she hadn’t either, he thought it might be worth seeing. Since discussing the stories both were acquainted with, he thought it might be nice to see some of the exotic animals they’d only read about. Sure, there were illustrations of them in a few of the books, but he was curious to know if the illustrations had done the animals justice. To his surprise, the artists’ rendering of them was a close approximation of how they really looked.
“What do you think?” he asked Kitty as they approached a cage with a lion in it.
“I think it’s good they’re behind bars,” she replied in such a matter-of-fact tone that he couldn’t help but chuckle. “What’s so funny? Do you want something as large as that coming after you?”
“Of course not. Those large teeth would be the end of me. The reason I laughed was that I think it’s good that beast is behind bars, too.” After a moment, he added, “I like that you told me exactly what you thought. I find it refreshing. It’s nice that I don’t have to guess what you’re thinking.”
“I’ve been upfront with you ever since we married. I don’t see why you’re surprised.”
“I’m not surprised.” When she arched an eyebrow, he amended, “All right. I am a little surprised. But as I consider how things have been between us, I’m not. I meant no harm in laughing. I wish you wouldn’t take offense to it. I like the fact that you’re not afraid to voice your opinion. It means I can believe what you say.”
She relaxed. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to us getting along. It’s going to take a while.”
It was going to take a while? They had been getting along for the past month. He thought they had made considerable progress. He, for one, no longer had any hesitation about being married to her. It was a shame he had fumbled things up so badly that she had yet to trust him.
She turned her gaze back to the lion, and then she glanced at the other animals that were in their individual cages. “I think Teddy would get scared if he were here. It’s one thing to see illustrations and hear about these animals in stories, but seeing them is intimidating.”
“I think any child would get scared,” he said.
Her attention went back to him. “You still don’t know how old he is?”
He thought back to everything people had ever said about him. “No, no one’s told me his age. Is it important?”
“I don’t know if it’s my place to say anything,” she said. “I don’t think Miss Britcher ever intended to tell me about him. It’s only because she had to go over there when he was in a panic that I found out. On the other hand, Mr. Stonewall knows. It’s not like this is a secret.”
Now she was only confusing him. Maybe he ought to tell her it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like his life was going to change one way or the other if he found out the lad’s age. “I don’t wish to make you uncomfortable. You don’t have to say anything.”
He was ready to suggest they take a look at the elephant when she softly said, “He’s twenty.”
He didn’t hide his surprise. “Twenty?”
“I don’t want to go into detail about what happened to him. It’s a private matter. But something bad occurred, and he’ll always be like a child.”
“That’s terrible.”
“It is. Nothing like that should happen to anyone. Miss Britcher and her sister have done a wonderful job of taking care of him. He’s loved very well.”
“Well, that’s good.” At least there was a happy side to things.
“He enjoys the stories,” Kitty continued in a louder voice. “They brighten his days.”
“Are these all stories from my books in my library?”
She nodded. “Yes, the ones that your father once read to you. It turns out he enjoys them as much as you did.” She offered him a smile. “I enjoy them, too. They’re a pleasure to read no matter how old someone is.”
He couldn’t argue with that sentiment. Though he had other books he’d rather read when he was alone, he enjoyed looking back on those days when his father had read them to him.
“I was careful with the books you gave me,” she said. “They’re in the same condition they were when you let me borrow them.”
“You’re welcome to come to my townhouse and borrow more any time you want.”
She studied him. “By the tone of your voice,