A Mutual Interest in Numbers (Love and the Library Book 2)
Page 10
Before him stood the loveliest lady he had ever seen. She was short and willowy, her dark pink muslin walking dress emphasizing every slender curve. Deep brown curls peeped from the sides of a gauzy matching pink bonnet to frame an oval face. Her skin was creamy, her nose straight and proud.
Miss Elizabeth Bennet! The lady of his dreams! His jaw sagged.
“No harm done, sir.” The vision lifted a shapely dark eyebrow. “If I may reach the clerk?” Merry chocolate-colored eyes twinkled up at him and sweet rosy lips dimpled in an amused arch of a grin. A whiff of lilac perfume, delicate as the lady, wafted toward him.
He snapped his mouth shut with an audible click. “Oh, sorry.” Damn him for gaping like the veriest fool. Hugging his package to his chest, he stumbled away from the young lady and the plainly dressed woman, most likely her maid, who stood beside her. The maid flashed a grin as if she knew every one of his admiring thoughts.
He bumped into the table by the counter, and pain lanced through his elbow. Cradling his bundle with one arm while rubbing his throbbing forearm, he pretended to study the list of new books on the table, but kept his gaze fixed on the young lady. She was exactly as he had imagined Miss Elizabeth Bennet.
Who was she? And how could he make her acquaintance?
***
Miss Clara Haley set her books on the counter and darted a glance at the tall young man perusing the list of new books. High cheekbones, a blade of a nose and a firm chin presented a most pleasing masculine face. His hair was black and cut short in a fashionable but restrained style. An unruly lock fell across his forehead, and he brushed the hair back with an impatient hand. When they had spoken, his slate-grey eyes had glinted with intelligence, humor and distinct male appreciation. A little feminine thrill at his regard still raced through her.
Like most men, he wore a double-breasted ink blue tailcoat, buff-colored trousers and shiny black half-boots. A grey waistcoat and utilitarian knot in his white cravat completed the modest simplicity of his attire. Unlike most other men, he was broad of shoulder and narrow of hip. The hard muscle that had pressed against her for the brief second they touched proved he needed no padding to achieve that breathtaking masculine form.
An unfamiliar wave of heat enveloped her. Gracious, what a handsome man. He looked just how she pictured Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the hero of her favorite novel, Pride and Prejudice. And he held a packet of books. Could he possibly share her love of reading?
How could she meet him?
The clerk cleared his throat.
Clara dragged her attention away from the fascinating stranger. “Good day. I am returning this book.” She set a volume on the counter.
“Very good.” The clerk set the tome on a shelf at his side. “Anything to take out?”
“Yes. Pride and Prejudice. All three volumes, please.”
“Of course, miss.” The clerk scurried to the stacks in the roped off area behind him to hunt out the books. Returning, he set them on the counter and then pulled out a sheet of wrapping paper. “Very popular, this novel. The gentleman before you also took out a copy.” The stiff paper crackled as he bundled up the tomes.
“Indeed?” Her pulse sped up. Gracious, had she found a like-minded gentleman? So many men made mock of novels. If this gentleman liked them, could he be her Mr. Darcy? Her heart fluttered. Mr. Darcy was the perfect man. Intelligent, kind, willing to acknowledge his mistakes and then change. And, although the book’s description of him was rather sparse, he had to be young and handsome, just like this man.
She peeked at him again. He was right beside her. If she dropped her handkerchief…
The clerk knotted the string around her parcel. “Said the novel was for his sister.”
Her delicious little air castle collapsed. She gave a wan smile. “A doting brother, to fetch a book for his sister.”
Would she ever find a man who shared her love of novels?
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About the Author
Welcome to My World of Historical Hilarity!
I'm Linda Banche, and I write witty, sweet/sensual Regency romances with nary a rake or royal in sight. Most contain humor, some fantasy, and occasionally a little paranormal or science fiction. But comedy is my love, and I've created my own wacky blend of humor and Regency with stories that can elicit reactions from a gentle smile to a belly laugh.
Like many other romance authors, I read romances for years before I wrote my own. Once I tried, I quickly discovered how difficult writing is. Did I stop? No, I'm persistent—that's French for "too stupid to quit".
I live in New England and like aerobics and ducks.
So, laugh along with me on a voyage back to the Regency era. Me and my ducks. Quack.
Connect with me online!
Email: linda@lindabanche.com
Website: http://www.lindabanche.com
Blog: http://lindabanche.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LindaBanche
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LindaBanche
Other Books by Linda Banche
Enjoy these other titles at fine ebook retailers everywhere.
Buy links here: http://www.lindabanche.com/1352.html
Love and the Library
A celebration of the beginnings of love wherein four young Regency gentlemen meet their matches over a copy of Pride and Prejudice at the library
A Similar Taste in Books
Other Books
Lady of the Stars 2010 EPIC Ebook Contest Finalist
Pumpkinnapper 2011 EPIC Ebook Contest Finalist
Mistletoe Everywhere
Gifts Gone Astray
An Inheritance for the Birds
End
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