Read Online Whispers in the Reading Room by Shelley Gray - Free Book Online

let him do his worst.
    Instead, Mr. Marks had given her the best he had.

CHAPTER 6
    A fter escorting Miss Bancroft home, Vincent climbed aboard a grip car. By his estimation, he had four hours before he needed to return to the club and act as his employer’s eyes and ears for the majority of the night.
    That gave him two hours to spend with Mary, then two hours to nap. Working for Mr. Marks did not allow him the luxury of more than a few hours rest at any one time.
    As the grip car rattled along, stopping frequently to let people off and even more people on, Vincent made sure to remain in the back corner. There was far less chance of being pick-pocketed there. It also allowed him to observe everyone without being too obvious.
    Since he’d begun working for Sebastian Marks, he’d learned a great many things. He was no longer weak nor a fool.
    As the grip car swung to a stop with a shriek, another dozen or so men and women climbed aboard, bringing with them the odors of pickles and heavy perfume. A rather rotund lady next to him pressed a fine linen handkerchief to her nose.
    “Aboard!” the attendant called out.
    More people hopped on as everyone else crushed together, making Vincent feel like a sardine in a tin. He took care to look straight ahead and not make eye contact with anyone he was pressed against. It was best to remain aloof.
    As the car started forward with a sluggish jerk, a portly gentleman with a flowing gray mustache knocked into him. “Sorry, chap,” he said with a friendly smile. “Can’t be helped though.”
    After making sure the man hadn’t just picked his pocket, Vincent treated him to a cool stare.
    The gentleman’s eyes widened. “Beg pardon,” he wheezed before looking away.
    Obviously, Vincent had frightened him.
    He waited for the small feeling of satisfaction that used to rise up inside him when he’d inspired fear in others. The first time it had happened, Vincent had been so shocked, he’d almost started laughing. Until he realized it wasn’t him who was feared, but his illustrious employer.
    But Vincent had coveted that feeling of power.
    When he’d first been hired by Mr. Marks, he’d been a lonely, downtrodden individual. His wife, Irene, had fallen ill and died, and he’d had to take time off from his law office to see to the funeral. And care for his baby.
    The lawyers he clerked for, however, hadn’t been pleased with his absences and had promptly fired him. The loss of his job had been yet another painful blow in an already excruciating month. He’d had little money, spending most of his savings on Irene’s casket, headstone, and burial fees.
    And though his sister, Janet, had taken Mary in, Vincent knew it wasn’t fair to ask her to watch a baby for months or even years with no pay. He’d needed to make some money, and he’d needed to make as much as he could.
    Then he had remembered the lawyers talking about the Silver Grotto and the owner, a man just about everyone in the city either knew or knew about. The proprietor had a fearsome reputation. But there was something in the lawyers’ voices that had made Vincent gather just enough courage to walk down Camp Creek Alley and ultimately knock on the door of the infamous club.
    One thing had propelled him. Not only had they feared Sebastian Marks, they’d respected him.
    Vincent had needed respect in the worst way.
    He still wasn’t sure why Sebastian had hired him. Vincent would guess that the man had felt sorry for him, but pity wasn’t in Sebastian Marks’ vocabulary.
    If Vincent had to take a guess, it was his answer to one of the interview questions that had gotten him the job.
    “You’re a quiet man, Hunt,” Mr. Marks had said, looking over him as if he were a strange, scientific experiment. “You’ve also got no experience with drink, gambling, or the men who frequent my club. What makes you think you could offer me anything I need?”
    Vincent had thought about that. Thought about it hard. Finally,