Murder in the Paperback Parlor Read Free Page B

who’d broken his heart. And when.
    â€œDark, brooding, and handsome. He’s a modern-day Heathcliff,” Aunt Octavia said and then studied Jane. “You’d do well to stay clear of that one. Heathcliffs don’t make good husbands or father figures for young and impressionable boys.”
    To her horror, Jane blushed. “What makes you think Edwin Alcott ever crosses my mind?”
    Aunt Octavia barked out a laugh. “I may be old, fat, diabetic, and contrary, but I’m not blind. I’ve known men like Edwin Alcott. Indeed, I have. They’re trouble, Jane. Trouble with a capital
T
.”
    â€œI had enough of that this past autumn,” Jane said as the server appeared with their dessert. “But Romancing the Reader will be completely different than our Murder and Mayhem week. We’ll be hosting a company of ladies devoted to happy endings. It’ll be a lovely, festive, and harmonious time. Not a single dead body in sight.”

Daily Bread
    S OUPS
    The Robert Burns— cheddar and beer
    The John Keats— chicken and wild rice
    The Phillis Wheatley— sweet potato corn chowder
    S ALADS
    The Robert Frost— tomato, watercress, and fennel with lime vinaigrette
    The Walt Whitman— fried green tomato with chipotle dressing
    The Anna Akhmatova— roasted beet with mint and chèvre
    S ANDWICHES
    The Homer— Greek salad on pita
    The Dante Alighieri— prosciutto, smoked mozzarella, and sun-dried tomatoes
    The Pablo Neruda— Chilean beef or chicken, steamed green beans, Muenster, hot peppers, and avocado
    The Rumi— smoked turkey, sliced apple, and goat cheese
    The Li-Po— shrimp and vegetable wrap, soy-laced mayo
    The Emily Dickinson— egg salad with pickled celery and Dijon mustard
    D ESSERT —C HEF ’ S C HOICE (F OR THE A DVENTUROUS O NLY )
    A selection of exotic teas or fruit smoothies can be enjoyed in the main dining room or in the conversationarea

TWO
    Jane and the rest of the diners thanked Edwin for the excellent lunch and offered to pay for their meals, but he wouldn’t hear of it, so the satisfied customers left generous tips for Magnus and filed out of the café. Jane knew word of Edwin’s triumph would spread through the village before she and her family made it back to Storyton Hall.
    Aunt Octavia, who’d savored every bite of her lunch, was wearing a self-satisfied smile. Jane suspected the expression had something to do with the two honey lavender crème brûlée desserts her great-aunt had polished off, but decided not to scold her for deviating from her diet. Mrs. Hubbard, Storyton’s head chef, would have Aunt Octavia back on track by suppertime.
    â€œKeep the motor running,” Aunt Octavia said when Jane drove to the Pickled Pig to pick up the twins. “I don’t feel like going inside just to see whatever bunny, bird, or rodent the Hogg brothers have adopted as their store mascot.”
    As it turned out, he was none of those animals. When Jane caught her first glimpse of the new pet sitting obediently in the center of a ring of children, his pink noise quivering in excitement and his curly tail wagging like a dog’s, she laughed with pure delight.
    â€œMom!” Fitz cried when he saw her. “He’s a pot-bellied pig! Isn’t he awesome?”
    Jane nodded. “He’s splendid.” She turned to her other son. “How was your lunch?”
    â€œFine.” Hem only had eyes for the pig. “Mr. Hogg has been telling us all about his pet. He can take him on walks on a leash, and he says that pigs are super smart.”
    â€œLike Wilbur in
Charlotte’s Web
,” Fitz added.
    At that moment, Tobias, the youngest of the three Hogg brothers, noticed Jane squatting next to her two sons.
    â€œHi, Ms. Steward. Feel free to get a little closer to our new pig. He’s very fond of a good belly rub.”
    The children scooted out of the way and