The Giver of Stars(61)



‘The very one. Now, while I’m usually a great supporter of such enterprises, and I absolutely agree with our president and the First Lady that we should be doing what we can to educate our populace, I have to say that the women – well, certain women – in our county are causing problems.’

‘Problems?’

‘This travelling library is fomenting unrest. It’s encouraging all sorts of irregular behaviour. For instance – Hoffman Mining was planning to explore new areas on the North Ridge. The kind of thing we’ve been doing entirely legitimately for decades. Now, I believe these librarians have been spreading rumours and falsehoods about it, because the next thing we’ve been hit with is a series of legal orders forbidding us our usual mining rights in the area. Not just one family but a great number of them have signed up to block our path.’

‘That’s unfortunate.’ The governor lit a cigarette, offering Mr Van Cleve the packet, which he refused.

‘Indeed. If they do this with other families, we’ll end up with nowhere to mine. And then what are we supposed to do? We are a major employer in this part of Kentucky. We provide a vital resource to our great nation.’

‘Well, Geoff, you know it doesn’t take a lot to get folk up in arms about mining, these days. Do you have proof it was these librarians stirring things up?’

‘Well, here’s the thing. Half the families now blocking us through the courts couldn’t read a word last year. Where would they have got information on legal matters if it wasn’t for these library books?’

The bourbons arrived. The waiter lifted them from a silver tray and placed each one reverently in front of the two men.

‘I don’t know. From what I understand it’s just a bunch of girls on horses taking recipe cards here and there. What harm are they really going to do? I think you may just have to chalk this one up to misfortune, Geoff. The amount of trouble we have around the mines just now, why, it could have been anyone.’

Mr Van Cleve felt the governor’s attention starting to slide. ‘It’s not just the mines. They are changing the very dynamics of our society. They are fixing to alter the laws of nature.’

‘The laws of nature?’

When the governor looked disbelieving, he added: ‘There are reports of our women engaging in unnatural practices.’

Now he had his attention. The governor leaned forward.

‘My son, God bless him, my wife and I raised him according to godly principles, so I admit he is not entirely worldly in conjugal matters. But he tells me that his young bride – who has taken up work at this library – mentioned to him a book the women are passing among them. A book of sexual content.’

‘Sexual content!’

‘Quite!’

The governor took a gulp of his drink. ‘And – uh – what would this “sexual content” comprise exactly?’

‘Well, I don’t want to shock you, Governor. I won’t go into details –’

‘Oh, I can take it, Geoff. Go into all the – uh – details you like.’

Mr Van Cleve glanced behind him and lowered his voice. ‘He said his bride – who was, by all accounts, brought up like a princess – from a very good family, you understand – well, she was suggesting she do things to him in the bedroom that one might expect at a French whorehouse.’

‘A French whorehouse.’ The governor swallowed hard.

‘At first I thought this was maybe an English thing. Due to their proximity to the European ways, you know. But Bennett told me she said it was definitely from the library. Spreading filth. Suggestions that would make a grown man blush. I mean, where will it end?’

‘That’s the, uh, pretty blonde? The one I met last year at dinner.’

‘The very one. Alice. Finer than frog hair. The shock of hearing salaciousness proposed by a girl like that … Well …’

The governor took another very long sip of his drink. His eyes had gone a little glassy. ‘Did he give, uh, details of the exact activities she was proposing? Just so, you know, I can be clear on the full picture.’

Mr Van Cleve shook his head. ‘Poor Bennett was so shook up it took him weeks even to confide in me. Hasn’t felt able to lay a finger on her since. I mean it ain’t right, Governor. Not for decent God-fearing wives to be suggesting such deviance.’

The governor appeared to be deep in thought.

‘Governor?’

‘Filth … Right. Sorry, yes … I mean, no.’

‘Anyway. I would appreciate knowing whether other counties are having the same issues with their women and these so-called libraries. I can’t believe this is a good thing, for our workforce or Christian families. My inclination would be to shut the scheme down altogether. Likewise with this mining-permissions business.’

Mr Van Cleve folded his napkin and laid it on the table. The governor was still apparently considering this very carefully.

‘Or perhaps you think the best way forward would be just … to deal with the matter in whichever way we thought fit.’

He wasn’t sure, he told Bennett afterwards, whether the governor’s drink had actually gone to his head. He seemed markedly distracted towards the end of lunch.

‘So what did he say?’ said Bennett, who had cheered up with the purchase of some new corduroys and a striped sweater.

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