Bookshop Cinderella by Laura Lee Guhrke

Author:Laura Lee Guhrke
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2023-06-20T00:00:00+00:00

Seven years spent working the Riviera and the resorts of Biarritz had taught Rory Callahan all about luxury hotels. The Savoy, as he well knew, was not the sort of place where anyone could just come in and lounge about. That sort of largesse was only offered to the hotel’s patrons, and though he didn’t have the funds to be one of those, he knew he could get past the doormen by looking the part.

Rory straightened away from the mirror above the washstand to study his reflection in the dim lamplight. He brushed a speck of lint from the satin lapel of his dinner jacket and tweaked his white tie, then he smoothed his pomaded hair back from his temples, donned his top hat, and took another look. Satisfied by what he saw, he gave his reflection a wink, turned away, and picked up his gloves, pulling them on as he left his lodging house in Queen Street and started toward the Savoy.

As he walked, he thought about the astonishing things he’d learned from Clarence this afternoon. Evie staying at the Savoy? Where had she gotten the money for that? When he’d asked how she could afford it, the boy had merely shrugged, saying she must have come into a legacy or won the sweeps, or something, because not only was she staying at the Savoy for the next six weeks, she’d also bought herself a slew of new clothes from a very posh dressmaker and she was taking his mum to the opera tonight as a special treat.

Rory paused at the corner, and as he waited for the traffic to clear so he could cross the Strand, he considered his next move. He’d stroll into the hotel like any gent coming back from the theater, park himself in a reading chair, and pretend to read the paper as he watched the entrance for Evie’s return from the opera. That way, he could easily intercept her before she went upstairs. But what then?

Playing the part of concerned friend was his best bet, he decided as he crossed the Strand. He’d tell her he’d come to find her because he was worried about her. That made sense, considering he’d heard from her only once—a letter to his lodging house ten days ago, telling him about the boiler explosion and the closing of the shop for repairs. He’d confirm getting that note, then he’d play on her conscience, gently chiding her for not telling him where she would be staying, pointing out that he shouldn’t have to learn such things from Clarence. Then, he’d invite her to have supper with him in the restaurant, and there, he’d ply her with wine and worm out of her just how much money she really had.

He knew she had the shop, of course, and that the mortgage was paid off. Selling the place, along with all its musty, crumbling old books, would bring in a pretty sum—five thousand pounds, at least. And if she could afford expensive clothes and a holiday at the Savoy, she had cash, too.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.