They could simply enjoy one another’s company.
And she found that shedidenjoy his company. She hadn’t thought she would, but now that they were here, now that they were spending this time together, she was glad of it.
He paid for the books and handed them to her. “If you do read them, perhaps you can tell me what you think on our next date,” he suggested.
“You’re already thinking about the next date?”
“Of course,” he said. “I have three more to go, after all, and I want to make the most of each and every one of them, so I needto make sure I come up with a good plan—something that will really impress you.”
“You haven’t charmed me yet,” she teased him.
He laughed. “I have no doubt of it. Your resistance is admirable. But rest assured, I will.”
“It’s going to take more than buying me presents.”
He handed her the books. “That isn’t why I bought them for you as a matter of fact.”
“It isn’t?”
“I like these books,” he said. “I think you’ll like them too—I hope you will. Even if you never likeme, I want to share these books with you.”
Edwina didn’t know whether she ought to believe him. Hewouldsay something like that, of course—it was the perfect way to get her to lower her defenses.
And yet, maybe it was the truth. Maybe he honestly wanted to share the books that had made a difference in his life, and that was as far as it went.
Maybe.
She would give him a chance, she decided. If he was telling the truth about this, if he really just wanted to show her a piece of his life and share something meaningful, maybe there was no risk in that. Maybe they could deepen their friendship.
It surprised her to realize that at some point she had come to think of him as a friend—and yet, she had.
The two of them made their way back out of the shop. Matthew was coming up the street and spotted them right away. He looked positively furious.
“Where have the two of you been?” he demanded. “I didn’t know where you had gone.”
“We stepped into the bookshop,” Edwina explained. She held up her gifts. “The Duke bought me these books as a gift.”
“Oh,” Matthew said, frowning. “You shouldn’t have gone in without me.”
“You’re right, of course,” Edwina agreed, attempting to placate her brother. “We got distracted, that’s all.”
“It won’t happen again,” the Duke said with a smile. “I apologize for my moment of carelessness. I wanted to buy Lady Edwina a gift, that’s all.”
“And you chose a book?”
“That’s right,” the Duke confirmed. “Two books. I believe she’s happy with them.”
“A more appropriate gift for a young lady might be a hat or a pair of gloves.”
“I’ll certainly keep your advice in mind for the next time,” the Duke said with a scoundrelly grin, “but I think Lady Edwina will enjoy her gifts.”
“Oh, I daresay she will,” Matthew agreed, and Edwina knew that he must be thinking of the fact that she had always loved to read. “Edwina, if I were you, I wouldn’t show these to Father. I don’t think he would approve.”
Edwina nodded and tucked the books under her arm. Matthew was likely right—at least, he would have been a few years ago. Now, her father had gotten older, and he was so distracted and foggy-headed that Edwina doubted whether he would mind at all.
After all, he hadn’t registered much objection to the fact that she had turned up her nose at suitor after suitor.
And that was just fine with her.
