Page 89 of Stolen By the Heartless Duke
Jane stepped inside. The room was spacious without being too extravagant. Floor-to-ceiling shelves lined two walls, all crowded with books that had clearly been read rather than displayed.
A large desk occupied the center of the room, covered in neatly stacked correspondence, maps weighted beneath a brass compass, and several leather-bound ledgers.
Near the fireplace stood two deep green armchairs. The scent of leather, paper, and cedar filled the room. A fire burned low in the grate despite the summer warmth.
Jane slowly turned in a circle. “It is… I expected something… different.”
“What did you expect?”
She looked almost embarrassed. “I am not certain.”
He folded his arms. “Go on.”
“I imagined…” She hesitated. “…something colder.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Should I be offended?”
“I suppose not.”
“Itisa fair assumption.”
She looked toward the shelves. “There are far more books than I expected.”
“You sound disappointed.”
“I am surprised.”
“By literacy?” Hector asked.
She laughed. “By quantity. There must be hundreds.”
“Close to two thousand,” Hector said, the pride evident in his voice.
She blinked. “You’ve read them?”
“Most.”
She wandered toward one shelf. Her fingertips hovered just above the bindings without touching.
“How do you organize them?”
“By subject.”
“I should have guessed.” She tilted her head, reading titles. “History. Law. Military campaigns. You truly enjoy reading.”
“I enjoyunderstanding,” Hector corrected.
“There is a difference?” Jane asked.
“A considerable one.”
She seemed to think about that. “I believe I only realized just now that it never occurred to me what a duke actually does.”
He almost smiled. “Most days?”
“Yes,” she said. “What do you do most days?”
“Paperwork.”
