of escape.
That kiss, though... Lady Giselle’s moods might shift with the wind, but she couldn’t pretend her reaction to him. Nor he to her.
Alec let out a low growl. He needed a stiff drink and a fight.
He stalked down the stairs, intent on returning to the parlor to see which of his friends wanted an impromptu boxing match when the light in his library caught his attention.
Who the hell would have gone in there? It was his private space and not meant for the guests at all. He’d made that clear to his butler, and the message should have been passed along. His library was his sanctuary. And if he was going to be subjected to a weeklong house party, then he required a place he could escape to where guests knew they couldn’t enter.
He pushed open the door, revealing Lady Mary—the sour grape of a woman—
staring at a marble bust of Robert the Bruce.
“What are ye doing in here?” he said, not trying to hide his irritation. Nor did he enter the library fully. There was something predatory about Lady Mary, and he thought it best if he remained on his guard.
“Oh.” She whirled around in what was supposed to be surprise but was not well-executed. “I got lost.” A lame excuse he could see right through. She pointed at the bust. “How old is this?”
“I’m no’ certain.” But he was. It was nearing three hundred years and worth a fortune, which this money hungry lass likely knew. The last thing he cared about when he walked into his library, however, was ancient artifacts. He was much more interested in the gold that lay between the covers of his massive book collection. Volumes of literature, poems, history, science. Anything he could want to know was tucked neatly in rows.
One thing was for certain—this chit didn’t care for the pages between the covers.
“Oh.” She pouted, a move he thought was meant to make him console her, as she took on almost a pitiful look.
Alec found himself feeling rather disgusted instead. Just as she didn’t care for books, he didn’t care for playing coy. “Allow me to escort ye back to the parlor. I believe Miss Maggie is going to play a set on the pianoforte, and it would no’ do for her to be missing some of her audience.”
Lady Mary sulked, but when he made no move, not even a flinch or pinch of his brows, she sighed with disappointment and sulked toward the door.
“I can see myself back,” she said without the use of flirtation, a view of the real woman she was.
“As ye wish.” Alec hid his grin. It was quite interesting that she didn’t want to be seen coming back into the parlor with him—that would be taken as an indication of a possible match.
Clearly, Lady Mary wasn’t ready to go that far yet, even if she was willing to invade his privacy and asking prying questions into his finances. Well, he wasn’t bloody well willing to make the leap with her, either—and he never would be. Not when the woman he’d already asked to marry him was upstairs.
Alec slumped into his leather chair, sliding his hands over the well-worn arms, recalling how as a lad how he’d come into the library and hop up to sit on these very spots, listening to his father recite from a passage in whatever book he’d been reading at the time.
Then, an idea came to him as he remembered that Giselle had said she loved reading and would much rather be cooped up with a book than at any party. That was a sentiment she’d now given him on both of the occasions they’d met. One he found endearing.
She’d not brought a valise or trunk with her as the other ladies had. Her trunk would have been filled with things to entertain herself while she was cooped up in her room, awaiting the next amusement. Which meant she was in need of a good book.
With a grin, he stood and headed for the shelf he thought she might find pleasure in.
Settled in a nightgown and wrapper before the hearth, Giselle stared into the flames. Not having packed to come to the castle, she had nothing to do but twiddle her thumbs and think about all the ways in which her parents and her former betrothed might try to ruin her life. She’d searched the drawers and shelves of the wardrobe for something, anything. Tripped and caught herself when her ankle