An Unsuitable Bride by Jane Feather Read Free Book Online Page B

to show me some of the other rarities.”
    “I’m sure she’ll be happy to. She’s a woman of little conversation in general, but I’ve seen her eyes light up when the topic turns to any of her treasures, and she does seem to consider them to be hers.” Marcus chuckled. “Fortunately, Stephen’s not particularly possessive about the contents of his library. His main focus is what he can get for ’em. So the lady can live her fantasy possession to her heart’s content.”
    Perry nodded absently. Mistress Hathaway must have had a most unusual education in order to acquire such rarefied knowledge. What must it feel like to lavish love and care upon objects that you found precious knowing that their owner did not appreciate them? Frustrating, certainly, maybe even a little hurtful, he thought. And then he remembered that hastily suppressed gurgle of amusement the previous evening when he had snubbed Stephen, and he thought that perhaps Mistress Hathaway found her employer’s Philistine indifference to the beauty of the library something to despise rather than personally painful.
    The party tramped into the house through the gun room. A fire had been lit in the massive inglenook in the great hall, where a table groaned beneath sides of beef and ham, jugs of ale, and bread hot from the oven. The morning’s catch disappeared to the kitchen to make an appearance on the table very soon.
    Peregrine approached his host. “Would it be possiblefor me to see some of the rare volumes in your library, Sir Stephen? I own to a fascination with unusual acquisitions, and I’m told you have a magnificent collection.”
    “Oh, yes . . . yes, so I believe. Doesn’t mean much to me, don’t have time for much reading,” Stephen responded, taking a tankard of ale from a passing footman. “But they’re valuable, I’m told. I’m thinking of selling ’em. Not doing much good moldering away on those shelves.” He drank deeply. “But by all means, dear fellow, take a look. Crofton told me of your interest, and Mistress Hathaway’ll be glad to show you around. She knows what’s there.” He gestured with his free hand to the library towards the back of the house. “You’ll find her in there, I’ll be bound.”
    “Thank you.” Perry smiled his appreciation and made his way to the rear of the house. He opened the door very quietly and stepped into a large, dimly lit room.
    Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined the walls, and a small fire burned in the grate. The windows looked out onto the rear gardens, which were in shadow at this time of day. A single lamp burned on a massive oak desk, where a woman sat intent on the sheet of parchment in front of her. She was so absorbed in her work that she didn’t at first notice her visitor, who stood by the door watching her. The light from the lamp caught shades of tawny gold and darker chestnut in the smoothly braided hair. As she worked, she moved animpatient hand up to brush aside a wisp of hair that was tickling her cheek.
    Something about the gesture struck Peregrine as strangely out of place, oddly youthful somehow. She was frowning slightly as she bent to her task, and then a slow smile spread across her face, a smile of naked triumph and satisfaction. She gave a low chuckle, light and melodious, and wrote briskly for a few seconds. When she reached across the desk for another sheet of parchment, the lamp illuminated her face, and Peregrine stared, startled. Her expression seemed to change the contours of her face, softened it, rounded it out in some way. It was an almost imperceptible change, and yet it made the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand up and a little thrill of excitement course down his spine.
    Abruptly, she looked up towards the door, only just aware of her audience. Her mouth formed a little oh of surprise, and uncertainty flashed across her face. Uncertainty and a degree of apprehension, Perry thought. What is she afraid of? But then it vanished, and he was