The scent of parchment and ink was nearly overwhelming. It certainly wasn’t his favorite place to be, as books weren’t his strongest suit. But this wasn’t about him.
He turned to the shopkeeper with a nod of his head.
“Me Laird! Ye have come so quickly!”
“Of course,” he answered.
“I have the book that ye requested right here.”
The shopkeeper lifted a deep brown cover with even fainter brown lettering on the side that Kaden didn’t fully recognize, but it wasn’t for him. He knew that it had caught Emily’s attention, as she gasped and quickly hurried over to the book.
“Oh! Me Lady, I daenae see ye behind the Laird. Welcome!”
Emily put the pieces together quickly as she always did. She thumbed through the contents of the book and quickly turned to Kaden. She lifted her journal to him. “Did ye read it?”
He shook his head. “Nay, I didnae read it. But I did see the note that ye left in the wee corner there.” He pointed a finger in the direction of the relevant page. “The library at the castle is impressive, but hasnae been updated since me faither was alive.”
Emily glanced around the shelves that were starting to bow under the weight of so many different books of every genre.
“I thought that perhaps ye might like the opportunity to update it?” Kaden asked honestly.
Emily didn’t seem to believe him at first. “Me?”
He nodded and stepped aside so that she could see the rest of the shelves.
“Truly?”
“Would ye like me to take it back?” he teased.
Finally, he saw a glimpse of the woman he had come to care for as she straightened.
“Nay!” she exclaimed and rushed quickly toward the shelves like a child being given a brand new toy. “How many can I choose?”
Her voice floated through the air from somewhere deeper in the shop. He started to move toward it slowly. “As many as ye like. Consider it an early wedding gift if ye like.”
Emily’s head popped around a corner, and she flashed him a bright smile that hinted perhaps she was going to forgive him just enough to allow him to explain.
It was a wonder to watch her work. Her need to know so many things was impressive. Emily must have chosen at least two books in every genre that she had found, and didn’t seem to show any signs of slowing.
She had easily chosen a dozen books by the time she had finished. Kaden had found a stool at the front of the shop and sat down, waiting. He would have to arrange for the books to be delivered to the castle.
Part of him wondered if she was testing him to see if he was going to end up limiting the number of books that she could choose, but he didn’t. She gave him a particular look each time she brought another book over, her smirk almost challenging as she slipped one book onto the stack after another.
Hours passed, and her enthusiasm didn’t wane.
Couldn’t she tell that he would happily gift her the entire shop if that was what she truly wanted?
Kaden arranged for all the books to be sent back to the castle with the next delivery of dry goods that were on standing order.
Watching her take in the various shops and interact with the people they passed almost felt like stepping into the past for him. There had been a time when people didn’t cross the street rather than speak with him. There had been a time when eye contactdidn’t feel so forbidden. More often than not, he felt like a storm cloud that darkened the days of those around him. Which made being a laird very simple, but interacting with his people? Not so much.
Emily didn’t have any such reservations. She seemed to have no issues interacting with those around her, and her reputation didn’t stop her from doing just about anything. In fact, the rumors or rare instances that people recognized her only seemed to fuel her further.
As the sun started to set, Kaden guided her toward the local tavern for dinner. There was no way they would make it back to the castle in time for supper before the kitchens closed. Besides, he wasn’t quite ready to end his time with Emily as his captive audience.
When they walked inside, Kaden made sure to choose a secluded table so that they could finally speak to one another in peace. At least that was the goal. If he were lucky, a glass of whiskey or three would help them clear up any other misunderstanding as well.
“Thank ye for today,” Emily said as their drinks and food were brought over to the table.
