“’Fraid I can’t do that.”
“What do you mean you can’t? Of course, you can.” She leaned forward and rapped on the glass trying to get the driver’s attention. “Driver!”
Ryan calmly reached out and pulled her hand away from the window. To her dismay, he did not remove it but instead, folded it within his large palm and rested it on his lap. “My book is past due and needs to be returned to the library so that my lending status remains in good standing.”
“Oh.”
“Yes, oh.” He smiled then turned to look out the window, still holding her hand.
She discovered that she rather liked it even if it did feel slightly risqué. Such intimacy was for married folk, or at the least engaged ones. She shot him a muddled look. Did he consider them engaged? Once his temper cooled the other day, had he realized his folly and hastily returned to reinstate his position as a potential suitor and prospective owner of his very own schooner? She should have known he wouldn’t give up the Lady Evelina so easily.
With irritation, she yanked her hand free. He glanced her way but otherwise didn’t object.
“I’ll accompany you on the ride to the library, but I will wait inside the carriage while you do your business, Mr. Colby.”
“You will do no such thing. I can’t have the city’s most prospective beauty unguarded. Someone may just come along and steal you away.”
“If I’m lucky, perhaps a proper gentleman.”
He actually grinned. “In order to snare a gentleman, a woman must act like a lady.”
Her eyes bulged. “You insufferable pig! How dare you!”
“It perplexes me that you may insinuate that my behavior is far from gentleman-like, however, it is in poor taste for me to bestow you with the same consideration.”
Insulted, and yet peeved that he was right, she crossed her arms over her chest and turned to stare out the window.
“Look, it is simply my wish to get to know you better. I can’t achieve that if you do not allow me to court you.”
“I hardly think you’d want to court such an unladylike woman such as myself.” Then fuming, she swiveled her gaze to glare at him. “But I suppose no other prospective bride offers a boat as a dowry. How lucky am I.”
She knew that last part was rude and offensive, but she was hurt and wanted to strike out.
Interestingly, no indignation darkened his eyes. Rather, he almost appeared sorry for her. “Indeed.”
The coach came to a halt and Evelina looked behind her and realized they had come to stop in front of the library. A flicker of morose had her wishing she could have gone inside.
Instead, she reestablished her resolve and told him, “As I said, I will wait here. Please do not take long as it is rather hot inside the carriage today.”
He grinned and jumped out then came around to her side of the buggy. Opening the door, he held out the library book to her. “Could you hold this please?”
Startled, she took it from him, wondering briefly if she could convince him to lend it out once more so that she might be able to finish reading it. “Certainly.”
Then, while her hands were occupied, he leaned in and swept her up into his arms.
“Oh.”
With purpose, he made his way across the walkway that led to the huge flight of stairs without stopping.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking you to the library.”
“Mr. Colby—Ryan—” Panic gurgled swiftly as she noticed a few ladies pass by and tilt their heads together giggling as they observed her being carried off to the library. Then her apprehension swung into full speed as they neared the stairs.
“Please stop!”
But to her amazement, he did not stop, he just waltzed right up those steps as if they were as easy as maneuvering her front porch. Though he handled the flight of steps with ease, this did not stop Evelina from instinctively clutching his neck in fear.
When she did, he turned to her and said, “I’ve got you.”
It warmed her heart immediately. And just like that, she forgot about their bickering in the carriage or the ladies giggling in the courtyard. Instead, a sense of security overcame her. It amazed her that she could feel this protected in virtually a stranger’s arms.
After he pushed through the front entrance, he lowered Evelina to her feet and waited as she turned and took in the interior of the library for the first time. Her jaw dropped as she gazed up at the five floors of books visible from the lobby below. They wrapped around each floor behind beautiful ornate rails and enormous columns. An iron catwalk weaved through the bookshelves overlooking the arcade below.
Seated in the center of the room were three huge oak tables doubled the size in width and depth than the kitchen table in her parents’ home, each surrounded by ten king-size leather chairs. Overhead a magnificent skylight flooded the entire library in natural light. It was absolutely stunning. She had never seen anything so grand. Or so many books in one place.
“It’s beautiful.”
“And look,” Ryan whispered into her ear from behind. “No-one is staring.”
Amazingly, Evelina realized that she had not even noticed the handful of people lounging in the library engrossed in their reading material. Overcome by the environment surrounding her; the patrons had unknowingly merged with the scenery.
“Follow me.” He nudged her from behind and gestured for her to follow.
He led her to a long counter enclosed behind an iron mesh screen like those found in a bank. Except in this case, it was far longer and ran the length of three walls. As she approached the counter, she noticed that behind the mesh screens were even more rows of bookshelves and a spiral staircase that led to the upper floors.
Approaching one of the windows, Ryan placed Evelina on the counter and told the clerk, “I’d like to return this.”
Evelina’s shoulders drooped. She had so wanted to finish reading it.
“And my friend here would like to sign up for a reading card.” He gestured to Evelina.
