“I do, Elizabeth. It has been the work of generations.”
“How many books are there, do you think?”
He looked ahead. “Perhaps thirty thousand.”
She stopped and stared. “Thirty thousand books?”
“Yes. The house is three hundred and fifty years old, and each master has added to the collection. This year alone, I purchased over one hundred volumes.”
“What kind of books?”
“I acquired a collection at an estate sale through Sotheby’s, which included a set of rare prayer books. The heir, being in financial distress, thought it more expedient to sell the collection as a single lot.”
“Were there any Greek works included?”
He grinned. “Yes. The complete set ofThe Odyssey.”
“Have they been delivered?”
“Yes, they are at Darcy House. I mean to sell them, since I already possess two sets at Pemberley and one in London.”
“Why so many?”
“One set is ancient and rare, stored behind glass in a room that is kept as dry as possible. The other sets are for reading.”
“Mr. Darcy, may I keep the new set in my chamber? I love to read at night, and it would be so convenient.”
His eyes were warm. “You are a curious young woman, Mrs. Darcy. I expected your first request to be for jewels or gowns, yet you importune for books.”
Her eyes widened, but when she understood he was teasing, she relaxed. “Will you consider it, sir?”
He laughed. “Yes, my dear. I will have Higgins pack them for our journey north.”
She jumped to her feet, rose on tiptoe, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you, sir. It is the best gift I have ever received. I have no books of my own, only those I borrow from my father’s library.”
Darcy was caught off guard, but as he returned her embrace, he kept it carefully fraternal. Her hair was fragrant, and her body soft as she pressed against him. He was tempted to bury his face in her curls, but he restrained himself.
When she had released him, Darcy said, “Your father told me the large leather chair in his office is yours. Did you study there?”
She did not answer. He noticed her gaze turn distant, her composure faltering, and he feigned not to notice and waited while looking out into the distance.
“We studiedThe Odysseytogether. I have read all twenty-four books, but we were only beginning to examine their depths. I suppose I will never finish my studies.”
“Why so?”
“Papa was helping me to reason out the mysteries of human interaction. We spent an hour each morning discussing my questions.”
“Such as?”
“Why did Antinous have such a prejudice against women?”
Darcy regarded her curiously. “Why do you think he did?”
“I cannot imagine. He had a mother, and most people love and respect their mothers and, by extension, the women around them. Perhaps she neglected or mistreated him when he was a child.”
Darcy gazed toward the oak grove ahead. “Or perhaps he grew entitled over the years. Antinous most likely received whatever he wished for all his life. As a man of position and power, he came to regard women as objects rather than human beings.”
Their discussion continued as they wove their way up the mount, but they fell silent as they reached the summit and gazed out at the valley below, a patchwork of fields with scattered farms and houses that stretched to the horizon. They stood side by side for a long time, silently taking in the beauty, until Elizabeth yawned, and then he offered his arm.
