“Are you sure?”
“Yes, he summoned his horse to be brought from the stables just as we were rising, and then he rode off out of the main gate.”
“Oh,” Rose quickly put a mask in place to cover her disappointment. “Well, he must have things to do. I shall be lazy then. By all means, bring my tray up.”
When Anna took her leave, Rose snuggled deeper into her pillow and the sheets where she could still smell the scent of him. She took a deep breath and breathed him in.
Rose spent the majority of the day wandering aimlessly around the castle. She went for a walk despite the bad weather. Ernest was locked up in his quarters, and she had no desire to see him again after the night before.
Eventually, she retired to the library and searched the shelves for something interesting to read. Normally she loved history and novels but was beginning to realize she needed to find an interest in her life, which would not only see her through the days of Ernest's recuperation but beyond, into their marriage, when she was sorely going to need an occupation. Other noble ladies turned to painting, playing a musical instrument, or sewing. Rose had never put any effort into any of those and therefore was useless at such pursuits. She liked walking, but would could walk from morning until nightfall?
She envied Will withhis shipping line. As children, they had both enjoyed watching the canal boats enter the harbor. She wondered if she, too, could find a charitable role. She was fascinated by the medical encyclopedia. She was hovering among similar books when she noticed someone enter the library. She turned, expecting to see Jennings, but it was Will who stood in the great vaulted room, resplendent in everything from his paisley cravat to his tan leather riding boots.
“I thought you had left,” she said.
“I had things to do,” he smiled, shifting slightly so he was framed in the light coming through the large window behind him.
“I trust Your Grace slept well,” he said, taking his voice down an octave.
“A little disturbed in the middle of the night, but otherwise, I slept very well, Mr. Browning. Thank you.” She put an emphasis on the ‘thank you.’ He grinned.
“You certainly look pleased I am back, Your Grace.”
“Do I?” She lifted her chin. “I am extremely hospitable to all my guests, so I wouldn’t overanalyze it.”
His grin spread even wider.
“I am, however, a little surprised,” Rose said.
He walked towards her in the long room, striding down the red and yellow striped carpet.
“Why surprised, Your Grace?” he asked. “You don’t think there is enough attraction here to bring me back?” He stopped just a foot or so from her.
"Are you referring to a potential cash investment or a nice coat of arms to grace your London fireplace?” She asked.
“You choose,” he said, slapping his tan leather gloves against one palm. They were the exact same hue as his boots and tan riding coat.
“It appears you have been quite occupied too, Your Grace.” He was looking at the books she was holding in her arms. He leaned across the distance between them and picked the top one up.
“The Pathology of Medicine. Not normal reading for a duchess.”
Rose took it back. “I am not a normal duchess.”
“Quite,” he laughed and touched the gloves to his forehead in a mock salute. “But seriously, do you have intentions you have not revealed?”
“A lady never reveals her intentions Mr. Browning; you must know that.”
He arched an eyebrow at her and at the stack of books. “Can you be enticed away from your tomes for a while?”
“What did you have in mind?”
“I would beg a tour of the castle. It is such a magnificent building, and you must know it better than anyone by now.”
“What do you wish to see?” she asked, thinking,we are certainly not going on a tour of the upper floors. He seemed to read her mind.
“I have already seen a lot of the inside,” he smiled lasciviously. She turned away to hide her blush and placed the books back on the shelf. She took a few moments to disguise the way her heart had quickened when he looked at her.
“I am intrigued by the keep,” he said behind her. “I have some hours spare, and I wondered if you would show it to me.”