Nathaniel feared he had let his gaze linger on Charlotte for too long. During the cribbage game, his mind had been unsettled. He smiled with pride as he placed the board back in the cupboard, for he had earned that victory.
Playing with Edmund had been like playing with a child. His strategy was basic and predictable. Nathaniel could have beaten him in his sleep. Charlotte, on the other hand, now there was a real competitor. She had surprised him with her ability to plan ahead, and there were moments when he had been taken aback by the cards she kept.
She showed him opportunities to score that he hadn’t considered before. Although he would not admit it, he suspected that in that game, his victory had been due to luck, and he was not eager to play again. Hopefully, this victory helped to put her in her place.
Thankfully, now that he had stepped away from her, he could think more clearly. He poured himself another glass of brandy and then slipped out of the room, not making any grand announcement about his exit.
He made his way to the main library of the house, seeking to rest and recover from the expenditure of social energy. He picked out a book and ran his hands along the smooth pages. He breathed in the scent of the leather cover. Soon after, he heard soft footsteps padding along the ground.
Nathaniel smiled as Hector leaped onto his lap.
“Hello, boy,” he said gently, scratching Hector beneath the chin, where he liked it the most. “Are you going to let me read tonight, or are you going to be a nuisance as usual?”
Hector cocked his head, as if to protest that description. However, he then proceeded to pace around Nathaniel’s lap and drape himself over the man’s arms, making it difficult to read. Nathaniel had a tail wagging near his chin, but he persevered.
He had been reading for a while when he was disturbed by movement. He looked up, blinking as he became aware of the strain on his eyes. Then, his breath caught in his lungs. It was her.
Charlotte.
He stiffened in his chair. At first, he wasn’t sure if she had seen him, but then he realized she hadn’t. He quickly masked the surprise on his face and stared at his book.
She would not leave him alone.
Her footsteps made no sound, as though she were floating toward him. He was obscured behind a bookshelf but noticed her through gaps where books usually rested.
“This is incredible,” she gasped in an awed tone.
“One usually keeps one’s voice down in a library,” Nathaniel warned. Charlotte stopped in her tracks as though she had just collided with an invisible wall. She looked around, her face a picture of shock, searching for him.
When she found him, she masked her surprise by adopting a neutral expression.
“Good evening, Your Grace. I hope I am not interrupting you and your friend,” she said.
Nathaniel was a little bemused before he realized she was referring to the cat. “Ah, yes, this is Hector.”
Nathaniel arched his eyebrow as Hector leaped from his lap and moved toward Charlotte, winding in between her legs and pressing his head against her.
“Yes, we met earlier. It seems I made quite a good impression on him.”
“If only the world were made up of cats,” Nathaniel replied, folding his book closed, although he kept his hand pressed upon it.
“Then it would be milk and fish for everyone,” Charlotte replied. At the mention of this, Hector mewed loudly.
“If you want that, you’ll have to go to the kitchens, although they’ve been far too generous with you. I might start having to order them against feeding you.” Nathaniel directed his words toward the cat.
Charlotte sighed and shook her head. There was a chair opposite Nathaniel. She placed her fingers on it, tracing them back and forth.
“You even seek to place restrictions on the cat. Is there anything in this world you do not seek to control?”
Nathaniel leaned back and regarded her with a cool look. “I can think of at least one thing.” He leveled his gaze at her and let his words sink in. “Some things are like a force of nature.”
“Nature is formidable. I suppose you must like it. It follows its own rules. Speaking of which, I suppose one of us should leave. It would be improper for us to be seen alone together.”
“You’re the last person who should be lecturing me about what’s proper.” He rose to his feet and noticed a flash of fear in her eyes. He opened his palm and gestured for her to sit down. “The library is a place of knowledge, of learning. Anyone is welcome to spend time here.”
Charlotte studied his hand and then seemed to decide that it was safe to sit down. Nathaniel then turned to sit down, only to find that Hector had jumped up to steal it from him. Nathaniel shook his head, and Charlotte giggled as he lifted the cat, placing it back on his lap.
Hector seemed to take offence at this as he jumped straight off Nathaniel’s lap and scurried under Charlotte’s chair.
