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He sine nothing uided her to the door, where she remembered to turn back "Thank you all for a lovely dinner"

The servants were surprised by her gratitude, but Agnes replied, "Thank you, my lady You are welcoh the door "I like you s," he said quietly, when they were outside the rooh with me"

She looked up at him, "I haven’t had e that"

She lifted the plate "Strawberry tarts are a good beginning"

His gaze did not leave hers "I think I can do better" He turned on one heel and was off, through the darkened h the s of the castle

She followed hi to

Or possibly wishing to veryabout this ?"

He paused in front of a great set of doors, his back to the in the words, in the look in his eyes as he said the she’d known

"There’s a library here Would you leter on the door behind his shoulder "Perhaps"

His lips lifted in a crooked s "Let’s see, shall we?" And he opened the door to reveal the largest, most beautiful library she’d ever seen The roolorious wrought-iron balcony that ran the perimeter of the rooues and a h by two dozen wide

And all that before the books, stretching for what see, in deep reds and greens and browns and blues More books than a person could read in a lifeti in a slow circle, already wondering how long he would require her attention before he would release her into the room, free to explore "This is" She trailed off, astounded

After a long rinned "It is working"

He laughed "Excellent" He pulled the door closed behind thee leather chair at the center of the roo the plate of strawberry tarts on one wide arm of the chair, he waved a hand to indicate the room "I know you are desperate to explore, love Feel free"

She was off like a shot, cli the iron staircase without hesitation "I’ve alanted a library," she said, fingers itching to touch the unbleht you wanted a bookshop," he said froinea bookshop," she said "After all, they are an invest her finger over the gold, embossed volume of Milton she’d found "A library is a luxury,"

"Your father is rich beyond measure I should think he could spare you the bookshop and the library"

"He’s always happily bought me books, but my mother" She trailed off, then finished with a little shrug "She doesn’t care for them"

"What does that ot about the library, drawn to the way his green eyes focused on her, unwavering "She made me hide them"

"Why?"

"No one likes a fe the words she’d heard dozens of tiined books ent ones"

"I’ree with you Despite all the books I’ve read, I ahters stranded in the North Country with an un about your current circuhed, trailing one hand along the long line of leather bindings "Are you sure about that?"

"Absolutely You are better for every book you’ve read"