Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 89183 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89183 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Mari beamed. “I love all those things too. Now come inside. You must be exhausted after your trip.” Mari gestured for Malcolm to come in too. “Can you stay a few minutes for a cup of tea, or do you need to rush back to the city?”
“I could do with a quick cuppa,” he replied. Since they’d just finished tea, Josie imagined he wanted to visit with Mari for a few minutes.
“Thanks again, Malcolm, for picking Josie up,” Mari said. “Things got out of control so quickly in the store today. When Grace called in sick, there really was no way I could leave.” She glanced toward an older woman who was chatting with a customer. “Clare fills in when I’m stuck, but she couldn’t come earlier, and besides, she doesn’t know books, so I had to be here.”
“Were Gran’s fans happy?” Malcolm asked.
Mari looked over at a group of people visible in a separate part of the bookstore. “I added on a special room for Mathilda Westcott fans,” Mari explained to Josie. “There are all sorts of interesting mementos from her career, even things like dolls that were made by a fan for each of the main characters in her books. And it’s also a great place for them to meet. This is the unofficial headquarters of the Mathilda Westcott Appreciation Society, and they do support the shop, so I always like to make sure the meetings run smoothly.”
Josie looked from Mari to Malcolm. “Wait… Your grandmother is Mathilda Westcott?”
He grinned. “Gran’s a handful, but I don’t know what any of us would do without her. She writes pretty good books too.”
Josie felt like she’d stepped into Alice’s Wonderland. “Wow. I can’t believe you’re related to her. I’m feeling starstruck. She’s my number one favorite mystery author. And I love mysteries.”
Mari laughed. “I felt the same way when I first got to meet her. She is absolutely delightful, and I know she’s going to love meeting you. I’ve spoken to her about your reading retreats, and she’s very curious about how it all works. I imagine she’ll want to be one of the first people to book a spot once we’ve got it all set up and running.”
Josie swallowed. “I feel like the bar just got set way higher. I use her books in my reading retreats. There’s a true lesson in seeing how Camilla Fernsby finds the truth in small details. I feel like we could all do more of that in our lives. Plus, no matter how complicated the plot seems, everything works out in the end.”
“That’s so true,” Mari said.
Josie put a hand to her belly. “But I think I’d be a nervous wreck if I actually met her.”
Malcolm shook his head. “Don’t worry about impressing her. Despite the fact that she’s famous worldwide, she’s still just Gran. With that said, if she does terrify you, I’ll ask her to tone it down.”
Josie laughed. “I’ll do my best not to be terrified.”
She took a moment to do a slow spin in the middle of the bookstore, taking in the floor-to-ceiling shelves of books, the throw rugs covering most of the old wooden floor, the comfortable velvet and leather seats strewn throughout the space. Then she took a big deep breath, inhaling from her toes all the way up to the top of her head before sighing with happiness.
“There’s nothing better than the smell of a bookstore.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Mari replied. “I knew we were going to get along famously. Now what would you like—builder’s tea that’ll strip the paint off your insides, or something lighter, like chamomile or peppermint?”
“I was thinking it might be wise to take a little nap in a bit, so peppermint or chamomile would probably be better.”
Malcolm pulled his buzzing phone out of his pocket and scowled at the screen as he read. “Dammit, looks like I don’t have time for that cup of tea after all.” He jammed his phone back in his pocket before turning to Josie. “Let me know if there are any issues with the boat. I left my number on the galley counter. Sorry to drop you off and run, but if I’m going to salvage this deal, it looks like I’d better do it straightaway. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“Oh, absolutely, you should go. Thank you again, for everything. I’ll treat your houseboat like it’s my own. Even better.” But he was already heading out the door, phone to his ear as soon as he closed it behind him, and she wasn’t sure he’d heard anything she’d said.
Mari came back with two pottery mugs. “Where did Malcolm go?”
“He’s having issues with a deal.”
Mari handed Josie one mug and kept the other for herself. “He’ll pull it off. He always does. But I don’t envy him. I’ve never seen anybody work as hard as he does. Not even my father, who owns his own accountancy in California. It’s crazy the hours he puts in and the stress that he has to deal with. I honestly don’t know how he does it.”