“I found them! The ones you had asked for. I was worried they would no longer be in my collection, but I found them tucked into a corner of the shelves in my room. There are quite a few nursery rhyme books and a handful of fairytale books as well.”
Nora beamed happily. “Oh, these are lovely! And they are in excellent condition as well! Thank you very much, Jane.”
“Might I ask what you intend to do with books for children?” Penelope inquired curiously, peering at the collection Jane had handed over to Nora.
“Oh. Well, I was thinking of reading them to my sister’s children when I next visit. I would like to spend as much time as possible with all of them, and I do not think it would be… a good idea to focus on playing alone when seven children are involved. I thought we could have story times as well.” Nora quickly explained.
Jane clapped her hands happily. “That sounds wonderful. I am happy to have been able to provide my books for such a cause.”
Nora nodded with an equal amount of glee before she turned to the stack of books in her hand, raising it up and down to gauge the weight.
Excellent, she thought,not too heavy. I can drop them off tonight. With Cecil away, travelling, I can stay with them for as long as possible.
“So, you will take the challenge with the duke?” Penelope asked, just to be sure.
Nora raised her head, fighting off the strange feelings swirling in her at the thought of the duke.
“Yes. I will,” she declared with her chin up. “What do I have to lose?”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Nora adjusted her grip on the basket in her hand before she knocked at her brother’s door.
It was only hours ago that she had discussed with her friends over tea to get the duke to show some form of emotion, and she had already put the bet into motion. What a wonderful stroke of luck it was that by the time she returned home, her kitchen staff had prepared a fresh batch of baked goods.
Cecil was always weak to warm blueberry muffins and apple pie, and he would always beg her to bring around a fresh batch whenever the kitchen staff made some. She did not know what the duke might like, but providing him with several options seemed like a good idea.
And so, she put together a basket full of the tastiest goods she could fit inside and set down the path she knew by hand. In her heart, she vowed to do whatever it took to get some sort of expression from him.
Mr. Frederic opened the door, his face just as bemused as it had been a few days ago when she had knocked.
“Miss Nora,” he greeted with a smile.
“Mr. Frederic,” she nodded with a smile of her own.
“Might I enquire if this is to become a regular habit moving forward?”
“Why, yes. I expect it will be.”
“Very well then. Here to see the duke?”
“Yes, I am. Is he in?”
The butler nodded, standing aside. “In the drawing room downstairs. He spends an awful lot of time there. He says he prefers the lighting there. Refuses to use the study we had prepared for him ahead of time and does most of his work in that room.”
“Strange. But he is a rather odd man, so who could truly know what thoughts lie within that head of his.” Nora shrugged as she began to make her way down the hall. “Thank you, Mr. Frederic.”
“Anytime, Miss Nora.”
At the door to the drawing room, Nora inhaled deeply, urging herself not to relent. She had set out this afternoon with an objective, and she intended to fulfil it to the best of her abilities.
She brought her hand up and knocked swiftly, waiting for his response.
“Enter,” he called in a gruff plain voice she had unknowingly grown familiar with, and she turned the knob and pushed the door open.
“Miss Nora?” he raised his head, his voice holding the barest inflection of surprise. “Did you need something from your brother’s rooms?”
Nora shook her head and carried her laden basket to him.
