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Saturday, January 4th, a happy day
“I think,” said Donovan, propping his head up with one hand and rubbing his hand over the small of Charlotte’s back with the other, “we might finally have a day just to ourselves.”
“I think you might be right. That’s the trouble with getting together during the holidays, finding time alone.”
“Or in the middle of a case.”
Charlotte, lying on her stomach, stretched and rolled onto her side to face him. “Case. That sounds so official.”
Donovan nodded. “True, but you’re getting a commendation from the State Police, and that’s the second time you’ve helped Barnes sort things out. I’m seeing a pattern here.”
“It’s too much excitement for me. I just want to go back to working on your mom’s notebooks, not figuring out why people get themselves killed.”
“That all you want to do?” His hand found its way to redirecting the topic.
Hers found its way to an affirmative reply.
Then twenty-pound Shamus decided to leap on the bed and do a backflip, fueled by a fresh catnip mouse.
Charlotte groaned.
Donovan laughed. “I spoke too soon.”
An hour later, Charlotte was on the phone, holding on to the back of the sofa until the slight dizzy spell subsided. “Yes. Yes I do. Thanks, Lola.”
Donovan approached with her big red mug of coffee in one hand, his big brown one in the other. “Everything okay?”
“Oh, just a little disappointing. The guy who was looking at my house has decided to buy a different one at Lake Parkerton. Lola has offered to turn the listing over to a different agent, and I said I’d get back to her about it.”
He set the cups down and put his arms around her. “So sorry, sweetheart. But don’t worry, okay? I’m sure it’ll sell in the spring.”
“I wonder if she would have ever said anything about it if we hadn’t been cooped up in that tunnel together?”
“You know, you haven’t said much about that. I imagine it was weird in there, not being able to call for help, not knowing what was going to happen next.”
“We kept one another company. Lola had already been there for at least a day by herself except for a couple of breaks for the bathroom and snacks. She was more than ready to talk, and shared more than she probably should have.” Charlotte went on to tell Donovan what Lola said about Simon.
“You are joking. Simon was nailing her, but going out in public with you?”
“That’s about the size of it.”
Donovan looked thoughtful, then nodded slowly as he seemed to realize something. “I think Jimmy knew. It would explain a lot of things.”
“He knew about Lola and Simon, you mean?”
“Yeah. Your relationship with Simon has always made him uncomfortable, but he’s never said exactly why. You know how Jimmy knows everything that goes on in this town, so I think we can be pretty sure he knew what Lola and Simon were up to, even before you came into the picture. Jimmy is the one who not-so-gently suggested that I clean up my act and take the initiative to do something nice for you, instead of just sitting there like a lump.
“I told him I was conflicted as to which was the right course of action with you—to respect you by respecting your choices, or to risk losing your friendship by letting you know how I felt about you. I can’t repeat the actual language he used, but let’s just say it was motivating. Clarifying, even. Turned out to be the best advice I’ve ever taken.”
“It couldn’t have turned out better. I feel like I’ve escaped something with Simon.” She shivered at the thought of his coldness with Lola.
“I suspect Simon never stopped being in love with Philippa, and it’s probably what made him act so weird—but I don’t think there was ever a chance of his treating you like he treated Lola, either.”
“So I don’t come across like a sex object?”
He looked up over his glasses at her, a smile twitching at one side of his face. “Oh, you’re way more fun than that, sweetheart.”
They went to lunch at a Thai restaurant that had recently opened, and afterwards ambled along the sidewalk, holding hands, looking in shop windows. It was just over freezing with no wind, the sky a rich blue and the sun shining as if it was July.
Charlotte was still using Donovan’s top coat.
“If I don’t get a new coat pretty soon, I’m going to end up bonding with yours, and you’ll never get it back.”
He laughed. “I’m not in a hurry, unless there’s something coming up I don’t know about that requires a suit.” He raised the back of the collar so it framed her face. “It looks cool on you, anyway.”
