Page 17 of Secrets in the Stacks

“Sorry I’m late.”

“You’re not late. The others just came a little early. We’ve got dinner set up on the patio, so I told Darby I’d play doorman until everyone arrived.” She handed Rarity a glass of wine. “Set your bags by the staircase, and I’ll show you your room after we eat.”

Rarity did as she was told but grabbed a chewy out of the bag for Killer before dropping the bags by the wall near the stairwell. The stairs were something out of an old movie set, grand and arching to a balcony overlooking the foyer at the top.

Holly grinned and pointed to the top. “Can you imagine living here in high school? You could walk down those stairs when your prom date came to get you and make an entrance. Perfect, right?”

Rarity didn’t bother to tell Holly that she hadn’t attended a prom, well, at least not one where she had a real date. Instead, her group had gone to the banquet before and then skipped the prom, deciding instead to go hang out at the mall dressed in their long gowns. But Holly was right, the staircase would make an impression.

Holly did a quick summary of the bottom floor and then paused at a double wooden door. “That’s the study. The living room, where she found her grandmother, is down that hallway. It’s clean, but I closed the door there and here. I guess her grandmother was in the study a lot.”

Rarity opened the doors and peeked inside. The room smelled like lemons. The walls were lined with bookshelves. “That’s probably a good idea, but I’d love to get some time with these books. Maybe later.”

They made their way through what appeared to be a sunroom, then out onto a large terrace that looked over a pool and hot tub. The yard didn’t have grass. Instead it was covered with cobblestones. She’d have to walk Killer out front.

“Rarity, we’ve been holding dinner and waiting for you.” Shirley stood and waved her over to the empty chair at the table.

She passed Darby and squeezed the woman’s shoulder on her way by. She looked pale and a little overwhelmed by the group in front of her.

“Thanks for coming, Rarity. You too, Killer,” Darby said as she reached down to rub Killer’s ears.

“We’re glad to be here. I’m sorry I held up dinner. It looks amazing.” She moved to sit next to Shirley, and Killer curled under her chair.

“No worries. We were just talking about how unseasonably warm it’s been the last few nights.” Shirley passed a plate of garlic bread to Rarity, who took a slice. “Make sure you get some of the Brussels sprouts too. They’re amazing.”

And with that, dinner started, and the topics turned to anything but death and loss. Rarity kept an eye on Darby as they ate, but the woman seemed to brighten as she got some food into her and relaxed with the conversation. After dinner, Holly cleared the table, and Shirley brought out not one but two different types of pies.

“These look amazing.” Rarity took a slice of apple and grabbed the can of whipped cream. “Thanks, Shirley.”

“Don’t thank me. The women’s group at the church dropped off these and a tub of cookies. I’m sure you’ll have plenty for late-night snacking.” Shirley sat and took the apple pie from Rarity. She glanced over at Darby, who had stood and held up her hand to get the group’s attention.

“Everyone, I’m so glad you came over to welcome me home. Without Grandma, it feels quiet here, but you’ve all made my first night back bearable.” She looked around the room. “I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I decided to take a chance on a book club, but instead of just broadening my reading choices, you all have become friends. And I thank you for all you’ve done for me.”

After dinner, Shirley headed home to see George, and Sam had a coffee date with Drew. Sam hugged Rarity as she left. “Don’t worry, I’m going to trick him into talking about the case. Maybe he’s got a suspect, and this will be over sooner rather than later. Darby needs a win.”

Rarity tried to help Holly and Malia with the dishes, but they shook their heads. “We’ve got this. Darby went to bed already. She was beat. Go get settled, and we’ll come find you before we leave.”

She took Killer outside for a short walk; then, since Holly had already set them up in a bedroom, she went to the study and opened the door. She switched on the lights by the door, and the room brightened. She understood why Catherine Doyle had loved the room. The gas fireplace must have been controlled by one of the switches, as it whooshed to life and made the room even cozier. Killer jumped back but then went over and curled next to the fire and waited.

“Making ourselves at home, are we?” Rarity smiled at the little dog. He seemed to take everything in stride, but he was happiest when he was with her. And she didn’t mind taking him everywhere she could. He was good company.

She started with the bookcases closest to the door. Mythology, biology, environmental studies, it seemed these books were all nonfiction, but as she curved behind the desk at the other end of the room, they changed to fiction. Mysteries, novels, love stories, Catherine Doyle had a wide variety of books in her library, including some of Rarity’s favorite children’s books. She stopped and admired the collection of all the Wizard of Oz books.

“Those were my favorites.” Darby’s voice came from just inside the doorway. “Those and the stories of leprechauns. Grandma loved mythology. She said the stories we tell ourselves are the stories of our age. When the Percy Jackson books came out, she bought all of them. She loved that he was bringing back the Greek gods into children’s lives.”

By this time, Darby had crossed the room and was standing next to Rarity.

“I hope me being in here doesn’t bother you. I’m a sucker for a home library.”

“You love books.” Darby shrugged as she pulled out two books. “I get it. When I told Grandma I was working for you part-time, you would have thought I told her I was going to be a doctor. She was so happy.”

“Opening a bookstore has been my dream since I was a little girl. I always wanted to share my love of books with others. When I went to college, I let my parents talk me into a business degree. And I figured I could still open a bookstore later. They wanted me to go on to a law degree; instead, I fell in love with marketing. It’s creative, yet you do a lot of reviewing to prove you made an impact. And it paid well. Much better than opening a small bookstore in a tourist town.” Rarity moved back to the adult fiction area. “I’m glad she supported your dreams.”

“She still wanted me to be a lawyer.” Darby laughed. “It was her activist side. She wanted me to fight the good fight for others. But being around books all day, that was fine for now.”

Rarity nodded to the two books Darby held. “You going to read tonight?”

“If I can’t sleep, I might as well enjoy a story. And it’s been a while since I read these anyway.” She moved back to the door but stopped to pet Killer. “I hope you find something you haven’t read.”

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