“I should. Thank you for talking to me.”
He inclined his head. “Good night then.”
“Good night.” She didn’t leave the nook but gazed around.
He took a few steps. “Good night.”
She showed a forced smile. “Nighty-night.” She didn’t move.
“You are indeed lost.”
“Botheration!” She shot her gaze skywards. “I asked Patrick where your room was. Don’t worry. He didn’t believe we were having an assignation. I was very subtle with my inquiry.”
Somehow, he doubted that.
“Finding your room was easy, but all these corridors look the same! I don’t know where to go from here. I got distracted looking at a suit of armour, and now I don’t remember if my room is on the left or the right.”
He folded his arms over his chest. “So you won’t find your room blindfolded at night.”
“I often exaggerate for a dramatic effect.”
He laughed and offered her his arm. “Let me escort you.”
“What if someone sees us?”
“No one will. I can move through the castle unseen when I want.”
A little thrill went through him when she took his arm.
He entered one of the many libraries of the castle. This one had five floor-to-ceiling windows that let the moonlight in. The view of the gentle hills covered in silver light gave him peace as Isabella did.
“Beautiful.” She gazed around.
“Father was a collector of rare books. And he loved libraries.”
“Who doesn’t?”
“But don’t be too impressed. Half of these books are treatises on economy and politics.”
“Not surprising. You must spend a lot of time in the House of Lords.”
He sighed. “I do. The House of Lords is not different from a battlefield. And we’re on the brink of causing a riot. New factories are sprouting throughout the country, and we don’t have the laws to regulate their extremely fast growth. Employees are working endless hours for small wages, exploited by the owners, and some managers dare to hire children…” He glanced at her. “Apologies. That must bore you.”
“Not at all. And I agree about the riots. Unless the government intervenes, angry mobs will flood our streets. Starving people don’t have anything to lose. We should protect our workers, give them higher wages, and above all, send children to school.”
“Thank you for your assessment.” He meant it.
“Being informed of what’s happening in our country is a right and a duty.”
“I agree.”
“Do you really support women’s right of suffrage?”
“Absolutely. Although I’m worried about whom Grandmama would choose to vote for if she could.”
She burst out laughing before clamping a hand over her mouth. “Sorry. That was awful of me.”
He laughed too. “No, it wasn’t.”
