I had never connected that Emma BORROWED a book from Hawkes!! She usually flat out rejects the idea! I definitely agree that this is significant!

In volume five, on November 12th after Emma visits Islington to ask him to be a character reference, he offers to get Hawkes as her second reference. Islington tells Emma that he is going to borrow Polybius from him, and this is Emma's thought afterward.

" After I left, I thought of a world where if I wanted to read Polybius's thoughts on the Roman Constitution, all I would have to do is walk down the hallway to my library..."

HER library?!...It's Hawkes' book!😍