Page 53 of The Duke's Impossible Deal
Rowen followed her gaze, nodding. “It has been threatening to snow for days.”
“Exactly. And you know what London is like in the snow.” Verity shuddered. “Besides, Socks has just had puppies, and I would like to check in on them before nightfall.”
“Do not let the twins know, or they will hound me for months.” Rowen shook her head. “You know how much Alistair loves Spaniels.”
“You are always welcome to adopt one, once they are old enough.” Verity pulled on her coat, gloves, and hat as they reached the front door.
“No.” Rowen made an emphatic gesture. “The twins are busy enough as it is, and if they were to get a puppy, I would want them to care for it properly. Besides, that is a step too close to making ourselves at home. Furniture is one thing, but a pet is quite another.”
Verity let out a laugh as the footman opened the door. Outside, snowflakes were falling in gentle swirls. They settled on the road, blanketing the sounds of the busy city.
“Very well, I will not tell them.” Verity hugged Rowen.
“Thank you. And thank you for visiting. I have missed you.” Rowen hugged her back.
“As have I.” Verity moved away from her and walked towards the waiting carriage. As the driver held the door open, she hesitated and called over her shoulder, “Marriage suits you, Rowen. I am glad to see you settled.”
The door to the carriage closed before Rowen could reply, leaving her alone with her friend’s parting words and the softly falling snow.
Sixteen
“She really thought of everything,” Tobias muttered as he ran his fingers along the beautifully bound books on the bookshelf.
He was standing in the western library, surveying the room. He had not wanted to stay in his study; it was too close to the drawing room.
I should not have interrupted her meeting in the first place.
His feet had nearly moved of their own accord, and then he had found himself in the drawing room.
He shook his head, forcing himself back to the present.
“And of course she has not just rebound the books, but organized them as well.” He smiled as he saw a small card in Rowen’s elegant hand that readP to M. “By subject and author surname, if I do not miss my guess.”
“For the most part, yes.” Rowen’s voice drifted into the room, and Tobias turned to find her standing behind him. “Some books were hard to categorize, and I initially thought about having the color of their covers relate to their subject, but it would have looked far too messy.”
She gestured to the bookshelves, shifting her weight slightly to her other foot. “Though I thought that if everything was in the same color, it would be too dull. In the end, I decided to do a mix. Some of it is aesthetic, and some of it is functional.”
“Impressive.” Tobias glanced back at the bookshelves. “You even had the ladders redone.”
“That was the first thing I did. Half of them were rotten, and the other half barely moved.” Rowen shuddered. “I worried that someone might hurt themselves.”
Tobias nodded. “We would not want that.”
Silence fell over them as Tobias turned away from her to look back at the room. Every time his eyes swept across it, he noticed some small thing she had done. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he realized that she was watching him.
“What do you think of it?” Her voice was quieter, and he was almost sure he heard a hint of worry in it, but that could not be right.
Why would she worry about what I think?
“I scarcely recognize the place.” Tobias turned back to face her.
“I cannot tell if that is a good or a bad thing.” Her smile did not quite reach her eyes, and there was an edge beneath her teasing tone.
He saw her fingers play with an errant thread on her dress, felt her eyes searching not just his face but his whole body.
She is nervous.
The thought sent a thrill through him, and he swallowed. “It is a good thing.”
