Miranda was up to something. She was being too inquisitive, not to mention elusive. Alex's hands twitched, he resisted the urge to rub his hands that had begun to feel clammy. Since he hardly ever had guests in his home, he never had to answer such personal questions, like his choice of books.

He hadn't been lying when he said they were merely for show. When Alex had inherited the estate, he ordered the servants to fill the bookshelf with whatever they could find from the library. He had been too bereft at the time to give it any more thought. Apart from having to cope with his father's death, Alex also had to learn how to run an Earldom while being illiterate. He thought that by having a full bookshelf behind his desk, it would make his limitation less obvious for when he held meetings of business.

But now Alex found himself in a situation that he never anticipated. He was allowing someone into his personal life, and he wasn't sure what to do about it. Miranda was one of the kindest persons he knew, yet he would not be able to bear her pity, or worse, her repulsion if she knew that he could not read.

Seeing her in his private study made Alex feel suddenly very vulnerable. Part of him thought she looked quite natural bending over his bookshelf, as if she had just come in to grab herself a novel. But when she said that she had been curious, Alex instantly became alert. Had she figured out his struggle? Or maybe felt that there was something not quite right about him? Either way, Alex wasn't sure he was ready to reveal his secret to anyone.

Pushing away from the doorframe, Alex walked toward Miranda, leaving the door slightly open for propriety's sake. Alex stood in the center of the room, trying to piece together the puzzle that was Miranda Edwards. "Why are you really here Mirnada?" His eyes narrowed slightly as Miranda picked at the fabric of her dress, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Well," she began hesitantly, "I couldn't help but wonder what you are like when you are not in society." Miranda swept her arm toward his bookcase. "Like what books you read, or what you do to simply just pass the time." She turned sheepish as if she just realized her outburst but her eyes looked steadily into his. "I know you're a gallant gentleman who saves inexperienced ladies from fanatic horses." Her lips turned up at the corners and Alex couldn't help but smile in return. "But there's more to you Alexander Archer," Miranda continued. "And I want to know why you hide it from the world."

Alex felt his neck grow warm under his collar. He was right that Miranda had caught the scent of a trail. A trail that led to his deepest secret. If only she knew that by sharing it with the world, it could make his own come tumbling down.

"If I may be so bold to ask," Alex said, trying to distract her. "Why are you so interested in me? Shouldn't you be interrogating your many suitors? I'm sure Archer would answer any of your questions that concerned himself."

Miranda let out a snort. "I would have to agree that Mr. Archer does enjoy talking about himself." But then her face grew somber. "Maybe I'm being too brash. I should count myself fortunate to have caught the attention of any suitor."

"You hardly know him," Alex said in admonishment.

Miranda cocked her head. "I'm surprised you would speak so ill of your own cousin. And aren't you the pot calling the kettle black? If I recall correctly, you asked me to dance without a proper introduction."

With an arrogant smirk on his face, Alex stepped towards Miranda till they were inches apart. "Yes, but I was so devilishly handsome, you couldn't have possibly said no to me."

Miranda arched an eyebrow in an attempt to give a haughty expression. However, with the blush caressing her cheeks, Alex was not easily fooled. He remembered back to yesterday and how close he had been to kissing her. Even now he so wanted to close the distance between them, to see how her lips felt against his.

As disappointed as he was at being interrupted on their ride, Alex knew it was for the best. Him and Miranda had formed a bond to be sure, but once they crossed that line, it would make it difficult to turn back.

"We should head back before our absence becomes noticed." Taking a step back, it was like Alex had cut the tension with a knife. He bit back a grimace at watching the disappointment flash across Miranda's face. If only she knew how difficult it was for him to step away instead of closer. "Why don't you return to the drawing room first, and I'll return shortly after?"

Alex at first thought that she hadn't heard him until she nodded solemnly, and without another backwards glance, silently exited the room. When Miranda had gone, Alex pinched the bridge of his nose and inhaled deeply. He had never expected things to go this far with Miranda, and now he was making a complete muck of things.

Peering up at his father's portrait, Alex wished again for the thousandth time that he was still here. When it became apparent that Alex would never be able to learn to read, his father had never treated him any differently. He continued to show him the ropes of the estate as if nothing was amiss. When he had chosen Alex as his heir, it gave him hope that he could have a normal life. If only society could be that understanding.

Alex had come to terms that marriage would probably not be a part of his future. If anything, he expected to find an aloof wife who would be happy to play countess and allow him to fulfill his duty to the Archer lineage. But now since Miranda had entered his life, that idea seemed so hollow and...lonely.

