Page 41 of Beneath the Beastly Duke's Mask
“Not as much as I used to, but I have a few books with me that I enjoy reading repeatedly,” she replied.
“Arabella is also free to take from my library if she so wishes,” Henry added.
Arabella smiled at him. “Thank you, Your Grace,” she said. “That is generous of you.”
Henry lowered his eyes, suddenly feeling shy. "It is nothing," he replied and busied himself with taking a biscuit.
“Mrs. Dalton no longer has anyone to taste her various confectionery creations,” Mr. Beaton commented. “No one is brave enough to try her odd concoctions.”
Arabella laughed, the sound warming Henry's soul. “One needs to be open to different flavors, no matter how odd they seem. It creates a stronger tolerance for everything, from food to illnesses. I cannot recall the last time I was sick.”
“You were injured recently,” Truman pointed out.
“But it wasn’t an illness, was it?” she said. “It was an accident.”
“What happened?” Mr. Beaton asked.
“She fell down the stairs,” said Henry. “She was carrying books and fell down.”
He couldn't recall feeling that terrified in years, not since the fire when he was just a boy. It had shown him how important Arabella was to him.
“Goodness, dear,” the bookshop owner said. “You could have been terribly hurt. This is not what your parents would have wanted. I do not say this to insult anyone, but you shouldn't be working as a maid for anyone. You have the means to set up a house and keep yourself in comfort.”
Henry's eyes widened. Arabella was a woman of means, yet she was working for him as a maid. It didn't seem right.
"I wanted the adventure of doing something new," Arabella replied. "Mama always said I should never be idle. I know she didn't mean being a maid, but I like it. It will not be forever, but I'm enjoying myself for now."
Henry didn't know what to make of that. Arabella planned to leave Euston Hall but was also enjoying her time under his roof. Honestly, he didn't want her to leave Euston, to leavehim.
“Shall we begin selecting your books, Your Grace?” Arabella asked, rising to her feet. “I think we should start with the fantasy genre. Do you have anything against fairy tales and mythology?”
“No, but I do not want anything too childish,” he said.
“Honestly speaking, most fairy tales are not for children,” Arabella told him. “Some have been adapted to accommodate children, but many are rather gruesome or have adult themes. Still, they all have lessons that we can learn from.”
“Very well,” said Henry. “I trust your opinion.”
Arabella grinned, her eyes alight with purpose. She began searching for titles, pulling out different books, and adding them to a growing pile. She was like a child in a sweet shop. Henry enjoyed seeing this part of her and was glad he had decided to come. Her intelligence, liveliness, and infectious laugh drew him in, making him powerless to deny one glaring fact: he was falling for Arabella.
Chapter 15
“I think we've had a rather productive day,” the duke commented, drawing Arabella's attention.
She looked away from the carriage window, nodding in agreement. “Very productive, Your Grace,” she replied, her excitement still racing through her. “We have several books in every genre, some more than others, so you have many hours of reading ahead of you.”
The duke had given her free rein with book choices, personally picking at least a third of them with her. Most of the time, he had agreed to whatever book she pulled from the shelf, barely glancing at the title before adding it to the growing pile on Mr. Beaton's counter.
The bookshop owner had been overwhelmed, plying them with copious amounts of tea and running across the street to get raisin buns from the bakery after running out of biscuits. He even closed the bookshop for the three hours they were there, saying he didn't mind doing it for the duke.
Mr. Beaton wouldn't have lost any money even if he closed for the month because the duke's purchase was likely two months' worth of takings. Arabella was a woman of means, but not even she could dream of spending that much money without batting an eyelash.
"I'm looking forward to my evenings once again," the duke said, crossing his long legs at the ankle. "They had become a tad tedious with nothing new to read. I think something historical would suit me well this evening."
"What about King Arthur?" Arabella suggested. "I chose two versions of the story. One by Chretien de Troyes is my personal favorite. He romanticized the legend of King Arthur by adding knights like Sir Lancelot, the king's wife Guinevere, and chose Camelot as the name of his court.
The other version isLe Morte d'Arthurby Sir Thomas Malory. I think he transformed King Arthur into a gallant hero in his story. These two versions likely have had the most impact on later ones.”
The duke unexpectedly smiled, tilting his head slightly. "I do not think I have ever heard anyone talk as passionately about books as you. You make me want to read just to discover why these books grabbed your attention.”
