Page 55 - The Midnight Library

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You couldn’t let a few less desirable parts put you off the whole. ere may

be bits you don’t like, a few dodg y side streets and suburbs, but the good
stuff makes it worthwhile.
He had listened to a lot of annoying podcasts that he thought Nora should
listen to, and laughed in a way that grated on her, and gargled loudly with

mouthwash. And yes, he hogged the duvet and could occasionally be
arrogant in his opinions on art and film and music, but there was nothing
overtly wrong with him. Well – now that she thought about it – he’d never
been supportive of her music career, and had advised her that being in e

Labyrinths and signing a music deal would be bad for her mental health,
and that her brother was being a bit selfish. But at the time she had viewed
that not so much as a red flag but a green one. Her thinking was: he cared,
and it was nice to have someone who cared, who wasn’t bothered about fame

and superficialities, and could help navigate the waters of life. And so when
he had asked her to marr y him, in the cocktail bar on the top floor of the
Oxo Tower, she had agreed and maybe she had always been right to agree.
He stepped for ward into the room, placed his pint down momentarily and

was now on his phone, looking up better pub quiz questions.
She wondered how much he had drunk tonight. She wondered if the
dream of owning a pub had really been a dream of drinking an endless
supply of alcohol.

‘What is the name of a twenty-sided polygon?’
‘I don’t know,’ Nora lied, not wanting to risk a similar reaction to the one
she’d received a moment ago.
He put the phone in his pocket.

‘We did well, though. ey all drank loads tonight. Not bad for a Tuesday.
ings are looking up. I mean, there’s something to tell the bank tomorrow.
Maybe they’ll give us an extension on the loan . . .’
He stared at the beer in his glass, swilled it around a little, then downed it.

‘ ough I’ve got to tell A.J. to change the lunch menu. No one in
Littleworth wants to eat candied beet root and broad bean salad and corn
cakes. is isn’t pissing Fitzrovia. And I know they’re going down well, but I
think those wines you chose aren’t worth it. Especially the Californian ones.’

‘Okay.’
He turned and looked behind him. ‘Where’s the board?’
‘What?’