Mrs Elm looked a lot older than she had done at the Midnight Library. Her formerly grey hair was now white and thin, her face tired and lined as a map, hands spotted with age, but she was as adept at chess as she had been years ago in the Hazeldene school library.
Oak Leaf Care Home had its own chessboard, but it had needed a dust down.
โNo one plays here,โ she told Nora. โIโm so pleased you came to see me. It was such a surprise.โ
โWell, I can come every day if you want, Mrs Elm?โ
โLouise, please call me Louise. And donโt you have work to do?โ
Nora smiled. Even though it had only been twenty-four hours since she had asked Neil to put up her poster in Stringย ๎ขeory, she was already inundated with people wanting lessons. โI teach piano lessons. And I help out at the homeless shelter every other Tuesday. But I will always have an hour . . . And to be honest, I have no one to play chess with either.โ
A tired smile spread across Mrs Elmโs face. โWell, that would be lovely.โ She stared out of the little window in her room and Nora followed her gaze.
๎ขere was a human and a dog Nora recognised. It was Dylan, walking Sally the bullmasti๏ฌ.ย ๎ขe nervous one with the cigarette burns who had taken a shine to her. She wondered, vaguely, if her landlord would allow her to get a dog. Heโd allowed a cat, a๎er all. But sheโd have to wait until sheโd caught up with the rent.
โIt can be lonely,โ Mrs Elm said. โBeing here. Just sitting. I felt like the game was up. Like a lonely king on a board. You see, I donโt know how you remember me, but outside of school I wasnโt always theโโ She hesitated.
โIโve let people down. I havenโt always beenย easy. Iโve done things I regret. I was a bad wife. Not always a good mother, either. People have given up a little on me, and I donโt entirely blame them.โ
โWell, you were kind to me, Mrs . . . Louise. When I had a hard time at school, you always knew what to say.โ
Mrs Elm steadied her breath. โ๎ขank you, Nora.โ
โAnd youโre not alone on the board now. A pawn has come and joined you.โ
โYou were never a pawn.โ
She made her move. A bishop sweeping into a strong position. A slight smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
โYouโre going to win this,โ Nora observed.
Mrs Elmโs eyes sparkled with sudden life. โWell, thatโs the beauty, isnโt it?
You just never know how it ends.โ
And Nora smiled as she stared at all the pieces she still had le๎ย in play, thinking about her next move.
