The room was usually staffed by a crew member for the few hours a day it was open, and outside those times it had become her secret space. Luke glanced around at the shelves of books and nodded. “Will we be interrupted by people needing a book for nighttime reading?” “Opening hours are long over. No one will come in until ten tomorrow morning.” He arched an eyebrow. “Is it normal for the ship’s doctor to have a key to the library?” “Not especially,” she said and felt the corners of her mouth tug into a smile. “My father used to be captain of this ship, and he gave me the key because he knew how much I loved it in here. I let the new captain know after Dad’s retirement and he was happy to leave the arrangement as is.” The librarian had also told the new captain that Della helped keep shelves in order on her frequent visits, so on that point alone he’d been keen to keep her access unfettered.
