Miss Knight know?”
“Oh, definitely—she’s always encouraging everyone in the house to use the library.”
“Does she spend much time in here herself?” Dr. Gray asked, as both he and Adam silently started to run their hands along the tops of the books on various different shelves.
“I don’t think so. At least, I never really catch her in here much. She does read, she has her favourites—but I think she prefers to reread a lot.”
Adam laughed, a sound that surprised the other two for its rarity. “Oh, sorry, it’s just, I’m as guilty of that as anyone.”
Evie looked at the farmer. “You are? What do you reread?”
Adam turned back to the long shelf. “Just, you know.”
Dr. Gray smiled at Evie, then turned to Adam’s back. “Adam, it’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of.”
Evie’s eyes widened.
“Austen,” Adam finally declared.
Evie stared at the farmer. “But Jane Austen is my favourite. I reread her all the time.” She came over to Adam and pulled two matching books out from in front of him.
“Look, Mr. Berwick, isn’t it amazing? Another first edition.” She placed the two volumes in his hands.
He turned them onto their sides. “Two volumes of Emma. How strange.”
Dr. Gray found a comfortable chair in the corner opposite from them and sat down, sensing they were all three going to be in here for quite some time. “Strange in what way?” he asked Adam.
“Well, Emma was three volumes.”
Evie continued to stare at him in disbelief. “How do you know that?”
Adam opened the book. “All her books were, at least I think so. Oh,” he said suddenly, and held the book out to Evie. “Look. Says here it was published in Philadelphia. In 1816.”
Evie nodded. “I know. How did a book, printed in America, get all the way here, do you think?”
Dr. Gray crossed his legs, watching the two of them with great amusement. It was the most animated he had ever seen Adam—and the most speechless he had seen Evie Stone yet.
“Perhaps,” Dr. Gray interrupted, “a relative or someone sent a copy here, or to Austen herself. Evie, you said there were two thousand books in this room alone. Have you gone through the other studies?”
“Just the one right on top of us, on the second floor. I have dusting duty on the two bottom floors, Charlotte’s the top.”
“How much dusting can you possibly be getting done?” asked Adam in all seriousness.
Evie laughed. She had never spent much time around Adam Berwick, who had always struck her as so quiet and lonely. It would never have occurred to her that they would have something in common like Jane Austen.
“Evie,” Dr. Gray spoke up again. He looked over at Adam, eyes raised, and gave him an inquiring nod.
Adam nodded back in silent agreement.
“Evie, Adam and I have been working on something for a little while now. It was Adam’s idea, a little project.”
“Oh, I love projects,” she said brightly.
Dr. Gray and Adam both smiled at her youthful energy. “We are hoping to make some kind of memorial to Jane Austen, here, in Chawton.”
Evie sat back down on the stool. “Like a statue, or another plaque of some kind?”
“No, more than that.” Dr. Gray looked over at Adam. “You explain. After all, it was your idea.”
Adam put the two volumes of Emma back on the shelf and took a few tentative steps towards Evie. “What if we could buy the cottage, the little steward’s cottage, and restore it? Make it look like Jane Austen’s time there, with some of the furniture and paintings and whatnot? Then all the tourists would really have something to see when they came.”
Evie looked from one older man to the other. “But where would you get the money? And where would all the stuff come from?”
“Those are all good questions, my dear,” answered Dr. Gray. “We decided to form a society that would help raise funds through donations, and then we’d buy the house and source objects for it. I mean, we’ve all heard the stories over the years, about some of her letters and even the family’s furniture showing up in various Chawton homes. Apparently old Mrs. Austen gave away quite a bit to the servants and their families over time. Who knows what we might find if we set about trying.”
“Who are the members—you and Adam?”
“For now, plus Andrew Forrester, the Alton solicitor, and Miss Lewis—I mean Grover.” Dr. Gray hesitated and looked over at Adam first before adding, “And you, if you are interested.”
“Me?” she said in astonishment,