“Did I startle you? Oh my, I am terribly sorry.” The woman who spoke to her had a kind face, and big curious eyes that blinked quickly and continuously. “Typical of me, isn’t it? Sneaking up on people and then being surprised when I nearly give them a heart attack.”
“No…” Thalia shook her head and took a calming breath. “It was my fault. I need to be more aware of my surroundings.”
“Let us both take the blame, shall we?” the young woman said brightly. “That way, neither of us are at fault.”
Thalia could not say why exactly, but the young woman’s affable nature and kindness was overwhelming so that her throat became tight and she very early burst into tears.
The consequence of spending the last few days in a household where even a smile is considered an unnecessary display of emotion, I guess.
“I like the sound of that,” Thalia said. “And might I ask your name?”
“Of course! To those who don’t know me, I am Miss Finch, and I work here.”
“And those who do know you?”
Somehow, her smile grew. “Olivia.”
“Olivia, it is nice to meet you. My name is…” Thalia paused, very nearly telling the young woman that she was a duchess. But that felt wrong to do, as if this random woman was too good of a friend to call her as such. “You may call me Thalia.”
“Thalia, wonderful.” She took Thalia’s hands and squeezed them. “Now, seeing as I am at work, I suppose that I should be asking if you need any help finding anything?”
“Oh, no, I’m just browsing for now.”
“As you say. But if you do need anything…”
“You will be the first person I ask.”
“I’ll just be over there.” Olivia indicated down the row of books. “Please, do not hesitate.”
“I certainly will not.”
Olivia Finch had a pretty face covered in light freckles, and when she smiled, Thalia saw that there was a small gap between her two front teeth. But her blue eyes sparkled with unbridled happiness, and she sensed in the woman a gentle soul.
She watched as Olivia moseyed down the row of books, humming to herself, and Thalia smiled the whole time. That single interaction, as small as it was, reminded her that goodness still existed in this world, and sometimes all one needed was faith.
A stark reminder, also, of why she was here, and what she was doing.
It was earlier this morning when Thalia had come upon a plan… or rather, a vague notion of a plan. She needed to find ways to coax her husband out of his shell, because she knew that there was more to him than he was letting on. He was not as cold as he pretended. He was not as emotionally distant. There was a soulhidden behind his high walls, and she would get to it. No matter what it took.
Thus, Thalia found herself at the Guildhall Library in London.
She was searching for books on human behavior. Anything that she thought might give her a better understanding of her husband and how to…manipulate him sounds wrong. Perhaps inspire a better version of him? Yes, let’s go with that.
She scowled.Perhaps I should search for romantic tales, and assume my husband will do the exact opposite of whatever they contain.
The library was huge, and Thalia got lost rather quickly. It was a maze of tall standing bookshelves acting as walls, the way they were stacked and lined up seeming random, but surely with an order that she did not know?
Thalia walked the shelves, her eyes glued to the spines of each book as she read their titles. With no idea what she wanted exactly, the darkness of the library made her eyes ache, the dust in the air made her nose run, and it was because she could not see properly, and because she was wiping constantly at her nose, that she did not see where she was going.
And it was because she did not see where she was going that she walked right into the back of an unsuspecting browser.
“Oh!” she cried as she walked right into him. “I am so sorry.”
The man who she walked into groaned loudly. “That is quite fine…” He trailed off as he turned around and saw Thalia standing there.
Thalia’s eyes widened and she was taken by the sudden urge to turn and run as fast as she could. “Lord Donmere!”
“Lady Thalia,” Lord Donmere sneered. “Or rather, Her Grace, as I believe you are now titled.” His lips curled as the sneer grew and the look in the man’s eyes was venomous.
