~Levy's Library Rule #3- Enjoy!~

Levy opened the door with a big smile on her face. "Lisanna! You found the house."

Lisanna returned the smile. "Well it did take a little bit of backtracking. I still mostly know the main streets, and I have yet to make the acquaintance of more than a few side streets."

"Come on in," Levy stood aside to let Lisanna through the doorway. "I'm sure you'll get to know Magnolia well by the time you've graduated from FT."

"I can only hope," Lisanna replied.

Lisanna looked around at the welcoming little house. There was a cozy looking couch and a couple of comfy looking chairs in the front room, surrounded by pictures of smiling people of various ages and heights. Levy gave her a brief tour. The tv room was open to the kitchen and dining area which Levy assured her was very convenient when her brother Gajeel was hosting football parties with his teammates. She lead Lisanna down a hall pointing out which door was for the bathroom versus the rooms for her siblings and parents. She paused in front of her door.

"I'm sorry that I didn't get my room cleaned up before you got here, but I really did try to straighten things up."

Lisanna was surprised by what greeted her eyes. She had expected a mess, there wasn't one really, but she hadn't anticipated the books! Upon opening the door there was a wall that was obviously the side of the closet and in front of it there was a red, two-shelf bookcase full of picture books and other well-loved children's stories. The wall above the bookcase had a poster welcoming all to "Levy's Library" followed by a few illustrated rules: 1-Always ask first, 2- Only two books at a time, 3- Enjoy! The wall opposite the door had a large window with a day-bed under it flanked by two small tables. There were books in piles on top of the tables, one had a laptop precariously perched on it as it charged. The rest of the room appeared to have floor to ceiling bookshelves, that were completely chocked full of books. It wasn't until Lisanna was fully in the room that she discovered the desk that was opposite the window. It was also filled with books and papers.

Levy was looking as Lisanna to see her reaction and couldn't help a sigh of relief when Lisanna grinned and said, "You live in a library!" She did a slow turn and continued, "This is like the best bedroom ever."

Levy chuckled then added, "Well I think so."

Lisanna pointed at the shelves. "May I?"

She was answered with a nod and a smile.

There was a wide variety of subjects and authors together on the shelves. Lisanna felt she could probably guess Levy's top three writers after she found several shelves dedicated to only their works. There was lots of fantasy/fiction, classical literature, mysteries, and fairy tales, but Levy also had sewing, cooking, motor repair, woodworking, and welding lining the wall. One shelf was book after book on animals and their environments. Another held anatomy and physiology textbooks as well as chemistry and math books. There were puzzle books, joke books that only an eight year old would find hilarious, and comic anthologies. Lisanna was amazed at the sheer amount of curiosity and interest that Levy displayed here.

"Ok, I've got to ask," Lisanna said as she frowned at a shelf, "I can sort of guess why a lot of the other books are put where they are but this one is a little confusing."

Levy chuckled. "That, my friend, is my shrine to all things Victorian. There's literature from that time period as well as stories set in that era. I have cookbooks, every day accounts, and Victorian life-hack type books. There are books on manners and etiquette from the time as well as commentary on how they have changed from that time to this. Medical practices (she shuddered), and modern compositions on the barbarism that was done in the name of medical science can be found next to each other. There's even a few books on the amazing women of the time that aren't given any mention in traditional accounts of the era."

"Wow," Lisanna said as she pulled one book from the shelf. "Great tea rooms of Fiore? I didn't know this was a thing."

"Oh yeah," Levy said. "There's even one here in town that's in that book."

"Really?"

"You've never been to the Gray House for high tea?" Levy asked.

"I can't say that I have," Lisanna said as she flipped through the pages.

"I guess not everyone was forced to have a week of lessons about proper etiquette before going there for a field trip in the sixth grade," Levy said.

Lisanna laughed and shook her head. "Oh look at this picture," she said as she tipped the page in Levy's direction, "they look so elegant and refined."

Levy moved to be next to her and looked at the picture. "They 's Mary Benson and her lover, Lucy Tait, after Mary's husband died and they were finally able to move into a home together."

Lisanna looked back at the picture. "Those two look so in love," she said softly.

"Why don't we do that?"

Lisanna looked up at her noting how close they were standing. "Why don't we do what?" she asked a little unsure as her pulse began to speed up.

"Why don't we get dressed up and go to high tea at the Gray House!" Levy said. "You don't know what you've missed out on from not growing up in Magnolia. There's all sorts of things around here that you ought to experience."

"And you'd be willing to show me?" Lisanna asked shyly.

"I'd love to," Levy said eagerly. She pulled out her phone and moved to sit at the desk. "When's your next day off? I can contact my friend who works there and she'll get us on the list."

"Oh, um, let me check," Lisanna said as she moved to sit on the only other chairlike surface. She scrolled through her work schedule willing her heart to calm down. She was so busy looking for the information that she missed Levy stealing a glance at her from across the room.

Levy smiled to herself. She was already formulating a list of places to show Lisanna. This summer was going to be great.