtfully as she spoke. He reached for some paper and a pencil, and jotted several notes to himself as she spoke. He told her that a majority of these books would belong to the lending library.
“I think we should spread books out in this room, using the empty shelves here, and begin taking them to the adjoining room,” she told him.
“We can mark various bookcases as to the type of books to place on those shelves, then organize them by author after we have all the books in that category in the same place. Have you been able to locate furniture as I suggested?”
“When I dined at Norwood the other night, I mentioned that I needed a few things. The duke told me there is additional furniture in the attics which I might choose from. Perhaps you would like to go with me to Norwood and see what might work in this space.”
“I am to take tea with Lady Eleanor tomorrow afternoon. Since it is a Saturday, will your shop be open all day, or might you be able to meet us there?”
“Mr. Shaft told me that he kept the shop open half-days on Saturdays, staying open until three o’clock in the afternoon.
I will probably do the same unless things turn slow, and then I might close up by two or so.
I will invite myself to tea. Elinor will not mind.
Once it is concluded, we can go peruse the furniture in the attics. ”
He began lifting books from the crates, placing them on the nearest bookshelf.
From there, Justina looked at each book and began sorting them, using the other, blank bookshelves as a holding space.
Gradually, they worked their way through the first crate, and David helped her bring the books to the other side of the room where the lending library would be.
“It is probably time for you to open your shop downstairs,” she reminded him. “I have a good idea now how things are to be. I will start on the second crate.”
“I cannot leave you up here by yourself to work,” he protested. “It is not fair for you to do such physical labor.”
She chuckled. “I am not some delicate flower, David. I am a country girl, through and through. I ride. I take very long walks throughout the year. And I guarantee that I am much stronger than I must look. Please, go downstairs so that you will be able to service your customers.”
He gave her a disgruntled look. “The first thing I need to buy now is a bell. One which customers can ring in case I am upstairs helping someone in the book portion of my shop. If I had one now, I could continue to work up here with you instead of being downstairs.”
“Well, until you get that bell, I suggest you head downstairs and do your job. I am perfectly fine up here. In fact, you may check on me as much as you want, but I will not need you to do so. In fact, I think you will only be in my way.”
“You do have a mind of your own, don’t you, Justina?”
“Wait until you hear my views on politics and politicians,” she warned teasingly.
He left her, and while she was a tad upset that he had not tried to kiss her, she was eager to continue the project they had begun.
Justina worked steadily for the rest of the morning, with David checking on her three different times.
Each time, he told her how impressed he was at how quickly she was going through the crates.
The final time he checked with her, she had him open the last of the crates with a pry bar she had found.
“I may be strong and can tote books around all day, but I did not wish to attempt to pry open the lid of this crate.”
He flexed his biceps, causing her to giggle. “You need a manly man to do such work,” he told her.
By the fourth time David came upstairs, she had begun to grow weary. Her neck and back were sore, and she was feeling parched.
“You look as though you need a respite,” he told her. “Would you like to go across the street and have something to eat at the inn?”
“I am always eager to sample anything Mr. Winkler is serving,” she told him.
They crossed the street, and Mr. Winkler greeted him genially.
“Have you come for something to eat?” he asked. “I heard you are helping get the lending library and bookstore in order, my lady.”
“Yes, we are both hungry as horses,” David told him. “Lady Justina even more so than I am. She is rapidly working through the books which have already been delivered.”
“Once I have them all on shelves and organized, I will make a record of every book on the shelves,” she told Mr. Winkler. “Mr. Rochester will be surprised when he sees the finished results.”
“What can I bring you?” the innkeeper asked.
“Some of the venison stew if you have it,” David asked. “And a loaf of bread and some ale to go with it.”
“Right away,” Mr. Winkler promised, disappearing into the kitchens.
David focused his attention on her. “You do not have to worry about creating an inventory. I have already done so. You can use the list I composed and place a mark beside each book that has arrived, so I will know what is on the shelves.”
“Oh, that will be so much easier.”
He smiled. “Especially since I alphabetized that list.”
She fluttered her lashes playfully at him. “You do know the way to a girl’s heart, Mr. Rochester.”
He turned serious. “You said you had some ideas regarding the lending library. Tell me about them.”
She gathered her thoughts. “I think you should keep a ledger upstairs that contains books your patrons wish to recommend to other members. If I read a book and enjoyed it, I might wish to recommend it to others, and not only the friends and family I see. If you have somewhere people could write down the name and author of a book—and perhaps even why they would recommend it—others seeking a new title could refer to this list and discover books they had never thought to read.”
“I like that idea quite a bit,” he said.
They discussed the layout of the page and decided to list the patron’s name who recommended the book, the name and author of the book itself, and then leave room for a line or two as to why that particular book was being praised and recommended to others.
“This is very clever, Justina.”
Mr. Winkler arrived with a large tray, placing bowls of steaming stew in front of them, along with bread and cheese, a crock of butter, and two pewter cups filled with ale.
“Let me know if there is anything else you require,” he said.
They thanked him and were quiet for a few minutes, tucking into their stew.