Read Online Murder in the Paperback Parlor by Ellery Adams - Free Book Online

auction!”
    â€œMe either, but I also don’t want to rush through this meal. This coq au vin is
divine
.”
    Eventually, the ladies finished their entrées and the waitstaff came around with coffee and dessert carts.
    â€œAfter all those teatime treats, I shouldn’t even look,” declared one lady. But look she did. In fact, she ended up ordering a slice of chocolate and hazelnut cheesecake and a cup of decaf. “Wait!” she cried when the waiter turned to leave. “You’d better make that full octane. I don’t want to fall asleep in the middle of the auction.”
    â€œI’ll have the toffee cake with the nut brittle ice cream and an espresso,” the woman sitting beside her told the waiter. She smiled at her tablemate. “I saved every dollar towin one of those name-a-character lots, so I want to be as alert as possible.”
    A third woman at the same table ordered a martini. Unlike her dinner companions, who wore colorful dresses and glitzy jewelry, this woman had opted for a plain white blouse and a black bead necklace. And while her tablemates were talkative and merry, this much younger woman didn’t seem to be enjoying herself.
    Worried that a guest was dissatisfied with her dining experience, Jane leaned close to the woman. “Hello, miss. I’m Jane Steward, the resort manager. I just wanted to make sure that everything’s to your liking.”
    â€œI’m Maria Stone, and I prefer
Ms.
to
Miss
,” the young woman said brusquely and then quickly modified her tone. “I’m very satisfied with everything, thank you. I’m just anxious for the auction to begin. I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for the chance to talk to Ms. York—to tell her what a wonderful character she created. Venus Dares is a model of female empowerment.”
    Maria’s dining companions exchanged befuddled glances.
    â€œAre you referring to her support of the emancipation movement?” the woman with the cheesecake asked.
    â€œThat and much, much more!” Maria’s eyes gleamed and she leaned forward eagerly. Jane guessed that the younger woman had been waiting a long time to find people who shared in her devotion for Venus Dares. “Think of what a rare woman she was for that day and age! She did what she wanted, when she wanted, how she wanted. She was respected and admired. Even the men who believed they were superior to her in every way end up paying her homage. Not only that, but Venus always rescues other women from bad situations. In every novel, she saves a woman from an abusive relationship, servitude, slavery—all sorts of indignities. It’s part of the subplot, but Ms. York never fails to raise awareness of a particular social injustice. We’re still battling some of those issues. Like sex trafficking, for example.”
    At this, someone at the table seemed to choke on her cheesecake.
    â€œWell, my dear, I sincerely hope you’ll be able to meet Ms. York.” A matronly woman seated across from Maria smiled warmly. “But don’t be too disappointed if it doesn’t happen. She’s famously elusive at these events. According to one of her fan websites, she tends to hole up in her room. But if she’s writing, that’s good for us because that means more Venus Dares stories, correct?”
    Maria grinned and Jane realized that she was the youngest fan in the room. Most of the diners were between forty and seventy, but Maria wasn’t a day over twenty-five. Jane waited until the gong signaling the end of the dinner service sounded and then followed Maria into the lobby. “Ms. Stone,” she whispered. “I know you’re in a hurry to secure a seat for the auction, but I wanted to share some information with you. The authors have graciously agreed to stop by tomorrow’s truffle-making workshop to sample the finished products, so if you haven’t signed up for