The clerk nodded then bent to retrieve a large leather-bound ledger. “Your name?”
“Oh, um, er.” She blinked suddenly finding herself tongue-tied. She had never owned a reading card before. The very idea made her speechless with excitement.
“Evelina. Her name is Evelina. Like the book.” He gestured to the book lying on the counter.
“Interesting.” The librarian mumbled without glancing up. “And the last name?”
Perhaps it was the librarian’s disinterest but she suddenly found her voice and was able to respond for herself. “Hepworth.”
Ryan shot her an approving grin accompanied by a wink.
She gasped silently and immediately turned away, pretending to be insulted by his open flirting but secretly pleased. She watched as the clerk wrote her name in the book then spun it around to face Evelina. “Sign here, please.”
She did as ordered and while she did, the clerk busied herself preparing Evelina a card. “Here is your card. Books can be read either in the ladies reading room to the left of the entrance, or are permitted to be taken off the premises as long as they are returned within a month.”
Evelina eyed her new card as if it were the crown jewel.
“Thank you.” This she said to Ryan, her face simply beaming.
He smiled back.
“You’re welcome.” The librarian responded matter-of-factly, drawing their attention back to her. “All of our borrowing material is indexed in the catalogs in alphabetical order based on the author’s last name.”
“Catalogs?”
Still, without looking up, the clerk pointed a finger to somewhere behind Evelina. Turning, she noticed a bank of cabinets with rows of tiny little drawers.
“Each book is assigned an index number. Once you find a book you would like to sign out, bring the index card back here and one of the librarians will fetch the book for you.”
“Oh.” Admittedly, she felt slightly dejected. S
he would have loved to browse the many volumes and run her fingers along their spines.
Ryan pushed his return to the clerk. “She would like to sign this one out.”
Surprised, Evelina could hardly wait for the librarian to do her paperwork before snatching the book out of her hands. Finally, at long last, she would be able to read the book in its entirety.
“Happy?”
She glanced up at Ryan. “Yes, very much.”
“I’m glad,” he said and looked as if he sincerely meant it. “Would you like to stay and read or take it home?”
“Oh, I definitely want to take it home and read it in the garden.”
He arched a brow in surprise and she had to admit she startled herself. Why she suddenly wanted to take her reading outdoors, she had no idea. But the thought caused a sense of tranquil within.
“Before we go, I want to show you something.”
He took her elbow once again and led her to one of the doors to the side of the great room. It led to a smaller room with a single large table in the center with several children sitting around it. She instinctively took a step backward. The number of children outnumbered the adults in the main part of the library and Evelina held her breath for the onslaught of terror she knew would follow. Waited for the feeling of nausea to overcome her at the prospect of so much ridicule and scorn emitting from their tiny faces and mouths. Waited for the pointing fingers and laughter at her expense. As it had always been in the past.
However, to her surprise, the only reaction she got from the children were tentative little smiles.
She actually managed to smile in return then noticed for the first time since entering the smaller room the rows of books lining the walls so unlike the main part of the library.
With a gasp of delight, she immediately approached the books.
“This is the children’s reading room and unlike the main branch, the books are not a closed-stack. The children are allowed to browse freely amongst all the titles.”
“Amazing.” She whispered and trailed her fingertips across the spine of several recognizable books and some she had never heard of before, and wondered how many books she would be able to take out at once.
Turning to him, she offered, “Thank you for bringing me here.”
He nodded. “I’m glad you finally relented.”
She blushed, knowing she had done no such thing. He had practically kidnapped her and forced her to join him.
“Are you ready to leave?”
Crestfallen, she slid the books a longing look before nodding. “Yes.”
He noticed the sadness in her face and read her mind. Leaning in close he whispered. “No reason to pout. We’ll return when your book is due back.”
She didn’t appreciate him saying that she was pouting but thrilled at the promise of coming back. “I’d like that.”
“Good. I’m holding you to that.”
He offered her his elbow and she took it as he led them back out of the children’s reading room and toward the library’s main entrance.
“And I don’t pout.”
He shot her a glance accompanied by a grin that said quite the contrary. She didn’t have a chance at retorting or getting angry because they had stepped outside and were standing at the top of the huge stairwell outside the library.
Her feet automatically came to an abrupt halt. Ryan, however, didn’t pause but simply swept her back up into his arms and carried her easily down the steps.
She squeezed her eyelids shut and clutched him that much tighter until she felt him walking across flat ground. At nearly eye level, she looked into his face.
“No need to carry me, I can walk.”
He didn’t even make eye contact when he merely replied, “I don’t mind.”
She might have put up an argument but he was already placing her back inside the carriage before hurrying over to his side.
After he settled in next to her and the driver pulled away, they sat in quiet as the carriage maneuvered the streets of downtown Detroit. It wasn’t until they entered the eastern end of town and turning down River Road when Ryan said, “So I think we established something today.”
“What is that?”
“I’m not such a bad guy after all.”
“I never thought you were really a bad guy.”
He cocked his head in surprise.
