“Did you?”Vronsky asked with an amused laugh.“I suppose reading novels might be a suitable pursuit for a woman,” he added in a conciliatory tone.
The fact that Vronsky was from a different time than her own was hard to keep in mind as Aurelia’s blood simmered to hear him write off her hard work.Who was he to decide what women were capable of doing?
“I could just as easily have studied medicine or mathematics.Women in my time are physicians, solicitors, you name it.My mother was a Classics professor.”
Vronsky shook his head and smiled, clearly struggling to decide whether Aurelia was pulling his leg.
“That may be so,” he said at last, “yet I simply cannot imagine the women I know being interested in such things.”
“Maybe if you actually asked one of them what they want to do or be, you could rely on more than just your imagination.”Aurelia stared him down, daring him to challenge her.
“What is there to ask?No one would hire a female physician, let alone a female mathematician.”
“That’s something for you to look forward to, then, Alexei,” she announced with a mischievous smile.“One day you’ll have a female doctor who will stitch you up just as well as any man.”
Vronsky stood abruptly.
“That is a scandalous proposal.This modern world you speak of sounds like… pure fiction—something out of one of your ridiculous novels.”
“Well, certainly not yours,” she couldn’t help retorting.
Vronsky made a sharp, short bow and walked stiffly to the spiral staircase, descending rapidly.Aurelia stood and caught sight of him striding into the back of the shop, where he turned from the others and pretended to inspect a bookshelf.
How had they gone from bonding over their shared losses to being cross with one another, and so quickly?His narrow-mindedness was almost comical—so much for him not wanting to be left behind by modern times.But mostly, she was disappointed to discover that one of her favorite characters from one of her favorite novels was, in fact, quite different than she’d imagined.
From below, Marmee caught her eye.Aurelia attempted a smile but was sure it must have come off as a frown instead.Marmee excused herself from her conversation and climbed the spiral staircase.
“You remind me so much of my Jo,” she said as Aurelia met her at the top of the stairs.“You are both very passionate about your beliefs.”
“You heard us, then?”
Marmee lifted her shoulders and Aurelia nodded, realizing how their raised voices must have carried across the small shop.
“I’ve never had a conversation like that in my life,” Aurelia said, shaking her head.“I can pretty much take for granted that people in my time are on the same page about these things.”
“Think how fortunate you are, then, to live in a time when that is so.”
Aurelia looked down at Vronsky, who continued to stand with his back to the others, unwilling to join in their conversations.She felt a pang of guilt, but only a small one.
“I usually tell my girls not to let the sun go down on their anger, but in this case,” Marmee said as she looked to the mezzanine’s darkened window, “perhaps it might be wise to gather your thoughts before revisiting the subject with Count Vronsky.”
“Yes, best leave it for tonight.”Aurelia sighed.
Marmee went back downstairs, and Aurelia moved to rest her hands on the mezzanine railing, watching Marmee’s progress as she joined the others.Going from page to reality, Aurelia was finding it hard to remember that each character was a product of his or her time.But if she was going to spend her evenings with them, she’d have to do a better job of it.She scrunched up her nose as she thought again of Vronsky—could she really sit through another evening of his condescension?
Stifling a huge yawn, Aurelia decided to return to the flat instead of joining the others downstairs.She wondered if it would be rude to leave, but when another giant yawn threatened she knew that a good night’s sleep—what was left of it, anyway—was in order.She waved to Elinor and motioned to the flat door.Elinor nodded and waved back.Aurelia opened the door, letting the waiting Fezz in and up the stairs, then looked out over the shop, seeing the characters talking, laughing,being.In spite of her argument with Vronsky, Aurelia was smiling to herself as she climbed the stairs to bed.
19
Pushingherselftofocuson trying to patch things up with Vronsky, the next day Aurelia took notes during breaks from helping customers, writing out points to raise with him.As she scribbled, her emotions cycled between calm determination and heated irritation.
When Mrs.Smith appeared at the shop door just before noon, it took Aurelia some effort to drop her lingering annoyance.She stood up from her desk and said hello in the friendliest tone she could muster.Mrs.Smith strode over to Aurelia, displaying her usual rush of energy and shortage of time to spare.As usual, Alfie was trotting alongside her.
“Ready for another book so soon?”
“Yes,” Mrs.Smith said brusquely.“You mentioned you had a recommendation for me—a mystery I haven’t read.”
“Oh, yes—it’s here, actually.”
