Ravenwood(21)

“Thank you.” She had no idea how Caleb noticed her shiver. He’d been staring straight ahead as they walked down the corridor.

He paused at a set of double doors and pushed one open, ushering Elinore inside.

“My goodness,” she breathed. “This is your library?”

She’d never seen so many books in once place at one time before. Their spines were all wonderfully aligned to each other, the shelves perfectly arranged so that each one held nearly the same breadth of books as the one above and below. Fantastical bookends adorned each shelf. Elinore could make out cherubs, gargoyles, mythological deities.

Wolves. Ravens.

She stepped closer to one of the shelves and hesitatingly reached out her fingers, hovering just before the spines of the books.

“I don’t believe they’ll bite.”

Caleb’s voice held a hint of humor, the first she’d heard from him ever. Though it felt foolish, Elinore could hardly believe so many books could be real. She reached her fingers closer, touching the spine of the book in front of her. It was bound in fabric, the lettering of the title a lovely worn gilded-gold.

Mythological Creatures from Classical Antiquity.

Her eyes moved to the next book.

A Study of the Norse Mythology Compared and Contrasted with Greek Counterparts.

She took small steps as she moved forward, reading the titles of each book, tilting her head when she needed. Hesiod, Pindar, Aeschylus, Euripedes… more names she could hardly pronounce and then the titles shifted to Greek and she cursed her womanhood for it never allowed her to study Ancient Greek. She moved quickly away from them.

“Do you not like Ancient Greek texts?”

Elinore realized that in the time she’d been lost in moving about the library, Cable had managed to start a fire and had come to stand a respectable distance from her, watching her pass by the ancient texts.

“I never had the opportunity to learn. I had other studies to attend to.” Although she tried to keep her tone neutral, even she could hear the slight resentment as she thought of the things she’d learned. Piano. Needlepoint. Knitting. All skills of a genteel woman. Such was her lot. She was fortunate that her father had taken the time to teach her some Latin. It wasn’t generally thought that young ladies need not do much more than look ornate and hang on the words of those around them.

“I believe we have some beginner’s texts, if you’re interested.”

She turned to look at him, sure her hope was written all over her face. “Really?”

“Alice will know where they are,” Caleb answered. “She’s quite familiar with this room and its treasures.”

Elinore wanted to sag in relief. The way Hayter had spoken to her at lunch led her to believe that she wouldn’t be allowed to look at any books that he deemed ‘too difficult’ for her. Her heart warmed at Caleb’s words, that she may look at any books she liked. “May I enquire if there is paper and an inkwell of which I might make use?”

Caleb indicated the desk by the large bay windows. “I’m sure you’ll find what you need at the desk. Make use of what you wish.”

She smiled, feeling for the first time since she started her journey that perhaps things would work out. She would have books and she would have paper and ink. It would be enough.

“Thank you.” Elinore turned away from Caleb and back toward the books, still trailing her fingers over the spines and the shelves. What an extraordinary collection. No boring titles on treaties and politics here. Creatures, classical history, medical textbooks, psychological essays. She could read for years and not be done.

“I travel into Haleton weekly. My next journey is two days hence. Should you have any letters to post, I can take them then, as well as pick any up from the postmaster in town. We don’t get deliveries directly to Ravenwood.”

Elinore realized Caleb was still standing in the room, likely bored to tears watching her pet the books as though they were lovely dogs she’d come across on a walk.

“That’s very kind of you. I will have at least one letter to post. Perhaps more.”

He raised an eyebrow at her and she felt her stomach flutter. Now that she wasn’t lost in the forest or feeling trapped at a dinner table with her newly introduced uncle, she could admire his looks. The night before, in the dark and damp woods, with her heart racing from the wolf and the carriage accident, he’d been foreboding and almost sinister. Good heavens, she’d nearly shot him, she recalled, feeling her cheeks heat up with the memory of her cocking the pistol’s hammer while aiming at him.

Caleb frowned slightly. “Is something wrong?”

“I feel as though I should apologize for nearly shooting you last night.”

He appeared slightly amused. “No harm was done. Perhaps you’re not a very good shot anyway.”

She paused, remembering the blood blooming red on the pelt of the wolf. “I was good enough to hit the wolf.”

At this Caleb took a step closer. “You’re sure you hit it. I imagine it all happened rather fast.”

She nodded. “I’m sure. I managed to stab it as well with a knife Thistle gave me.”

Caleb raised his eyebrows at her. “You shot and stabbed it?”

She nodded, cradling her bitten arm close to her. “Yes. But I was still bitten.” His eyes drifted over her bandaged arm, his expression dark and disquieting. She swallowed thickly. “Mrs. Davenport said that you haven’t had rabid animals around Ravenwood for years. Is that… not that Mrs. Davenport would lie, but she may have wanted to offer comfort and I wondered…”