“You just weren’t interested.” He stated rather than asked.
She looked away. “I never said that either. I just don’t appreciate being rushed or bullied.”
“I can appreciate that. How about we take it slow then? There is no rush. We can take our time and really get to know one another.”
“I’d like that.”
“Then it’s settled.”
To her chagrin, they pulled up in front of her family’s home far too soon.
“And here we are.”
Before she could utter a protest or react in any way, he came around the carriage, swept her back up into his arms, and made his way to the tiny porch in front of her parent’s home.
“There is no need to carry me.”
“If there is one thing I have learned about you, Lady Evelina is that you are frightfully slow.”
“Whereas you are always rushing about.”
“How on earth are two opposites like us are ever going to get along?”
“It contradicts the whole law of attraction.” She blushed, hardly believing she actually uttered the thought out loud.
He chuckled. “Indeed. But gives weight to the belief that opposites attract.”
His laughing eyes turned to look at her and it struck Evelina then for the first time since he had carried her that day, how horribly close their faces were. She expected to feel an onslaught of discomfort to have him looking at her so closely, but instead, she found herself fascinated with the features of his face. She couldn’t ever recall seeing a more handsome man before in her life.
She loved the way his eyes narrowed when he smiled causing little wrinkles to form in the corners. And the hint of blush beneath the scruff of his cheeks that were in desperate need of a shave. She had an urge to reach out and stroke those cheeks, pondering if they would feel as rough and rugged as they appeared. Her gaze strayed to his lips, which at present were formed in a smile.
She liked his smile.
It was warm and friendly and at times slightly intimate. As it was beginning to form now.
Something shifted in the way he was looking at her and Evelina felt herself drawn to him, feeling herself lean toward him in his arms. Though she certainly knew it was improper to be standing in front of her house in the arms of a man who was not her husband, let alone her beau, she couldn’t shake the pleasure bubbling inside.
Nor the overpowering desire to have this man kiss her.
But to her dismay, he placed her down on her feet and took a step back and away from her.
“I think we will follow your lead and take it slow.”
More despair than she anticipated coursed through her body. She had hoped he would follow through with his warning earlier when he threatened to steal a kiss where and whenever he felt like it.
She was sadly letdown that now was not going to be that time.
“May I come by tomorrow?” He asked.
“That would be fine.” She knew her voice sounded tight, but was unable to conceal her disappointment.
He grinned knowingly, but bowed then turned and rushed back down the path. Half way down, he caught himself and turned to shoot her an apologetic grimace. “I’ve got to work on that slowing down a bit more. Till tomorrow, my lady.”
Then he walked in leisure for the rest of the way to the carriage.
Evelina stood in the same spot he left her at until the buggy drove away. Then she spun on her heel and made a dash for the house as fast as her legs could take her. Instead of joining her sisters in the sitting room to the left, she rushed into the parlor on the opposite side of the corridor instead.
Clive Hepworth was sitting in a lounge chair with a newspaper propped open in front of him enjoying some alone time from the many females in the house. However, upon seeing Evelina’s glowing face enter the room, he beamed and asked, “Did you enjoy your outing with young Colby?”
“Yes, very much,” she exclaimed but didn’t stop to elaborate. Instead, she rushed over to the small bay window overlooking the street and watched Ryan’s carriage rattle down the dirt road.
Chapter 8
Ryan stared up at the Lady Evelina and waited for that familiar spark of excitement at the prospect of setting sail. However, that morning, it struggled to ignite. Perhaps it was the guilt of taking possession of the boat without completely fulfilling his end of the bargain.
Yes, Clive had given him the schooner without agreeing to marry Evelina, but it somehow felt tainted to Ryan. Not that he should feel that way, he reminded himself. It wasn’t as if he had gone into the wager fully aware of the conditions. Therefore, in all fairness, he shouldn’t feel any guilt.
Nevertheless, that nagging little conscience of his said otherwise. Relinquishing his rights to the Lady Evelina would be heartbreaking but not detrimental. He had no qualms about walking away from her without remorse.
The lady herself, surprisingly, was another question.
He glanced up and past the pier to the little blue house where the woman of his thoughts was awaiting his arrival.
He had no wish to get involved with a woman. Let alone take on a wife and family. His dreams and goals had no room for them. He had every intention of setting sail and leaving her behind. So he knew better than to get involved. Especially emotionally. Someone could get hurt. And he knew it wouldn’t be him.
He didn’t like leading the poor girl on. He recognized the look in her eyes the day before as he held her in his arms. She had wanted him to kiss her. Indeed, he had wanted to kiss her. Very much. A couple of days earlier, he probably would have. But something happened that made him reevaluate his behavior. Whereas before he would have easily manipulated her with flattery. After all, wasn’t that what he did? Seduced others into liking him? It wasn’t as if he could offer them anything more. He wasn’t altogether strong or intelligent, but he could win over the coldest heart with just a smile.
Lady and the Gamble: A Sweet Victorian Romance (The Colby Brothers Book 2) Page 9