He reached for the book inside the wooden box and began flipping through it.
“I’ve never even heard of this game before—how could I have cheated?” Beatrice said with a grin. “You don’t actually think I cheated.”
“No,” he said with a sigh. “One of the reasons I chose you is because I knew that you would always do the right thing.”
Alexander had paid enough attention to her to notice that? She didn’t realize he’d been so aware of her. “How do you know that?” she asked.
“Because I was willing to give you more pay when I first started the library, and you told me to use that money to pay for schoolbooks for the school instead.”
Beatrice smiled at the memory. She remembered that, though she was surprised he did. “And that’s the reason you chose to marry me?” she teased. “Because I wouldn’t let you pay me enough money?”
Rose noticed that they were done playing and climbed back into Beatrice’s lap, rubbing her head under Beatrice’s wrist.
“Did you need more?” he asked.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I didn’t need more. I already had more than enough.”
“I still think I should have paid you more.” Alexander shrugged. “But I wasn’t going to lose you by insisting on paying you more than you would take.”
Beatrice smiled. “I wonder how the library is getting on without me,” she said.
“Well, you told me who to put in charge of it,” he said. “So I did that, and I’m sure it’s getting along well. Besides, even if it wasn’t, you don’t have to worry about it anymore.”
“If you think I’m going to stop worrying about my library simply because I married you,” she said, “you’re wrong. It will always be my library. In fact, it may be even more my library now than it was before.”
“I could agree with that statement,” he said, “but I’m afraid you’ll have to give it up for now. Perhaps someday we’ll find a way for you to take it over again.”
“I hope so,” Beatrice said with a smile, thinking back to cool winter evenings snuggled up near the fire with a book in her lap. “Although your library here is a pretty good substitute.”
“I should hope so,” Alexander said.
Rose purred from Beatrice’s lap as Alexander picked up the game pieces and put them back in the wooden box. Beatrice studied her husband’s face, noting the worry lines etched near his eyes and the way he had suddenly deflated. “We will figure it out, Alexander,” she said quietly. “I promise.”
She impulsively reached for his hand, catching it in hers and giving it a squeeze. When she went to let go, Alexander didn’t. “Thank you,” he said, and those words meant more than any words she’d heard before.
Chapter seventeen
Alexander
As Alexander stood inthe foyer and waited for his wife to come down the stairs, he took a deep breath.
Her father should be home from his travels by now. So while he was bringing Beatrice home to get her things, he was also potentially meeting his father-in-law for the first time.
The thought should not have rattled him. He was a lord, and Beatrice's father was merely a trader, but the idea of meeting his wife's father made him twitchy and he wasn't sure what to do with that.
Beatrice hadn’t said much about her father, but she’d hinted that he wasn’t a particularly kind man, and something in Alexander wanted to grind him to a pulp for even potentially mistreating Beatrice.
What kind of man could have a daughter like Beatrice and not make her the center of his entire world?
And from what he'd gathered, the man had been leaving her alone for most of her life. He probably should have asked Beatrice for more details instead of snooping, but he’d discussed it with Dietrich. He’d found out just how often Beatrice had beenwith Dietrich and his mother while her father continued working and pretending she didn’t exist.
Alexander had never particularly considered having children, but if he ever had a daughter with a smile like Beatrice's, there was no way in the world that he would be able to leave her for that long.
His thoughts were interrupted by a noise at the top of the stairs as his wife began to descend. The corner of Alexander's mouth started to turn up at the sight of her. She was wearing one of his mother's simpler gray dresses, probably in an attempt to appear less grand in front of her father and the folks in town. Knowing her, she wouldn't want to appear as if she was lording her new status over them, and he admired her for it.
But even in a simple dress, she looked stunning.
“Are you ready, my lady?” he asked her as she reached the ground. He held out an arm to steady her, just in case she fell. For some reason, she was prone to falling around him.
