The Librarian

Episode 8

Aaron slicked his hair, straightened his shirt and jacket and left his shop for the library; Harriet would have to give him an answer and he hoped it would be yes. He hopped down off the walk and jogged across the rutted street to the walk on the other side. The sun had already baked the ground to dust and he frowned at the layer on his newly polished shoes.

The library had been opened for an hour and when he stepped inside he was dismayed to see several ladies at the small reading tables and at the shelves. A few turned and greeted him aloud, drawing Harriet's attention from her ledger.

He smiled and nodded back, walking to Harriet's desk and resting his fingers on the edge.

"Good morning, Mr. Trenholme. Can I help you with something?"

The silence in the room was unsettling and he moved so his back was to the others, and leaned forward. "I was uh- hoping to get an answer to my invitation." He could hear a rustling of skirts behind him and he clamped his teeth, waiting.

She looked up at him standing there under the curious stares of the other women, his face turning warm, and she bit back a smile while she considered her answer.

"Was that to place another ad?" The look was innocent.

"What? No! No," he whispered a second time as titters reached his ears and his face collapsed. "The social. Tonight."

Harriet looked thoughtful and chewed the end of her pen. "Oh, yes, the social . . . well . . ."

"Oh for God's sake will you come with me or not?" He stood back, careless of the scene.

The outburst surprised her and she saw the women all nodding and waving encouragement as she put her pen down and stood, smoothing her skirt.

"I think I would enjoy being escorted tonight, if I can rely on your propriety as a gentleman."

His mouth fell open and he coughed to cover the moment. "Uh- splendid, splendid. And I assure you, Miss Folio I shall be a pillar of propriety. May I call on you at the hotel at five?"

"That would be most suitable, Mr. Trenholme."

"Great! Uh- splendid. Until five then." He tipped his hat and left to applause and giggling from the ladies.

****

The mirror copied the progression of Harriet's expressions as she posed, holding up the one gown she owned. It hadn't been out of her trunk since she left St Louis and it would require some quick work to remove the creases. She stripped down and tried it on, noticing the fit seemed a bit tighter than when she last wore it, and some of the creases were removed in the process.

She decided that with a bit of fussing it would do, and she undressed and laid it out on the bed. Her mother's necklace, a gift upon departure, and a pair of white gloves, to go with the lace trim of the dark blue gown, were set out beside the necklace.

Harriet unpinned her hair and began brushing the long curls that hung over her shoulders. She managed to get it washed earlier in the week and had used some of the new products sold in Pritchard's; along with a vinegar rinse to give it some shine.

She dabbed her brush with a few drops from a small bottle of lilac water and ran it through her hair before pinning it all back up in a tight roll. Back into the gown, with the jewellery and a few pinches of her cheeks and a bite of her lower lip, Harriet put on her gloves, picked up her small handbag and went down to meet Aaron in the lobby.

He jumped up from his chair the moment she appeared on the stairs, and he grinned widely as she seemed to float down toward him.

"May I say, Miss Folio, you look stunning."