The fourth edition was shelved in the main shop, while the other was in the stockroom. ‘I shouldn’t be long,’ said Jemma, hoping fervently that she wouldn’t. B7, she repeated in her head as she scanned the shelves.
The book was exactly where it should be, in a labelled case. Jemma felt a rush of unexpected warmth towards Maddy. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered, and picked up the case. She laid it on the counter, then unlocked a glass door in the main shop and brought out the second book. Both were green, both had gilt decoration on the spine. ‘Here we are,’ she said. ‘There’s quite a difference in price—’
The woman flapped an impatient hand. ‘That one,’ she said, pointing at the fourth edition. ‘I’d prefer the other, but there isn’t time to get it restored.’ She sighed. ‘These last-minute birthday invitations are so tiresome.’
‘I’m sure whoever receives it will love it,’ said Jemma. ‘It’s a very generous gift.’
The woman smiled for the first time since she had entered the shop. Her teeth were white and even, and there was a tiny gap between each. ‘It’s a convenient gift,’ she said. She opened her bag, extracted a small purse, and took out a plain black card.
‘Well, if you need any more last-minute book presents,’ said Jemma, ‘you know where we are.’ She took payment and handed over the receipt. ‘Would you like a bag?’
The customer considered. ‘It’s probably best,’ she concluded. ‘Excuse me a moment.’ She went to the door, beckoned, and presently a uniformed man came in and bore the book away. ‘Thank you, er—’
‘Jemma,’ said Jemma.
The woman seemed to be considering whether that could possibly be her name. Eventually, she nodded. ‘Thank you, Jemma.’ And she sailed out.
As soon as the door closed, Jemma slumped on the counter with a huge sigh of relief. Then she started laughing. I made a sale! I made a sale, on my own, and nothing bad happened! It was only when she straightened up that she realised her half-eaten panini had been sitting next to her on the counter all along.
***
‘Quiet, I suppose,’ said Maddy, when she returned.
‘Just one customer,’ said Jemma. She had considered whether to swap her business book for Pigs Have Wings before Maddy got back, but decided that what she chose to read was up to her.
Maddy hung up her jacket and bag, and removed the auction catalogue. ‘Will you be going out?’
‘No thanks, I’m fine,’ said Jemma. ‘Oh yes, and we have a gap on that shelf.’ She pointed to the empty space where Origin of Species had been.
Maddy gaped. ‘You sold one?’
‘I did,’ said Jemma, trying not to puff up. ‘For the price listed on the database. And I’ve updated the record.’
‘Oh,’ said Maddy, still gazing at the empty space. ‘Um, good.’
‘Actually,’ said Jemma, ‘why don’t you make yourself a drink, then look for cheaper stock for the window? Maybe pick out fifteen to twenty books, so we can choose the ones that complement each other for the display.’ She beamed at Maddy, then returned to her book.
‘Would you – would you like a drink too?’ asked Maddy. Her voice was slightly thick and hoarse, as if she were having trouble forming the words.
‘Oh, yes please,’ said Jemma. ‘Tea with milk and one sugar, if you would.’
Maddy said no more, but went into the back room. Jemma noted that her usually beautiful posture was slightly off; her upper back curved, her shoulders slightly forward, her head down. She bit her lip. Am I being mean?
Give over, said a little voice which Jemma thought of as coming from the book. You’re setting the direction for your business. It’s a perfectly normal request. And you asked nicely.
I did, didn’t I? thought Jemma. And I’m including her in the choosing process, so I’m empowering her. Feeling almost unbearably smug, she returned to her book.
‘It’s no good,’ said Maddy, ten minutes later. ‘Only six books in the shop cost less than fifty pounds, and three of those are in poor condition.’
Jemma sighed. ‘Then we should review our stock,’ she said. ‘I don’t want the shop to be a place for rich people only.’
Maddy shot a glance at her. ‘But if that’s what the books cost…’
‘I’m not saying that we can’t sell expensive books,’ said Jemma. ‘But we should sell affordable ones, too. I mean, could you afford to buy most of the books we sell?’
‘Well, no,’ said Maddy, ‘but that isn’t the point—’
‘What do you like to read?’ Jemma asked.
Maddy recoiled as if she had asked a very personal question. ‘I read – I read auction catalogues, and the Bookseller, and the Bookseller’s Companion, of course—’
‘I asked you what you like to read,’ said Jemma. ‘I like reading novels, usually contemporary ones with a bit of humour, but I’ll try most things.’ She went to her bag, pulled out Pigs Have Wings, and held it up.
Maddy stared at the book in Jemma’s hand. ‘I—’ She swallowed. ‘I like Gothic fiction,’ she said. ‘Classic Gothic fiction, like Ann Radcliffe.’ She looked as if she were confessing a secret shame.
‘Like The Mysteries of Udolpho?’ said Jemma. ‘I’ve seen that in Burns Books, but I don’t know what else she wrote.’
‘She wrote six novels,’ said Maddy, ‘but they’re hard to get hold of. Some of them—’ She paused as if what she were about to say might shock Jemma. ‘They’re only available online.’
‘Oh yes, I’ve got a reading app on my phone,’ said Jemma. ‘It’s great for holidays, but I do prefer a paperback.’ She grinned. ‘I’m probably Brian’s most un-ideal reader.’
A small smile lifted the corner of Maddy’s mouth. She leaned forward. ‘He doesn’t know about the novels,’ she whispered. ‘I’ve never told him. But I do like reading auction catalogues,’ she said in her normal voice. ‘Very interesting.’
‘Like reading store catalogues when you were a kid, and picking out the things you wanted?’ said Jemma.
Maddy giggled. ‘Kind of.’
‘Right,’ said Jemma, ‘what we’ll do is put any cheap books in good condition in the window, and add some between fifty and a hundred pounds. Popular names that people recognise, not obscure stuff. The customer who came in earlier wanted Origin of Species for a birthday present, which goes to show. With the money from the sale, what I propose to do is buy good-quality cheaper stock. Agreed?’
‘Agreed,’ said Maddy. And while Jemma wasn’t entirely sure how she had got Maddy on her side, or how on earth she would acquire the new stock that she had spoken of so lightly, she was still pleased with the outcome. It’s remarkable what a bit of confidence can do, she thought, as Maddy arranged a rainbow of books in the window.
Chapter 8
Jemma monitored customer numbers for the next few days. More people were coming in, certainly, and they were making more sales; but she couldn’t be sure that her new strategy was paying off.