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I owed him a proper thank you.
Thehousewassilent,and much, much larger than I had imagined. The staircase, an ornate affair with a curved mahogany railing and intricately embroidered carpet, had at least four landings, if not more. After leaving my bedroom, I walked along hallway after hallway aimlessly, unsure of where I was going.
I had thought that finding Will would be simple, but I had been foolish. Every door was closed, and I was afraid to open a single one to peek inside. After all, I was a guest here. I couldn’t just go barging into rooms in the dark.
Just as I was beginning to realize that my search was futile, I stumbled upon a set of large, double doors with light shining from within. One of the doors was pushed open slightly, and I crept towards the crack, trying to see what was inside.
As I was approaching the door, I felt my foot get caught on the hem of my slightly-too-long dress. I was suddenly falling forward, my arms reaching out dramatically to catch my fall. I slammed against the door, falling into the room beyond.
Inside, Will was seated in a leather chair, a fire crackling behind him. He was staring at me, his eyebrows raised in a mixture of confusion and bemusement.
Bollocks.
“You’re really making a habit of this, aren’t you?” He chided, referring to my similar entrance in the library at Rosehill only days before.
I straightened myself, my face turning scarlet red.
I really couldn’t think of a single good explanation.
He began to laugh, and it was infectious. I let out a chuckle of my own.
“Yes, I’m clearly very bad at sneaking around fine houses at night. I’ve made that much clear.”
His blue eyes twinkled in the firelight.
“Whatareyou wearing?”
I looked down at the gown Charlotte had dressed me in. It was a nice dress, but too long, and about ten years out of fashion. I probably looked terrible in it. The only redeeming quality was the bright cobalt blue ribbon that was tied around the waist.
Despite my appearance, I somehow felt more at ease with Will than I had any time in the past few weeks. Maybe it was spending the day with him at my uncle’s house, maybe it was the carriage ride… or maybe it was my ridiculous entrance only moments before. I wasn’t sure.
Whatever the cause, I embraced it. I did a silly twirl, letting the dress spin around me.
“What, this old thing? You don’t fancy it?”
He stared at me.
“You somehow make it work.”
I laughed and walked over to where he was sitting. Apart from his chair, the seating area included another chair and a sofa, all clustered around an ornately carved wooden table. The walls of the room were covered in bookshelves. It appeared to be a library – though much smaller than the large, cavernous space at Rosehill.
“You have not one, buttwolibraries. Quite impressive.”
Will laughed.
“I actually have four. Though it’s a bit of a stretch to call this a library.”
I turned, taking in what must have been hundreds, if not several thousand, books.
“Have you readanyof them?”
He laughed again, shaking his head.
“What, you think just because I’m a rake, I can’t find the time to read?”
I smirked.
“Fine.” He continued, his gaze fixed upon my face. “You may be right. I have read approximately… three of them.”