They came to the corner with the empty building diagonally across from The Coffee Grove, and which was now sporting a large “sold” sign. Charlotte peered through the window to see if there was any indication of the kind of business that was going to move in, but it didn’t look any different than any other empty storefront.
“Can’t tell what’s going to go in yet.”
Donovan was fumbling around in his coat pocket. “Let’s take a closer look.” He pulled out a key and smiled.
Charlotte was stunned. “You? You bought it? The whole thing?”
He burst out laughing. “I did. The whole thing, yes. Would have been hard to buy less of it.” He unlocked the door, and gestured for her to go ahead of him. “After you, sweetheart.”
She couldn’t stop smiling, and gave him an excited hug as soon as he closed the door. “When did you do this? What are you planning?” She looked around at the exposed brick walls, the patina of the wood floors, the bank of windows along the side street. There was a beautiful old staircase with a curving banister at the far end. The original tin ceiling was intact. It had been a high-end women’s clothing shop for many years, and more recently a bridal shop. “It’s gorgeous.”
“I bought it while you were having lunch with Ellis.”
They walked over to the stairs and began to go up, Charlotte still looking it over in wonder.
“And I’ve been waiting until I got you here to tell you about some ideas I’ve been working on,” he became more animated, and she felt happy inside, picking up on his enthusiasm.
“Some kind of shop, I assume?”
“You gave me the idea last weekend, actually, when we were taking our walk. I’d like to recreate the bookstore in Paris that Mom’s aunts had, and call it ‘Sibylline,’ just like theirs was. New, used, and first editions. We’d have an online shop for it, as well, and maybe we could host speakers on my father’s works, and have a big reception when your transcription of Mom’s book comes out.” He searched her face for her reaction. “Do you think I’m crazy, sweetheart?”
Charlotte was blown away. “I had no idea your mind was running in that direction! I love it! It’s a beautiful idea.”
His enthusiasm grew in response to hers. “Books have been good me, when you stop to think about it. I’m buying Benny Ramona’s stock, which he has to sell off. Aldo Madiveros is retiring, or at least closing up his store in Hyde Park, and I’m picking up a lot of his stock, as well. That’s why I decided to go to the auction. Made a lot of connections and got some publicity photos I can use on a website.”
He took her hand to lead her up to the second floor, which was less polished than the first floor, as it had several dressing rooms, then around those to another set of stairs.
“I want you to see the top floor of this place.” He took those steps a little slower, but he made it without pausing.
Charlotte expected it to be much like Jimmy’s expansive apartment, but it wasn’t nearly as cavernous. There were twice as many windows, for a start, because the building next door was only two stories high. The quality of light from three directions at once and the view over the town was breathtaking.
“It would make a great apartment, wouldn’t it?”
She whirled from the view back to him. “It’s incredible.”
He took her hand and gave it a kiss, then led her to the seat in the middle bay window overlooking Harvey Street, where they sat, knees touching, in the aura of the sunny winter afternoon.
He pushed up his glasses again. “I’d be honored if you made this your home—and made a life together with me. I’m utterly committed to giving it everything I’ve got, Charlotte, and I—I think of it as an engagement. I already keep wanting to call you my fiancée, almost did to Barnes yesterday. If it all goes the way I think it’ll go—” here one side of his mouth turned up in a knowing smile, “—oh, hell, you know it and I know it—we can get married. And then, sweetheart, just like the saying goes, everything that’s mine will be yours. What d’ya say?”
Charlotte could hardly believe her ears. “Donovan, that’s a proposal!”
He nodded. “Uh-huh.” He pulled a worn velvet-covered box out of his coat pocket and opened it, revealing an elegant antique ring, of diamonds swirling around an emerald. “It was my Grandmother Bernadin’s. Aunt Helene gave it to me when I told her what I wanted to do.”
She felt as if the sun radiated from her heart. She was as certain as the sky was blue. “Yes.”
His smile was so happy, so beautiful.
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