He began to write more, and for the first time, it felt easy. He lost himself in the process, every now and then pausing to read what he had written, to cross something out and amend it, and then continue. His hand started to cramp, and he shook it out.
“You are unlike anyone I have ever met,” he murmured as he read over his letter, waiting for his hand to stop hurting. “There is so much I admire about you, and I worry that words will be unable to convey the depth of my admiration. Hmm… No, sentiment. That is better.”
He flexed his fingers, took up his pen and made the changes. “I think of you often. I find myself thinking about our future.” He paused.Perhaps that is too much? But no, I should be honest.“Though I feel as though I should not.”
He was not sure how long he had been writing, but it hardly seemed to matter. The sound of the door opening startled him so much that he almost upset his ink pot. Cursing, he hastily finished the letter, folded it, and then tried to hide it.I will come back for it later.
“Oh, sorry! I did not think anyone would be in here.” Lady Andrea looked at him, her eyes taking in the ink stains on his hands and the crumpled letters around him.
“I like to come here for some peace and quiet. Everyone else seems to prefer the other libraries, but I have always like this one the best.” Dominic forced himself not to glance at the spot he had tucked his letter to Charlotte. “Was there anything you were looking for in particular?”
“Yes. Though I can come back another time.” Lady Andrea did not move to shut the door.
“You do not need to leave on my account. Perhaps I might help you find what you were looking for?” Dominic gestured around them.
“At the last event, your grandmother mentioned a book of poetry, but I have not been able to find it in any of the other libraries. I thought finding it might help give me some understanding of what else is to come though it would seem I am not the first to have had such a thought.” Lady Andrea smiled.
“I think I know the book you are after.” Dominic gestured to one of the shelves furthest away from him. “I think it will be there, if there is a copy here at all.”
“Thank you.” Lady Andrea’s eyes drifted over the scraps of paper briefly, before she moved to the bookshelf. “Ah, perfect. Here it is! This is wonderful; thank you so much.”
“Think nothing of it, I am glad to have been able to help.” Dominic quickly moved his letter to Charlotte, hiding it under a pile of books.
“I am surprised you did. I would have thought you would want any advantage.” Lady Andrea regarded him with suspicion.
“Perhaps I think it more advantageous to be helpful rather than a hinderance,” Dominic said to her, trying his best to sound neutral and charming.
“You would seem to be one of the few who feels like that,” Lady Andrea replied. “Most everyone else seems determined to engage in sabotage and subterfuge.”
“I see no need for either.” Dominic shrugged.
“You are not worried, then, about what people might discover?” Lady Andrea glanced again at the discarded drafts and then back at Dominic.
“I doubt they will find anything interesting.”Or anything I have not intended them to find.Dominic moved, obstructing her view of his crumpled drafts as he attempted to remember if he had said anything incriminating in any of them.
“Something does not need to be interesting to be of use. In fact, I find the most mundane things tend to be the most useful.” Lady Andrea smiled, and Dominic felt a prickle of discomfort. “It is in the everyday things that people get careless.”
“And do you think everyone has something to hide?” Dominic frowned.
“Not everyone, but most people.” Lady Andrea shrugged. “We all have our secrets.”
“That strikes me as a rather suspicious way to live.” Dominic crossed his arms across his chest.
“It is practical,” Lady Andrea replied, her eyes seeming to search his face for some kind of answer.
“It sounds tiring.” Dominic tried to sound nonchalant, as though he had nothing to hide.
His heart sped up, and he felt a bead of sweat trickle down his neck, but he ignored it.
“To some. But I do not tire easily, not when I am in pursuit of answers.” Lady Andrea gestured around them.
“Well, I hope you find them.” Dominic said, privately hoping the opposite.
“I am sure I will. After all, things have a way of coming out, whether we wish it or not.” Lady Andrea smiled at him.
Dominic smiled back at her as the gong sounded, signalling that it was time for dinner. “Goodness, is that the time? I fear I rather lost track of it while I was up here. I still need to change. And so do you!”
He moved towards the door, gently using his body to guide Lady Andrea from the room. He made a mental note to send one of the servants to retrieve the letters later and dispose of the drafts.I’ll have Mr. Harris do it while we are at dinner.
