Let Them Talk. Susanna Carr

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СКАЧАТЬ had about Matthew Stone—was missing.

       If anyone reads it...

      Sydney dragged her hands over her face. No, she wouldn’t think about that. She just had to find it. Immediately.

3

      THE NEXT MORNING Sydney rushed into Seedling Library. The moment she crossed the threshold, she braced herself against the chill of the air-conditioning and the scent of musty books. The outdated dark green carpeting muffled her footsteps as she searched around the circulation desk for the notebook.

      “Good morning, Sydney,” Doris Brown said. Sydney stopped and saw the older woman seated at the end of a scarred wooden table. Doris’s glasses were perched low on her nose as she flipped through a magazine.

      Sydney halted her search and gave a polite smile. She had been in a panic for the past twenty-four hours as she’d searched everywhere for her notebook, hoping she had left it at home or at the office. But she didn’t want to show her concern and have people start asking questions. “Hello, Miss Doris. How are you doing today?”

      “Finished reading a scorcher and now I’m trying to find something else to read.”

      Sydney frowned. “A scorcher? Really? That doesn’t sound like something from the reading circle’s book list.”

      “It’s not. Just something I...picked up.” Miss Doris’s eyes twinkled.

      “You’ll have to tell me about it sometime. Right now I’m looking for Isabel and Laura. Have you seen them?”

      Miss Doris nodded. “They went upstairs.”

      “Thanks.” Sydney hurried to the stairs but paused on the first step when she had the odd sensation she was being watched. Studied. Evaluated. She was all too familiar with that feeling. She glanced around the library but no one was paying attention to her. Sydney gave herself a mental shake. Losing the notebook had made her paranoid.

      She went to the second floor of the library. The high ceilings and large windows made the building seem larger than it was. As Sydney walked past the rows of bookshelves, she noticed very few patrons today.

      She spotted Laura in the last row wearing a bold purple top and black miniskirt. It took a moment to notice Isabel next to Laura, wearing a white sheath dress. Sydney sagged with relief at the sight of them. She had to confide in someone and her two friends were the only ones who would understand.

      “There you guys are,” Sydney said in a fierce whisper as she approached them. “I really need your help.”

      Laura paused in the act of shelving a book. “What’s going on?”

      Sydney glanced around to make sure no one could eavesdrop. “I lost my fake diary. I have looked everywhere and I can’t find it.”

      “Is that what you were so upset about at the diner yesterday?” Laura asked as she continued her task of shelving books. “It’s no big deal. The diary was just a challenge.”

      “No, no.” Sydney waved her hands around. “You don’t understand. The diary sounded very real.”

      Isabel scoffed at that proclamation. “Sure it did.”

      “And I didn’t write it in Victorian times,” Sydney explained. “I took your advice and wrote it as if it was happening in today’s world...in Seedling—” her voice got softer “—with someone from Seedling.”

      “You didn’t.” Isabel’s eyes widened with dismay.

      Laura leaned forward, her arms resting on the book cart. “Did you name names?”

      “No.” But that decision wouldn’t be enough to hide Matthew’s identity. “I called him X but it’s not going to take much to figure out who it is. I described him in detail.”

      “Is it Matthew Stone?” Laura asked.

      Sydney gasped as her heart gave a jolt. “How did you know that?”

      “I see how the two of you are when you’re together,” Laura said. “You light up when he’s around. And he kind of gravitates toward you. It’s more than the fact you are hot for each other. You and Matthew enjoy each other’s company.”

      “Oh, then everyone who reads the diary is automatically going to assume that Matthew is my lover.” Sydney shoved her hands in her hair as the panic fluttered inside her. “The rumors are going to fly. I’ll lose my job.”

      Isabel placed her hand on Sydney’s arm to comfort her. “Matthew isn’t going to be upset,” the librarian insisted. “He’s used to these kinds of rumors. He’s a good guy but he has earned his reputation as the local lothario.”

      Sydney winced. That made it even worse. Matthew wasn’t a playboy and he was trying to prove it. After the last mayor’s sex scandal, Matthew didn’t need rumors circulating about him before he went into an election. She didn’t want to ruin his hard work because of some fantasies she’d written down.

      “So what is in this erotic diary of yours?” Laura asked, propping her chin against her hand. “Neither of us got to read it.”

      “Uh...well...you see...” Sydney found herself stumbling over her words and felt her face turn bright red.

      “Really?” Isabel drew out the word. “I hope I get a chance to read it. Although I may never look at you the same way again.”

      Sydney motioned at Isabel. “That’s my problem! You two know this diary is fiction, but everyone else will believe I’m having a red-hot affair with the mayor. My professional reputation will be ruined. I can’t go through that again.”

      “Again?” Isabel prompted.

      Sydney squeezed her eyes shut. She hadn’t meant to let that information slip. “It’s kind of the reason why I moved to Seedling.”

      There was a beat of silence before Isabel spoke. “You have to give us more than that.”

      Sydney looked around again. She still hadn’t forgiven herself for getting into that situation. But these women were her friends and she knew they wouldn’t judge her.

      “About a year ago I was dating a political aide. We kept our relationship secret. I thought it was to protect what we had from our colleagues.” She shook her head at her naivety. For ignoring her intuition. “It turned out he was using me for his own agenda. It blew up in my face and my reputation as a reporter was seriously damaged. No one but Wendy would hire me.”

      “Matthew wouldn’t do that to you,” Isabel said. “He might have a reputation as a playboy but he’s really very trustworthy and honest.”

      Sydney knew that was true. She had watched Matthew at every meeting and event. She’d noticed how dignified he’d acted in difficult moments in the spotlight or alone when he thought no one was watching. He wasn’t perfect but his strength of character impressed her. But that didn’t mean she was willing to take another risk with her career.

      “I can’t let rumors spread СКАЧАТЬ