too well. I am sorry if I am late. That is not my habit.”
“Don’t worry. You’re just on time. Come along.” He shoved the errant strand of hair off his forehead and entered the library, moving across the carpet in long strides. She hurried to keep up. “I’ve a large collection of books, some of which I inherited from my father, many of which are duplicates of what I previously owned. I need them all logged so I can decide which I should keep and which I should give away.”
Large barely described the endless rows upon rows of books, shelves not sufficient to contain them all. Some rested atop a corner table; others were stacked in a neat pile. Could he or his father possibly have read every one? Or did he own them simply because he could, a rich man’s habit?
“There are . . . so many” She felt inadequate in the midst of such an obvious show of wealth.
“Do you find the quantity daunting to catalog, Miss Dunne?”
Rachel confidently squared her shoulders; she could ill afford him to think her incompetent. “There are simply more books than I have ever seen, is all. I am up to the task.”
He nodded, satisfied. “Let me show you the system I’ve devised.”
Her responsibility was straightforward: classify the books by topic and log them accordingly. Organizing his collection would be tedious but simple, bookkeeping of a sort she understood. She nodded as he spoke. Yes, she could separate the books of poetry from the works of botany and track them separately. Yes, she understood that he wanted common topics merged—all books on travel in England maintained apart from those discussing Europe.
“Not difficult at all, Dr. Edmunds.”
His eyes seemed to brighten, as though a smile was captured within them but was unable to escape. She could stand there for some time, looking at those eyes, so harsh and beautiful and captivating at the same time, like the heart of a storm cloud.
“You will also need to assist in packing some of the household things, in addition to the contents of my medical office,” he said. “My plan is to close down my practice in a month and leave for Finchingfield, where I’ve inherited my family’s small estate. As a result of the short time remaining and the sudden absence of my attendant, the staff needs your assistance. Which is why I took you on.”
“None of the work should be difficult, Dr. Edmunds.”
“Excellent.” He offered a brisk smile, and Rachel soaked up his approval like a bone-dry cloth soaking up water. I should like to see him smile more often, and more fully. He would look less stern and forbidding if he did.
He turned on his heel. “Now for the office. There is a great deal to be done in there.”
Swallowing down a burst of nerves, Rachel followed him out of the library. “You need me to pack all of the contents?”
“Yes, but not for me to take along when I move. I’m retiring from the practice of medicine and becoming a gentleman farmer.”
Rachel knew surprise had to show on her face. He was too young to retire. “You are no longer going to be a physician in Finchingfield?”
“No, I’m not. A friend of mine who attended medical college with me, Dr. Thaddeus Castleton, is taking over my practice, along with most of the contents of my office. I’ve already transferred many of my patients to him.”
Did Dr. Edmunds sound regretful of his decision? She couldn’t tell.
They arrived at the rear ground-floor room he used for his consultations. Dr. Edmunds extracted a key from his waistcoat pocket, turned it in the lock, and went inside. The room was cool, shadowy like much of the house, and smelled of camphor. The aroma bit into her nose and tightened her throat, but it drew her in nonetheless, her curiosity beckoning.
He lit a lamp upon his desk. “I keep the room shuttered against the outside. I’ve always felt the quiet helps calm my patients.”
The room was as neat and tidy as he was. A sturdy oak desk filled most of the space, the forgotten remains of his breakfast fighting with orderly piles of paperwork for space upon its surface. His chair stood behind and another in front, padded with several thick pillows, while a narrow sofa was positioned against the wall with a small drop-leaf table at its side. Shallow bookshelves on the opposite wall bracketed a glass-fronted cabinet. Rachel peered inside and found it contained what