It covered two floors of books both old and new, and when Philip arrived, it was already filling up with eager fans. He actually had to hustle to pick up Marnie's book, and when he thumbed through it, he was startled to see how much of her came through in her writing. There was something indefinably Marnie about it, and he warmed to her even further. Philip decided that he didn't want to sit up front, where she might be distracted by seeing an old flame. Instead, he took a seat at the back, where the last stragglers were filling in. It was dimmer there, and he sat waiting for Marnie to appear. Seated just a seat away from him was a little girl who couldn't be more than five. She was a fey little thing, dressed in a green dress with gold ribbons in her hair. With her dark hair and slim build, she reminded him of some of his cousins' children. Philip wondered at parents who would bring a child to such an adult event, but the little girl seemed to be content to draw in her large pad of recycled paper, making broad black lines with her stub of crayon.
