Death by the Book: A 1930s Murder Mystery (Poison Ink Mysteries) by Beth Byers

Author:Beth Byers [Byers, Beth]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Published: 2019-03-23T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

GEORGETTE MARSH, SECRET AUTHOR

Georgette stared into the mirror the next morning. “You,” she told herself firmly, “let a girl you barely know cut your hair on the off-chance that she could turn a duck into a swan.”

Georgette washed her face and adjusted her dress.

“Miss Georgie!” Eunice called from outside the bedroom as Georgette placed her shoes on her feet. “What is this in my kitchen? My girl, have you gone mad? Three puppies.”

“There were four,” Georgette said brightly as she left her room, and she wound her arm through Eunice’s. “My dear Eunice, I am glad to see you up and well.”

“Four! Did we lose one?”

“I met Mrs. Parker’s granddaughter after I rescued them, and she took one.”

“Rescued?”

“Someone tried to drown them,” Georgette said, knowing it would get a reaction from Eunice.

“What do you mean?”

“I found them in a cardboard box, wet and shivering, crying for help on the bank of the stream. I believe someone put them in the box, shoved it into the river and left. But the current carried the box to the side. They were wet, but I think they’ll be all right. Don’t you?”

“They’re mixed,” Eunice declared. “If I were a gambling woman, I’d guess they’re the pups from that woman who lives towards the hill. She has those fancy French bulldogs, but these ones have a touch of pug in them, I think. Just enough to not be able to trace a good ancestry.”

They had arrived into the kitchen, and Georgette knelt next to the box she had found for them, checking the puppies over. They should have remained with their mother longer, but they were just old enough to make it without her. She snuggled each of the dogs, giving them a bit of milk and bread and then turned to Eunice.

“Mr. Aaron bought my next book.”

“Did he? I saw it in your bedroom. Has he even read it?”

“He says he wants it regardless of the content.”

“Did you tell him about Mr. Alvin?”

Georgette nodded, leaning forward to whisper as though they could have eavesdroppers in their house. “I didn’t realize The Chronicles of Harper’s Bend would cause so much trouble.” She felt as though she were speaking to a confessor in that moment. “I never thought anyone would really read it when I sold it. I don’t think I even expected it to sell at all and when it did, I never imagined anyone I know would read it. I never imagined that it would cause Mr. Thornton and Mr. Lawrence to attacked Mr. Aaron in his office, even if only verbally. And Mr. Evans…”

Eunice glanced at Georgette and then back to the stove. “Come now. Shall we have eggs and bacon?”

Georgette nodded and left the woman to her cooking while Georgette herself cleaned up the puppies and took them outside. She’d never had dogs before and the three little ladies she’d rescued seemed to need very proper names, she thought.

Her mind flicked to her new book as she played with the little dogs until breakfast was ready.

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.