A Bookmark's Reclaim

An antique bronze clip shaped like an unfurled moth had slipped from the edge of an open folio, its delicate openwork wing pinched against a folded vellum page. I approached without haste across the dark shelf, observing the strained paper beneath the metal weight. Gathering my sleeves, I placed both hands firmly against the cool bronze edge. Exerting measured, upward pressure, I eased the trapped wing free from the crease. Once released, I guided the clip smoothly along the spine until it gripped the calfskin flush, leaving the parchment flat and uncreased in the quiet morning.