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Angel scowled at him. “Yes.” She waved the letter. “I have to go be a lady’s companion.” Her scowl deepened as he tried and failed to keep back his laugh. “It’s not funny.” She jerked her head toward the letter. “What does yours say anyway?”

“I, dear sister, have no sympathy for you at all I am afraid, because I…” He sucked in a breath that rasped against the inside of his dry throat. “I must be engaged to be married within two months.”

Chapter Two

Clasping the ‘pass’ in his hand, Seth stepped into the library. Books towered above him, stacked on shelves that reached the ceilings while a balcony ran around between the two layers of shelving. He grimaced. It was not as though he had never stepped foot in a library before—there was a library in his family home and in almost every sizeable house in the country. But nothing on this scale.

And, he’d never actuallywantedto read any of the books.

He glanced at the darkened corners with a smirk. Perfect for a little rendezvous. A shame entry was only by application here or else he’d be bringing a lady friend for some little company.

He shook his head. No, that’s not what he was here for. All ideas of any fun had to be put aside for now until he found the answer for which he was looking—how the devil was he going to get out of this getting engaged thing?

All his hopes hung on these books. His sister Minerva had suggested he might start here at Wilson’s Private Subscription Library. According to her, it held some of the most comprehensive records of British law and court cases. It was his vague hope he could find a way out of this blasted clause.

The librarian—a short man with a thick thatch of dark hair and a brow that nearly joined in the middle—cleared his throat. “It is quite impressive, is it not, my lord?”

Seth realized he’d been standing silently for a while and the man had taken his silence for awe. Certainly, it was quite a place, but he would have rather there had been fewer books. Fewer books, fewer places to look in his opinion. It was going to take an eternity to find the answers he needed.

“Yes, indeed.” Seth peered at the generous tables that ran in lengths across the room. Silence hung in the air, only broken by the occasional rustle of a page turning. Seth narrowed his gaze and realized the rustle came from a lone person toward the back of the library. He cocked his head. “Is that…is that a woman?”

It was hard to tell. The library was gloomy with no windows and lit by a handful of lanterns set at intervals around the room.

Mr. Stuart nodded. “Miss Hastings. She is the only woman ever offered admittance here.”

Seth squinted. All he could make out was black hair pulled tightly back and an unremarkable white gown. What was so special about her that she might be admitted to a place that even Minerva had not gained access to?

The librarian leaned in. “She has a remarkable mind,” he murmured. “Lord Wilson favors her greatly. Says she has the brain of a man in a woman’s body.”

Mr. Stuart said this with such reverence that Seth had to suppress a laugh. If Mr. Stuart thought she was the only woman with the brain of a man in the world, he must not get out much. He suspected both Angel and Minerva would object greatly to his words, though sometimes Seth suspected the brain of a woman was a far better thing to have than that of a man’s. He enjoyed all the privileges of being of the male species but women were so damned fascinating. He’d preferred their company since he’d been a young boy.

“An amazing legal mind.” Mr. Stuart tapped the side of his head. “She is here most days.”

Seth lifted a brow. What sort of woman would prefer to be in a dusty library instead of out enjoying everything London had to offer, especially in such marvelous weather. “Doing what?”

The librarian lifted his shoulders. “Miss Hastings does not share the details of her research with me.”

“Hmmm.” If this woman knew the library well, she could be of use to him. Perhaps he should try to charm her.

“I would not disturb her if I were you, my lord. She likes her solitude.”

Well, this creature truly was a strange one. Women travelled in packs in his experience. Even Minerva, who was about as much of a wallflower as one could get, had close friends with whom she spent time at social events.

“Well, I shall leave you to it, my lord. Your pass will last a month, after which you shall have to request a new one from Lord Wilson.”

Seth nodded. The only reason he had gained one so quickly was because of his brother, but he imagined Lord Wilson could have no objections to gaining entry to his private library for an additional month. He only hoped he did not have to spend a whole two months trying to find an answer to his problem.

He bit back a sigh and moved toward one of the giant book cases. He peered up at the leather-bound spines, their gold lettering seeming to mock him as they jumbled in front of his very eyes. He had to find a solution, he just had to. No one could force a marriage on him, not even Grandfather.

As much as he respected the man, he could not have been thinking straight when he wrote the terms that demanded Seth find himself a wife within two months. It would be easy enough to find a lady to agree to be his wife—heck, he could probably walk into any house in London and request the hand of a daughter and be done with it.

But that did not mean he would do it. He enjoyed his life as it was. Theo had done marriage and it had been miserable. There was no chance Seth wanted to risk something like that, especially by marrying a woman he hardly knew.

No. There was an answer somewhere in this room. A legal loophole, some kind of precedent. Something, anything.

He tugged out a book and flicked through it, not really looking at the words. He stole a sideways glance at Miss Hastings. If she had even noticed he was here, he could not tell. Now he was a little closer, he saw that the blandness of her clothing extended to the rest of her. The high collar highlighted a simple face with slim lips. Her hairstyle seemed designed to emphasize the plainness while a lack of jewelry or accessories spoke of her disinterest in trying to be ornamental.

Seth blew out a breath and forced himself to look at the book. Gads, it had been forever since he’d had to read for anything other than fun. His days at Oxford were several years and a lot of fun behind him. He never considered he might have to actually study again even if he’d surprised everyone—himself included—by being shockingly academic.