Whispers in the Reading Room
Read Whispers in the Reading Room Online
Authors: Shelley Gray
ACCLAIM FOR SHELLEY GRAY
“Shelley Gray writes a well-paced story full of historical detail that will invite you into the romance, the glamour . . . and the mystery surrounding the Chicago World’s Fair.”
—C
OLLEEN
C
OBLE
,
USA Today
BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF
Rosemary
Cottage
AND THE
H
OPE
B
EACH SERIES
“
Downton Abbey
comes to Chicago in Shelley Gray’s delightful romantic suspense,
Secrets of Sloane House
. Gray’s novel is rich in description and historical detail while asking thought-provoking questions about faith and one’s place in society.”
—E
LIZABETH
M
USSER
,
NOVELIST
,
The Swan House
,
The Sweetest Thing
,
T
HE
S
ECRETS OF THE
C
ROSS
T
RILOGY
“Full of vivid descriptions and beautiful prose, Gray has a way of making readers feel like they are actually in Chicago during the World’s Fair . . . the mystery surrounding the ‘Slasher’ keeps the reader engaged throughout.”
—
RT
B
OOK
R
EVIEWS
, 4
STAR
REVIEW OF
Deception on Sable Hill
ALSO IN THE CHICAGO WORLD’S FAIR MYSTERY SERIES
Secrets of Sloane House
Deception on Sable Hill
ZONDERVAN
Whispers in the Reading Room
Copyright © 2015 by Shelley Gray
ePub Edition © October 2015: ISBN 978-0-310-33855-0
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan,
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546
Gray, Shelley Shepard.
Whispers in the reading room : a Chicago World's Fair mystery / Shelley Gray.
pages ; cm
ISBN 978-0-310-33849-9 (softcover)
I. Title.
PS3607.R3966W364 2015
813'.6--dc23
2015020309
Scripture quotations are from the King James Version.
Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
Interior design: Mallory Perkins
15 16 17 18 19 20 / RRD / 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This novel is all about friendship. With that in mind, it’s dedicated to Julie Stone. Thank you for being such a kind and steadfast friend! Thank you for touring Chicago with me . . . and then doing it again and again. Looking forward to years of collecting passport stamps together, wherever that may be!
CONTENTS
ENJOY AN EXCERPT FROM ROBIN LEE HATCHER’S UPCOMING NOVEL, THE LOYAL HEART
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
—Hebrews 11:1
The astonishing Chicago—a city where they are always rubbing the lamp, and fetching up the genie, and contriving and achieving new impossibilities. It is hopeless for the occasional visitor to try to keep up with Chicago—she outgrows his prophecies faster than he can make them. She is always a novelty; for she is never the Chicago you saw when you passed through last time.
—Mark Twain,
Life on the Mississippi
, 1883
CHICAGO TIMES-COURIER
From October 1893
Reported by Benson Gage
While the majority of the city basks in the glow of the Columbian Exposition’s success, far more dark events are taking place in the city’s underbelly. This publication has learned there has been a spike in attacks and murders deep in the heart of Camp Creek Alley. Has crime sought to take advantage of the fact that most everyone’s eyes are on the bright Plaisance, allowing all sorts of criminals to run rampant?
This reporter can only advise for any reputable citizen with a care for both his purse and his life to stay far away from the area. It is very likely that even establishments that look reputable hide many dark secrets behind their beguiling façades.
MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 1894
H
e had returned.
Lydia Bancroft peeked over the stack of books she was cataloging, trying her best to see what new book her favorite patron was reading that afternoon.
For the past year, the debonair man had come into the reading room several times a week. And for the last three months, he’d sat in his favorite chair in the corner and kept his nose in a series of books detailing the adventures of Lewis and Clark.
She still remembered the expression on his face last week when he’d finished and closed the last tome. He’d looked pleased and just a bit melancholy. She knew those dual feelings well—the satisfaction of completing a well-written piece of literature while also coming to terms with the fact that those few moments of pure bliss would soon be replaced with a longing for more.
That was when she realized they were kindred spirits, even though she had no business observing him so intently. At long last, she was an engaged woman, and though Jason had never stepped foot in here, if he did, he undoubtedly would not appreciate the sight of her gazing upon another man.
But it seemed she couldn’t help herself.
He intrigued her, even though she’d never uttered a single word to him, nor had he spoken to her. It remained a mystery why he had yet to ask for a library card or attempt to check out a book.
As Lydia continued to eye him, she wondered if perhaps she should offer help to obtain a library card. Perhaps he was unsure of the process. If that was the case, she would certainly be glad to be of assistance.
And, well, once they started talking, perhaps he’d be more apt to converse with her. At last.
“Excuse me, miss?”
Startled by a female voice, Lydia twisted around, disturbing the neat stack of books on the counter. They tumbled to the floor in a resounding crash, causing everyone around her to snap their attention her way.
Including her favorite patron. When she instinctively looked his way, he was gazing at her directly, not at the scattered books. His dark-brown eyes seeming to take in every freckle on her face and the flush she could feel rising on her neck.
Feeling like a little mouse caught in a trap, she stilled. For a split second, she gave in to temptation and allowed herself to meet his gaze. But when one of his eyebrows rose with a look of amusement, her embarrassment worsened.
Realizing that she had not improved his perception of her, she looked away.
“Miss?” The speaker’s voice was sharp now. Irritated. Far from the low volume preferred in her reading room.
Finally facing the lady, Lydia gathered her wits. “Forgive me. How may I be of assistance?”
“I’m looking for the latest Sherlock Holmes mystery. Do you have it?”
“If we do, it would be on the shelf. Let’s go see.” She led the way to the fiction stacks, keeping her mind firmly on the task at hand. She smiled when she found the novel the woman was looking for in its place on the shelf.
Then, as she gathered the toppled books, she tried to hide her disappointment. Her favorite gentleman reader had gone.
And once again, he’d left the book he was reading on the table next to where he’d been sitting. Just like always. Carefully, she picked it up, noted the title, smiled, and placed it in a nearby cabinet. She
knew from experience that he wouldn’t return that day. But tomorrow she would set his selection out for him like she always did. She wanted him to have what he wanted here.
Even though she should not treat one patron more considerately than another—especially not a man who made her feel the loss of his presence.
Of course, there was always tomorrow or the next day. He would return. He always did. And the next time he did? She was going to approach him and offer a library card. Already her spirits lifted when she imagined how happy that would make him.
It took Sebastian Marks almost four blocks to shake off the cool feeling of serenity he’d enjoyed at the library. As the number of people around him doubled, then tripled, he forced himself to push away everything about his time at the Lincoln Lending Library. A gent like him was liable to get killed otherwise. After another block, he added a swagger to his step and a bit more menace to his expression.
It was just in time.