Read Online Love in Disguise by Carol Cox - Free Book Online Page A

table holding an ornate oil lamp separated the sofa and armchair. Ellie ran her fingertips over the delicate etching on the lamp’s cranberry glass globe, feeling a surge of delight. What a perfect dollhouse of a place.
    Peering through the doorway that opened off the opposite side of the kitchen, she saw a neat bedroom, complete with walnut dressing table, matching wardrobe, and a cozy bed with an iron headboard painted white and ornamented with rosettes, vines, and leaves. Her trunk and the costume hamper stood at the foot of the bed. A quick glance into the remaining room to the left of the parlor showed her a smaller bedroom, furnished in similar fashion. A smile touched her lips. Lavinia and Jessie would each have their own room.
    The house was set up just the way Ellie would have arranged a snug home of her own. The Pinkertons really did think of everything, and this was yet another indication of their efficiency.
    Which meant they would expect her to be equally efficient in her efforts to identify the silver thieves.
    Her elation faded as the thought brought her back to her purpose for being in Pickford. She had succeeded in her efforts to find a job to sustain her and escape the bitter Chicago winter. Now she must perform equally well in carrying out what she’d been hired to do.
    But first . . .
    Ellie darted toward the front of the house, slowing her steps as she opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. Those rocking chairs and the springlike temperatures were simply too inviting to pass up. Besides, in building a credible character, actions were just as important as appearance. It would be perfectly in character for Lavinia to sit and enjoy a few moments of quietude after her long journey.
    She settled into the chair nearest the front door and shut her eyes as the creak of the rocker settled into a steady rhythm, letting the sun’s soothing heat seep into her bones. What a blessing after Chicago’s brutal winter. The thought made her eyelids spring open again. A blessing? Had the God she had ignored for so long been listening to her prayers after all?
    The moment the question crossed her mind, a glow spread within her that rivaled the warmth of the Arizona sunshine. The rocker ceased its motion while she sat transfixed. Could it be true? After all the years since she’d turned her back on God, was it possible He still cared? Maybe she ought to dig her long-neglected Bible out of her trunk and start reading it again.
    A rustle near the front window pulled her from her reverie, and she slanted a stern look at the lilac bush. “All right, young man, I’m onto you. You might as well quit your skulking and come out of there right now.”
    Silence followed; then a moment later the branches parted, and her towheaded neighbor emerged.
    “What were you doing in there?”
    “Nothin’.” The boy twisted his lips into a sullen pout and drew a line in the dirt with the toe of his scruffy shoe.
    “Oh, I think you can do better than that.” Ellie reached out and patted the seat on the chair next to hers. “Why don’t you come up here and sit with me for a spell?”
    The boy shot her a startled glance. “Why?”
    Why indeed? She was in Pickford to solve a crime, not reform young hoodlums. On the other hand, if she befriended the lad, he might be less likely to lurk under her front window.
    “I like to get acquainted with my neighbors,” she answered in a noncommittal tone. She waited until he scooted back on the seat of the rocker, his feet barely making contact with the porch floorboards. “What’s your name?”
    “Billy Taylor.”
    “I’m pleased to meet you, Billy. I’m Mrs. Stewart.” She leaned forward. “Now, tell me, what is it you find so fascinating about me? Surely you have more constructive things to do than sneak around my house.”
    “Nah.” Billy’s shoes made trails in the dust on the porch as he rocked back and forth. “No one wants me hangin’ around much.”
    Considering