Page 64 of The Duke and the Accidental Bride

This sudden idea of his was another small step taken, albeit in the right direction this time. An idea had which Duncan felt rather proud of himself for thinking of in the first place. It was very unlike him, but that just spoke to his eagerness.

“Where are you taking me?” Isabella asked as they approached a closed set of double doors, hidden away toward the back of the manor.

Duncan hurried forward, reaching the doors before Isabella. There, he popped them open and then turned back, taking a little too much pleasure in her confusion. “It was something that you said tonight that had me thinking.”

“Don’t hurt yourself,” she joked.

“You are the learned one between the two of us, it seems,” he chuckled. “Which is why I think you might appreciate this. Certainly more than I have.”

Her brow creased as she eyed the doors. “What is...?”

“Here.” Duncan opened the doors and waved her inside.

The room was pitched in total darkness, so Duncan hurried for a lamp which he set alight. It was a dull flame, barely large enough to spread beyond a few feet; the room itself was not much larger than foyer, the walls still impossible to make out with such a small source of light.

Duncan picked up the lamp but stood back as he watched Isabella slowly edge deeper into the room. He licked his lips with anticipation. His excitement started to grow. Again, the idea that something as simple as this should excite him at all was new to Duncan, but he did not question it. Rather, he chose to enjoy it.

“Is this...” Isabella gasped as she reached the furthest wall. Duncan came in behind her, allowing the light to fall on the wall. “Is this a library?”

“Right in one,” he said. “Although library might be a generous term. I confess, it is a pittance compared to some that you may have seen. But I have a feeling that there will be more than enough here to help hold your interest.”

Indeed, the room that Duncan had brought her to was his own personal library. Not that Duncan had stepped inside the room for years, as he had never been much of a reader. If he had been, he might have added to it and perhaps moved it to a larger space so that there was room for it to grow. But all things considered, he thought it would serve his purpose well.

“See here.” He hurried to the side wall where there had to be at least two hundred dusty books stacked. “I know it is not much, but if memory serves, this section here is dedicated almost entirely to the sciences. Such as....” He leaned in with the lamp, caught sight of a thick binder, and pulled it out. “Ah, yes...” He studied the cover. “A pictured history of fauna native to northern England. A rather dry read by my mind, but I think I know someone who might say otherwise.” He put the book down and then selected another. “And this one... an A-Z listingof butterflies and their subspecies. Again, nothing something I would – what? What is it?”

Isabella was standing back, watching him with a look on her face that he could not make out properly in the darkness.

She looked confused. Wary. As if she was not certain what was going on, or who this man was whom had taken the place of her husband. Head tilted. Brow furrowed. A fraction of a smile crossing the right-side of her lips.

“You... I do not know what to say,” she said eventually.

“Do you like it?” Duncan asked.

“I do. I just...” She shook her head. “I am surprised.”

“That I was in possession of a library?” Duncan chuckled. “I am sure you are equally as surprised that I can read, also.”

“No, not that.” She laughed softly and looked away as if embarrassed. “That you would...” She forced herself to look at him and that smile grew, reaching her eyes in such a way that he didn’t have to imagine what she was thinking. He could see it. “That you would think to show me.”

“Oh. Well... I thought you might appreciate it. If not, that is fine --”

“No, no,” she hurried to cut him off. “I do appreciate it. I really, really do.”

Silence fell between them. Duncan holding the lamp in one hand, the tome in the other, not certain what he should say or do but feeling rather proud of himself for this most selfless act. And Isabella, eyeing him curiously, appearing equally as unsure as if she was waiting for the catch, the trap, the trip that he was about to play on her.

“So...” He clicked his tongue. “You like it?’

“I do, very much.” She exhaled and looked about the library, her smile growing. “You have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you, Duncan. Sincerely, this is... it is wonderful of you.”

Duncan smiled; a completely natural thing. “You are most welcome.”

It was not the first time that Duncan had given Isabella a gift; the first week of their marriage, all he did was lavish her in gifts because he had wanted to keep her docile and content. But those were all superficial and he had never actually cared what she thought of them. This was different.

He could see how much she appreciated the gesture. And seeing that had his stomach knotting in ways that he wasn’t wholly familiar with – it had been years since he’d felt such a thing. His relationship with his wife thus far had been physical only, purely amorous as they had not once dared to get too close. But this right here, right now, was something else.

Dammit, Duncan was pleased to see his wife so happy. A very strange thing.

“So...” Duncan clicked his tongue and looked about the room. “Shall I leave you to it?”

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