Page 5 of Tutoring a Lady into Sin
“Have faith in your brother, Phineas. And look to Lady Christianna. I do think she will be the person who saves the duke and brings our family together once more.”
Phineas shook his head. “I am already inclined to feel sympathy for the poor young lady. Can she really be equal to the task you have laid at her feet?”
“I know not what the future will hold,” Uncle Felton said ominously. “But I do think this is our best course of action. We must endeavour to move forward, and the only way to do that is by uniting everyone through this timely marriage.”
“That is not a very romantic notion, is it?” Phineas asked.
“Just come to Bixby Hall,” Uncle Felton replied as a beleaguered sigh escaped him. Then, his features rearranged themselves into a much more jovial attitude. “I think you will be surprised by all that awaits you there.”
Chapter 3
Bixby Hall
July 1813
Finally…alone at last.
Christianna had only been at Bixby Hall for less than three days, but already she was feeling suffocated. The place was bustling with servants, as well as plenty of other guests.
When she was not being introduced to hordes of close family friends, she was spending her time with her auntie and the dowager duchess, making last-minute preparations for the wedding. As such was the case, she had yet to lay eyes on her betrothed again, and as Christianna let herself into the library, she finally took a moment to think over that matter.
Where could he be?
When she first arrived, she was told, by the dowager duchess, that His Grace had gone into town to speak with the haberdasher. But she knew he had come back to Bixby Hall late last night. Sensibly then, he should have joined them for at least one meal, but when she went into the breakfast room this morning, Christianna was informed that His Grace had already set out to do a bit of hunting with some of his friends.
She scuffed her slippered feet through the plush carpet of the library, glad for just a moment that she did not have to observe proper decorum.
I should like to see Percival again…but it is nice to be here, as well.
Christianna wandered toward the nearest bookshelf and traced her gloved fingertips over the rows of neatly arranged books. Every tome stood in perfect order, and it was evident that either someone had read all of them recently or the staff had carefully arranged the books because there was not a speck of dust to be found.
The staff must be rather diligent with their duties.
It was not that Christianna thought the duke incapable of coming to the library and reading through his collection of books but rather that she couldn’t picture him here in this quaint little room, snuggled into one of the leather armchairs that was pulled very close to the fireplace. He was more the sporting type, after all, and a vision of him on horseback or toting a rifle was a much easier scenario to conjure.
“Hmmm…” she murmured as she reached forward and pulled a book from the shelf.
“That is a fine choice,” a man spoke, and Christianna was so startled she nearly let the book slip right out of her hands. She caught it at the last second and turned to look around the room.
“Forgive me,” she said as she spotted a man who was perched on the window seat with a large book open in his lap. “I did not realise anyone else was in this part of the house.”
“There is no need to apologise,” the man replied smoothly. “There is plenty of room here in the library for both of us.”
Christianna looked at the man critically. From the way he sat, she could tell that he was tall and very slim. His face, likewise, was slender, and he had very high, delicate cheekbones. His skin had a pinkish quality to it, and there were freckles sprinkled across his cheeks. He smiled at her in a boyish way as the silence lengthened between them.
The man’s hair was a lovely russet brown shade, and as the warm afternoon sunlight glinted through the windowpanes at his back, it kissed the long ends adding in some blonde highlights as well. He wore the top and front fringe of his hair rather long, so the curls sort of tumbled about, leaving a few very long strands falling into his eyes.
And it was his eyes which truly held her attention. She was entranced as she stared at the pure green colour. The shading was much like the leaves on the crape myrtle trees that stood outside at the edge of the garden.
“It may be very forward for me to ask you this, but have we met before, my lord?” Christianna questioned as she replaced the book on the shelf.
“We have yet to be introduced,” the man replied, “but I imagine that is only because I have just arrived this morning.”
“And yet, you have already sought refuge in the library?” Christianna questioned, allowing her words to be tinged with a bit of playfulness as she turned to look at the man once more.
His smile quirked. “I do believe I could say the same about you, my lady. I understand you only came to Bixby Hall recently, and yet, here you are, seeking out your own sanctuary.”
“Books are my constant companions,” Christianna replied easily as she swept her hand, indicating the shelves just in front of her. “They are never failing…and they do not require anything of me other than my total attention.”
