Ah yes, the Saville incident in this very library. “Suit yourself.”
“Talking would be edifying too,” she said after a moment.
Oh? “What would you like to talk about?” Warrick asked, his gaze dropping to where she picked at her dress.
Her eyes met his. “You refused to cave to my brother’s demand to marry me.”
“I did.”
“Perhaps you do have a bit of brain to go with your brawn after all.”
“Did you just insult my intelligence?” He had a lot more thana bitof brain to go with his brawn!
“Forget it.” Her tone took on a teasing note. “If you have to ask me that, then I must be mistaken.”
His eyes narrowed on the little minx. “Says the woman who doesn’t read.”
“What does reading have to do with intelligence?”
“Forget it. If you have to ask me that, then you’ve answered your own question.”
She huffed out a breath before suddenly picking up the book. “But I am curious about the types of booksyouread. What’s this? A thrilling tale of mayhem?” She opened the book at a random spot.
“On second thought...” He tried to snatch the book away, but she was one step quicker and leaped from the sofa, book in hand.
“Now I’m even more curious.” Her gaze flew over a paragraph, eyes widening. “Oh, how dearly I love you, John...” She looked at him. “You readromance?”
Warrick groaned. “I don’t read romance.”
“I’m pretty sure this book,” she glanced at the spine, “The Starry Nightis a romance book.”
“It’s not. It’s about a woman who finds herself in debt and yet manages to save her family from debtor’s prison.”
“Are you sure it’s not a man who saves her and her family? The very same John who almost had her and her familyimprisoned but then falls madly in love with her. He redeems himself and they live happily ever after.”
Warrick’s lips quirked. “I thought you said you didn’t read.”
“I thought you said this wasn’t a romance,” she countered.
“I suppose there are elements,elements,” he repeated at her look, “of romance in the story. But that’s not what the story is about.”
She cocked her head. “Then what is the story about?”
“Redemption.”
“Well,” she tossed the book back at him. “Redemption or not, I passed when Leonora gushed over the book. I’ll pass now as well.”
Warrick considered her, a thought suddenly occurring to him. “So this is why you took the advice of Lady Theodosia and dragged me to a charlatan’s house? Because you would not read a book?”
“Research requires combing through a great many books. I’d rather slit my wrists.”
“What about the betting book?”
“I could not even get through one page without falling asleep.”
Warrick watched her closely. “Then you have the book in your possession?”
Her gaze flew to his. “Why do you ask? I thought you didn’t care whether I had it or not?”
