Lucy's Book Club for the Lost and Found: A heartwarming feel good romance novel(9)

Lucy nodded. ‘I know, Mum, but it’s nothing like that. I know it was a mad idea to give up all my dreams of teaching, but I love working at the library, honestly… I’ve just had some conversations recently that I can’t get out of my mind, that’s all. Nothing serious, though.’

‘But enough for you to lose your usual sunny disposition. Come on, tell me about it. You know you’ll feel better when you do.’

So, Lucy did. And when she had finished, there was silence for a couple of minutes; Lucy at one end of the settee, her mum at the other, between them an open box of Jaffa Cakes which, at the rate they were going, wouldn’t last for very much longer. Lucy watched while her mum took another.

‘So, what do you think?’ she asked her cautiously. ‘Am I making mountains out of molehills again? I just think I should do something.’

‘I can see why it’s getting to you; you’ve always been so sensitive to other people’s feelings, even as a child. But as to whether you could, or should, do anything to help – now that’s a different matter.’

‘I’m not sure I should, but you didn’t see the look on Lia’s face, Mum. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone want anything more. And it’s such a simple thing – it’s not like she wants to win the lottery or anything. All she wants to do is dance, but she’s convinced herself she can’t because she has to care for her mum. She’s only young but her whole life is on hold.’

‘A difficult place to be, feeling torn between what you’d like to do and what you know you must do. Hasn’t she any other relatives that could help her out?’

Lucy bit her lip. ‘I don’t think so.’

‘And this Oscar chap, have you even spoken to him about how he feels?’

‘Not as such, no. I went to talk to him, but he’d already gone. He looked so sad, Mum – he must have heard what Rachel said, and if he didn’t then something else has upset him… He’s on his own; his wife died a year or so ago, and he’s never mentioned anyone else. If he has any children, then I don’t think they live close by.’

Her mum helped herself to another Jaffa Cake. ‘Well, you know what I think?’ she said. ‘Being a friend costs nothing – and from what you’ve said that’s exactly what Lia and Oscar need right now. Everything happens for a reason, and maybe if you give them a helping hand, somewhere along the line they’ll help you out too, give you something back in return that perhaps you never even knew you needed. That’s how it works in my experience.’

‘So, do you think I should talk to them both, see if I can help in any way?’

‘It can’t hurt to try, can it? Helping people has to be a good idea, whichever way you look at it.’

Lucy stared at the packet of Jaffa Cakes, and took one thoughtfully. Her mum was right. What harm could it do?





Chapter Five





Lucy was worried she had missed Lia. It had been pandemonium in the library this morning; Carrie had phoned in sick and Rachel was in one of her ‘Monday morning moods’, which basically meant she would sit at the counter all day and find every excuse she could to stay there. Lia normally came in around ten in the morning, but Lucy was so busy sorting out the stock rotation in the children’s section that it was possible that she’d been and gone without Lucy even spotting her. If she didn’t catch her today she probably wouldn’t see her again until nearer the weekend, and the dance courses started next week.

The day after her conversation with her mum, Lucy had fired off a series of emails to various dance schools in the local area. Not to interfere, but just so that she could let Lia have the information in case there was any way she could attend. There were all sorts of reasons why people didn’t follow their dreams. She should know; she stopped herself from doing so all the time. Things moved on and then there you were two years down the line and no further forward. Perhaps this was how it was for Lia? Maybe she’d already convinced herself that her desires were just silly whims, too far out of reach to ever be attainable. But what if Lucy was able to show her otherwise? Prove to her that these things could be within her grasp after all. The emails she had sent on Lia’s behalf were simply the first step.

It was gone half eleven now and Lucy gathered together the books she had been collecting, ready to box up and send on to another branch. She supposed she could always give Lia a call – her number would be on her library record – but that might seem a little pushy. Lucy had envisioned something a little more spontaneous, even if it was pre-planned.

She was almost at the stockroom door when she heard her name being called. It would seem that fate was on her side, after all. ‘Morning,’ she said, smiling as she turned around.

Lia looked dreadful. Even tying her hair up hadn’t disguised the fact that it was long overdue for a wash. Nor did it give her face a place to hide; a face that was far too pale with dark shadows under her eyes.

‘Is everything okay? You’re a little later than usual this morning.’

Lia opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it again. A flicker of something passed across her face, but then she dropped her eyes and took a deep breath. When she raised them again, Lucy knew that the teeny window of time when Lia might have shared how she was actually feeling had passed. It was business as usual.