Page 41 of An Offer for a Spinster
“Rebecca and I have just subscribed to the new Library,” Amelia said, before he could get in a word. “You ought tosubscribe, too. I’m sure they’ll have those novels you were talking about.”
“I… I am working.”
“You are always working,” Rebecca huffed, unceremoniously elbowing past her brother and stepping inside. “You know how father disapproves of circulating libraries, and novels in general. He wasn’t going to let us go. Not unless you escorted us.”
Timothy caught Amelia’s eye at that, and she hastily looked away.
There were not many places that a respectable lady could go, but a library was one of them. The larger, more serious libraries boasted mostly theological and scientific works, which of course ladies of note did not bother their heads to read, even if they were admitted in the door.
The circulating libraries were different. Timothy had watched their popularity grow over the years, their stores of books ranging from novels – Mrs. Radcliff and Mrs. Burney being intensely popular – to history, science, travel, poetry, and so on. They were, in his opinion, a very good thing indeed.
He could imagine how frustrated it would make Amelia and Rebecca feel, knowing that Lord Rustford had the power to cut them off from this enjoyment altogether.
“Very well,” he said at last. “I’ll come with you.”
***
The new Library was run by a woman named Mrs. Steele, a serious-faced widow who eyed Timothy with great suspicion. Some of her wariness dissipated when she realised that he was here to escort his sister and aunt, her patrons, and intended to subscribe himself.
“We have a great many books here, sir,” she said quickly, once she began to see that he was going to be a patron. “Manylearned books, from authors of note. Some persons seem to think that circulating libraries like this are all novels, but I can assure you…”
“No need to cater to my pride, Mrs. Steele,” he interrupted with a smile. “I’m very fond of novels. Extremely fond, in fact.”
The woman visibly relaxed. “Ah, I’m glad. I try to keep something of everything here, regardless of prejudice. We even have one or two copies ofFordyce’sworks; can you believe it?”
“The same book in which he condemned novels?” Timothy said, laughing. “That is surprising. I admire your kindness.”
She leaned towards him conspiratorially. “We keep Fordyce next to Miss Austen and Mrs. Radcliffe.”
He suppressed a snort. “Very good, Mrs. Steele, very good.”
The Library itself was a large one, set in a good-sized room. There was plenty of seating available, along with refreshments and tea to buy. About a dozen ladies of varying ages browsed the bookshelves, and one well-groomed gentleman who seemed to be something of a dandy. Timothy saw that his sister and aunt had retired to a long window seat, and were already reading, leaving Timothy to his own devices.
Smiling to himself, he began to browse the shelves.
As Mrs. Steele had said, there was a great variety of books, with regular gaps showing where the books had been borrowed out. Some books were almost new, others worn almost to shreds, but they all bore the distinctive marbled flyleaf inside the covers.
He took out a copy ofPamela,which was all the rage at the moment – tea sets could be bought with the heroine’s likeness on it – and began to flip through the pages.
“A rather cheap choice, even for a famous novel-reader,” remarked a familiar voice. Heat swept through Timothy’s face, and he couldn’t quite keep a wide smile from his lips.
She’s here.
“Lady Katherine,” he said aloud. “I can’t say I’m surprised to see you here. You patronise most of the circulating Libraries at the moment, if my sister is to be believed.”
Lady Katherine was leaning against a shelf, a small volume of a book half-concealed in her hands. She grinned wickedly, and Timothy could have sworn his heart skipped a beat.
“Indeed, I do. I must say, I’m surprised to see you withPamela.”
He glanced down at it. “Well, it’s a rather famous work. As it is currently in vogue for the heroines of novels to make allusions to other esteemed literary works, I thought I’d better…better give it a read.”
Better use it in Rosalie’s final volume,he’d almost said, but caught himself just in time.
Lady Katherine didn’t seem to have noticed hisfaux pas. Instead, she wrinkled her nose at the novel.
“Have you read it?”
“No, but I’m familiar with the story.”
