Free An Untimely Frost by Penny Richards Page A

had six rooms for visitors. No doubt Vandalia was a popular stopping-off place for settlers headed west, since it marked the end of the Old National Road, which ran east all the way to Cumberland, Maryland.
    Hearing the jangling of the bell on the door, an attractive woman glanced up from a ledger and gave Lilly a welcoming smile.
    â€œWelcome to the Holbrook Hotel,” she said. “I’m Virginia Holbrook.”
    â€œLilly Long,” Lilly said, extending her hand. “I was wondering if you have a spare room for a week or so.”
    â€œAs a matter of fact, two guests just checked out. Would you prefer the second or third floor?”
    â€œSecond, please.” Lilly signed the register and paid for her week’s stay in advance.
    â€œAre you here for a visit, or just passing through?” the owner asked, after summoning her sons to carry Lilly’s trunk upstairs.
    â€œBusiness. I represent a client who is looking to purchase a place to put in a new business.” At this point she saw no reason to let the woman know she was affiliated with the Pinkerton Agency.
    â€œReally?” Virginia Holbrook looked a bit surprised by the fact that Lilly was a working woman, traveling alone. “I wasn’t aware anything in town was for sale.”
    â€œActually, it isn’t in town,” Lilly said. “It’s a mile or so off the road that goes to Houston.”
    Virginia nodded. “You mean the Old Alton Road that goes to Mulberry Grove, or Shake Rag as it was called back in the days it was a stagecoach stop.” Seeing the question in Lilly’s eyes, she said, “When there was someone for the stage to pick up, the owners would send out a servant to wave a rag to stop the stage.”
    Lilly laughed. “Well, the property I’m talking about is out that way. The owner moved away several years ago, and I’ve been sent to look into the matter.”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œYes,” Lilly told her. “The place is called Heaven’s Gate. It belonged to a Reverend Harold Purcell. Perhaps you remember him?”
    The suddenly closed expression that replaced Virginia Holbrook’s interest and good humor made Lilly feel as if a door had been slammed in her face. She might be as unworldly as Pierce claimed, but even she realized that she had crossed some barrier she shouldn’t have.
    â€œI’m afraid I don’t,” Mrs. Holbrook said in a voice that had lost all vestige of friendliness. Without another word, she turned away and took a key from the wall peg. “Here’s your key, Miss Long. We began serving lunch at eleven, if you care to eat with us, though there are several other places in town to get a bite if you prefer. I hope you enjoy your stay in Vandalia.”

C HAPTER 12
    A few minutes later, Lilly shut the door to her room and tossed her gloves, hat, and bag to the bed. She was stunned by Virginia Holbrook’s brush-off. What was it about the mention of Heaven’s Gate that turned Mrs. Holbrook from a pleasant, smiling woman to a cold, uncommunicative one?
    Lilly stripped off her traveling dress and searched for fresh clothes. As she pulled things from her trunk, her stomach gave a sudden loud rumble.
    She was too hungry to try to figure out anything at the moment. Breakfast had been an apple she’d purchased from the young news butch who’d been peddling not only yesterday’s newspapers, but everything from cigars to sandwiches and dime novels. Whether or not there were other places to eat, she would definitely take advantage of the dining room downstairs.
    Like the women of Vandalia, Lilly chose to dress sensibly, choosing a warm red wool dress. Like Mrs. Partridge, Lilly made the scandalous decision to forgo her corset. After all, she was a working woman, not a fashion plate.
    Mrs. Holbrook was nowhere to be seen when Lilly passed through the lobby to the dining room. A young man, one of the sons