Peril in Paperback: A Bibliophile Mystery

pencils were spread haphazardly across the surface.
    “I’ll start cataloging these right now,” he said, and tapped a few keys on his laptop.
    “I’d love to take a look at your catalog program when you can spare some time,” I said. “I’m thinking about updating mine.”
    “No problem,” he said absently, and kept working.
    I took a leisurely stroll around the spacious room, givingthanks that there were no bookshelves hanging from the high ceiling. Instead, the ceiling was elegantly covered in dark wood with the ceiling surface painted a light cream color. Old-fashioned schoolhouse lights hung down from the center of each coffered panel to illuminate the room.
    A sturdy wood library table and six comfortable chairs filled the center of the room and built-in bookshelves covered the four walls. There was a comfortable chair in each of two corners.
    I cleared the second rolltop desk on the other side of the room of miscellaneous papers and still more books, then set up my own book-repair station. I ran back to my room to get my tools and supplies from my suitcase, then laid everything out neatly on the desk surface.
    When I sat at the desk, I found that I could see out the window above it. There was a pretty view of the forest of pine trees that bordered the back side of the property.
    “I’m impressed,” Nathan said when I was finished setting things up. “You take your tools with you everywhere you go?”
    I glanced up and was reminded again of how adorable and clean-cut he was. Smiling at my own thoughts, I said, “Not always. But Grace mentioned that she might have some repair work for me to do while I was here, so I came prepared.”
    “If what you found under that table last night is any indication, this place could keep you busy for a long time.”
    “True,” I said. “Too bad I don’t travel with the kind of supplies it would take to repair that dented cover of the
Pilgrim’s Progress
. If Grace wants it fixed, I’ll have to take it home and work on it in my studio.”
    “She will,” Nathan said. “It’s too valuable not to restore it. And I hope we can find that second volume of
Gulliver’s Travels
while you’re here.”
    “Me, too. I would love to show the pair to my friend at the Covington Library.”
    Ian McCullough, head curator of the Covington, would be giddy over some of the books in Grace’s collection.
    Leroy settled down for a nap on the thick carpet under my desk. My rational mind tried to convince me that Leroy’s napping at my feet had nothing to do with me; that the spot on the carpet was one of his regular haunts. But as I did on a regular basis, I ignored my rational mind and savored the personalized kitty-cat love instead.
    I spent another hour doing minor repairs to several inexpensive hardcovers that had suffered from torn dust jackets, ripped pages, and flapping spines.
    When I was finished with my repair work, I left the library and took a tour of Grace’s house, just as she’d suggested the day before. I strolled through the public rooms, admiring Grace’s magnificent furnishings as well as the quirky personal touches that seemed to pop up in the most unlikely places. On the third floor, halfway down the hall from the grand staircase, I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of an old-fashioned bright red English telephone booth. Curious, I checked the telephone inside. Sure enough, it was working. There was a little seat in there that swiveled out from the wall, too. How fun!
    I continued my third-floor explorations, keeping a sharp lookout for missing books. Most of the doors were closed and I assumed they were guest rooms, but one door was ajar. Nailed to the door at eye level was a brass plaque that identified the small salon as the WONDERLAND ROOM . I walked inside and found it furnished with giant props from a recent remake of
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
.
    According to another plaque on one of the walls, Grace was an ardent fan of Lewis Carroll’s creation and had come across the unusual pieces at an auction. The furniture was so massive that a ladder had been placed next to several pieces, including the eight-foot-highcouch, in case any guests were interested in testing it for comfort.
    I left the room humming an old Jefferson Airplane song about some pills making you larger or smaller.
    A few yards down the hall was another cozy sitting room filled with normal, comfortable-looking furniture and a wide-screen television. I wasn’t sure