Chapter 30: Kate

Summary

• Time accelerates for Kate as she becomes immersed in her bookshop job, enjoying tasks like sorting through donated books and operating the label gun.
• Most books sold are routine romance novels, but occasionally she comes across valuable first editions, which are displayed in the shop window.
• Kate and her boss Emily establish a warm routine, with Emily often bringing Kate tea and biscuits and chatting about personal matters, like her husband and her life in Crows Beck.
• Kate finds a connection with Emily's cat, perhaps reflecting a deeper sense of kinship with Emily herself.
• As Kate is pregnant and due in December, she begins to consider names for her child, such as Holly or Robyn, but has yet to settle on one.
• She experiences her baby kicking for the first time in early autumn, an event that deeply affects her.
• By November, she has changed physically and now wears Aunt Violet's looser clothing and no longer manages her unruly hair.
• During Bonfire Night, Kate and Emily discuss Kate's lack of contact with Simon, the baby's father; Kate implies it is for the best, as Simon was not a good person.
• Emily offers emotional support and assures Kate that she's there for her, hinting at a deepening friendship.
• Kate reflects on her past life, including a wedding she attended, where she felt controlled by Simon, and the gradual loss of contact with her old friends.
• Emily shares a personal story about her own stillborn child, which resonates with Kate's feeling about her own circumstances and the anticipation of motherhood.
• Following Emily's departure, Kate acts with determination to not repeat past mistakes and symbolically burns the clothes associated with her former life.
• In December, as the snow falls, Kate often observes the natural beauty around her, including a robin that captivates her and her unborn daughter.
• Kate has integrated well into life in the village and the routine of the bookshop and garden, though occasionally reminders of her old life, such as late-night phone calls, induce anxiety.
• Despite fears associated with her old life, Kate finds some peace in her new environment, and the locals are slowly accepting her presence.
• Her life is punctuated by an intriguing discovery when Emily presents her with a box labeled "Orton Hall," suggesting a connection to Kate and possibly containing items that belong to her or have significance to her family history.