Refuge by Karen Lynch Read Free Book Online Page B

my face. I had a
feeling I was going to be spending a lot of time here, and I
couldn’t help but think that my dad would have loved this room,
too.
    I scanned the titles to see what treasures
the little library held. Automatically, my eyes searched for the Bs
because something told me there had to be some Brontë on these
shelves. I found what I was looking for high above my head, and I
had to roll the squeaky wooden ladder over so I could reach the
books. Reverently, I pulled out the copy of Jane Eyre and fingered the
cloth-covered spine. My copy was a dog-eared paperback that was
falling apart from too many readings. I opened the cover to the
first page and felt my eyes bug out. A first edition Jane Eyre in perfect
condition!
    I shouldn’t be touching these. Regretfully, I
reached up to slide the book back into its place on the shelf. My
old copy would do just fine. I’d be too nervous about damaging the
rare book to enjoy it.
    The thought had barely passed through my mind
when my hold on the ladder slipped. I let out a loud gasp as I lost
my grip on the precious tome and it fell to the floor with a thud.
I grabbed the ladder again, just in time to keep from falling.
Climbing down, I picked up the book, relieved to see no damage to
the cover.
    “If you are quite finished making a racket,
I’d like to get back to my book now,” said a voice in clipped
English from behind one of the chairs.
    Startled, I almost dropped the book again.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know anyone else was here.”
    “Well, now you do. There is a perfectly nice
library downstairs where you can bother someone else.”
    I bristled at his rudeness. I might have
disturbed him, but that was no reason to be nasty. I’d dealt with
too many bullies in my lifetime to let a faceless person push me
around. “Thank you for pointing that out, but I am perfectly
content here.” I moved toward the chairs near the fireplace, fully
intending to make myself at home.
    With an irritated sigh, a man stood up and
came around the chairs. He was tall, and his dark auburn hair hung
in unkempt waves to his shoulders. His complexion was pale as if he
did not see much sun, but that did not take away from his handsome
aristocratic features. Hooded brown eyes glared at me, and his
mouth was turned down as he crossed his arms and blocked my
passage. I couldn’t help but notice that his pants and jacket
looked like they were from another era, and they were wrinkled and
lightly soiled.
    I stared at him for several seconds, not
because I was afraid of him, but because he looked so much like
Stuart Townsend in Queen of the Damned . The resemblance was uncanny. I
think I smiled, which only made the man scowl even harder. After a
month of fighting with Nikolas and coming face-to-face with real
vampires, this guy was about as scary as Michael. There was
something slightly off about his stare and his disheveled
appearance, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
    “You must be new or you would know no one
comes up here. They prefer to use the other library. I am sure you
would be happier there.”
    I met his dark gaze without wavering. “I
appreciate your concern, but I like it here.” I moved to go past
him, half expecting him to try to block me again, but he only
watched silently as I took the other chair and opened my book. I
felt his eyes burning into me for a long moment before he made a
grumbling sound and went back to his own chair.
    Once he sat, the only sounds were the whisper
of pages turning and the soft cracks and pops from the fire. It was
hard to believe I was reading a first edition of one of my favorite
books, which had just been sitting on a shelf for anyone to read.
Maybe a book like this didn’t hold as much interest for people who
had been around when the book was first released. I ran my hand
along the open page and hoped I never got too old or too jaded to
appreciate things like this.
    It took me a few minutes to realize I was the
only one turning pages.