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"What are you doing?"

She looked up, painfully aware that her expression was one of a deer staring down the barrel of a hunter's rifle "Nothing?"

Ja hi closeness in only five steps "You're reading that book again, aren't you?"

"Not reading, precisely," Elizabeth stammered She was a complete ninny to be so e like she had just been caught doing so most unsavory "It was more of a browse"

"I find myself remarkably uninterested in the difference between the two"

Elizabeth quickly decided that the best course of action was a change of subject "How did you knoas here?"

"I heard your footsteps Next tie, walk on the carpet"

"I did! But the carpet ends, you know One has to step on the floor for a few paces to enter the library"

His brown eyes took on a strange, alht, as he said, "There are ways to muffle-- Oh, never mind That is not the matter at hand" He reached out and snatched HOW TO MARRY A MARQUIS away fro but nonsense A collection of drivel and claptrap designed to turn wo idiots"

"I was under the iht ere brainless, sniveling idiots"

"Most are," he grunted in agreement "But you don't have to be"

"Why, Mr Siddons, you shock ht have been a corumbled

Elizabeth couldn't contain the smile that welled up within her Of all his compliments, the reluctant ones touched her thealmost boyishly petulant as he jammed the book back on the shelf "Don't letfor a bit of advice," she explained

"If you need advice, I'll give it to you"

Her lips pursed for a brief second before she answered with, "I don't think that's appropriate in this case"

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Mr Siddons--"

"James," he snapped

"James," she amended "I don't knohat has propelled you into such a tee Or your tone"