Page 7 of The Scholar's Key
“I will. Thank you again for the introduction.”
Fortunately, his uncle didn’t live far from the Worthington residence, and Noah chose to walk and enjoy the sunshine Bath had to offer that day. The butler was ready for him and allowed him entrance without question.
“Lord Worthington asked that I see you into the library,” the butler said. “He shall be with you momentarily. If you should need anything during your time here, I will be happy to ensure all is in order for you.”
“Thank you,” Noah said, understanding what the butler was really saying was that they would prefer that Noah didn’t wander the house on his own, which he understood. He just appreciated the opportunity to visit what was supposed to be one of the finest libraries in Bath, as the family had kept a main residence here for so long.
He was following the butler down the corridor when a flash of mauve skirts and dark hair caught his eye through a door in the drawing room, and he stopped briefly as the familiarity rushed through him.
He craned his neck for a better look, but he had no time to confirm his suspicions when the door to what appeared to be the drawing room was closed, the butler looking back with a terse look of warning.
It couldn’t be Leticia. Not here. Not in this house, just when he was finding his way forward and creating a life for himself.
“In here,” the butler said, waving a hand toward the library, and Noah nodded, pulled out of his reveries immediately when he was presented with the room within.
Most men of his station craved a house of a certain stature, be it in the city or country. Noah cared for none of that – except for the library. It was one of the only reasons he would one day like a country home for himself, so he could create a library of this magnitude.
“Mr. Rowley!”
He turned to find a short man with a rotund stomach stride into the room.
“Lord Worthington,” Noah said with a small bow, but the man waved him away.
“I am not one for formalities,” he said. “Welcome to my home. Tell me, what are you looking for?”
“My uncle said you had letters – primary sources on some of Bath’s history.”
“I do,” Lord Worthington said, walking over to one of the bookshelves at the back of the room, and moving aside a few tomes to find a box behind them.
“These are the letters that I had told your uncle about, letters that my ancestors saved.”
“I am grateful.”
“You might not be after you see how disorganized they are,” he said with a laugh.
Noah nodded, eager to open the box and discover what was within. Lord Worthington must have realized that he had no interest in conversing any further, as he made for the door.
“Well, I’ll leave you to it,” he said over his shoulder, and Noah opened his mouth to ask him about the woman in the drawing room, but then stopped himself.
What did it matter? She had made it clear who he was to her. He was a pleasure – until someone better came along.
He would save himself much future heartache to remember that.
* * *
“The home is beautiful,”Percy said, smiling at her mother as they sat down to tea in the drawing room. She wasn’t just saying that to appease her. The house they had taken for their time in Bath was truly lovely, although Percy still wasn’t feeling completely at home here. She wasn’t certain why.
It was luxurious, welcoming, beautifully decorated, and had ample space.
But it was someone else’s home. She supposed it would grow on her in time.
“Have you made any plans for us this week?” she asked, and her mother cleared her throat, somewhat nervously, Percy thought with a frown.
“Perhaps we could attend the Assembly Rooms at least once this week. We have taken out a subscription for the season, and they are so lovely and crowded. Thursday is the fancy ball, which will allow us to see who we might know in Bath this season.”
“I’m sure that would be nice,” Percy murmured. “Do we know anyone who is here?”
“Your cousins, of course.”