As much as he cared for Miranda, the prospect of marrying her was completely out of the question. She knew he was hiding something and wouldn't stop till she got to the bottom of it. Yet losing her good opinion of him was worse than not being with her at all. What if she found out his secret after they had married, and then regretted marrying him at all? No, it was better this way, his mind was made up. Now he just had to convince his heart.

+++

Miranda felt numb as she dragged herself down the hallway. Once again Alex put on his impenetrable armor, not allowing anyone to see what lay beneath. She had been surprised that he hadn't gotten upset over finding her in his personal space. Rather, he seemed more curious as to why she was there.

It was a little bit strange for her to be poking around in his study, when she was supposed to be encouraging men like Mr. Archer. Miranda sighed to herself, feeling discouraged that her reconnaissance didn't seem to bring her any closer to Alex. If anything she was left with more questions unanswered. The books were especially bizarre. She understood that not everyone read for amusement, but to have them just for show? What did that even mean?

And then there was the information of Alex choosing not to attend university. Maybe not all men who held a high status went to Cambridge or Oxford but to Miranda it seemed out of place for Alex not to attend. He obviously cared greatly for Roseglen and took his duties as the Earl very seriously. She doubted it was because he was uninterested or lazy.

Feeling more confused than ever, Miranda began to mentally prepare herself for heading back into a throng of people. It was becoming exhausting to have to pretend that she was a doting debutante to someone as conceited as Mr. Archer. Her spirits lifted for a moment when she thought of Alex's outlandish flirting. He was devilishly handsome and he knew it. It left a tiny sprout of hope within her that all may not be lost quite yet.

Pasting a smile on her face, Miranda entered with as much grace as she could muster, and joined a table for a game of whist. When ten minutes later she heard footsteps enter the room, she willed herself not to look up from her game. Even though she didn't see him, Miranda felt tuned to his presence.

The hour passed by uneventfully, and when the rain had lessened to a light drizzle, everyone agreed that it was time to head back in order to have time to get ready for dinner. The carriages were ordered and the tables put away.

Miranda actually felt grateful when Mr. Archer offered to escort her outside to the carriages. She was ashamed to admit that she had wanted to glance Alex's way to see if he noticed or if he showed any jealousy. But Miranda did not want to lower herself to such pettiness and so kept her gaze downcast as they left the house.

Rejoining with Cissy, her and Miranda climbed back into the carriage together and settled themselves across from one another. After Cissy had inquired as to the status of Miranda's headache, they were able to fall into companionable silence, while the other ladies chatted about what a splendid outing they had.

Upon arriving back at Grayside, Cissy asked if Miranda wanted to join her for a quick walk around the garden. Now that the rain had completely stopped, she wanted to stretch her legs after being cooped up inside. Miranda readily agreed, as she could use some fresh air herself to help clear her head.

Arm in arm the ladies walked the gravel paths, and it made Miranda realize how grateful she was to have a friend in Cissy. It gave her great reassurance that whether she married or not this season, Cissy would be there for her.

"I had been thinking," Cissy began as they made their way around the garden. "About Henry."

Miranda swiveled her head towards Cissy in surprise. "Henry? What made you think of him?"

"Well I've been wondering about getting involved with a charity. Now that I'm married, I find I have a lot more time, even with Margaret." Cissy paused and her face became contemplative. "When I thought of all the opportunities Margaret would have, it made me realize there are a lot of children who don't. Henry seems like such an intelligent boy, and yet due to his struggle to read, a lot of doors will be closed to him."

Miranda nodded her head in understanding. It was one of the reasons she wanted to help young boys and girls like Henry. Just possessing the simple skill of reading gave children a stronger fighting chance to face the world. "Did you have any idea on how you would want to help?"

Cissy nodded. "You have always championed the cause for education. For with an education, a child could do almost anything. I would love to sponsor under-priveledged children to attend university. Cambridge and Oxford should be open to more than just the rich and titled. But," Cissy said frowning, "I realized that would be impossible for someone like Henry."

Miranda came to such an abrupt halt in the middle of the path that it made Cissy stumble. "What did you just say?"

Cissy looked taken aback. "I don't mean to be insensitive, but you must understand Mandi, that it would be impossible for Henry to attend such a prestigious school. It's not only that he would not be able to complete the work, but imagine the social stigma he would face. He would be completely ridiculed."

Miranda barely heard Cissy anymore. Her mind was racing as she put all the pieces together. Books that were just for show. Never attending university. And then she remembered what Alex had said in the study. My mind never was one for books. It seemed to be so implausible and yet could it be true? Did Alex have word blindness?