Virginia followed Angela back down to their rooms.
"I have some duties I need to tend to, so you may continue to familiarize yourself with the house. I know it is quite big," Angela said.
Virginia was a bit nervous to go off into the house on her own without clear direction. At least she knew now which rooms to avoid. Maybe this would be a good time to go back to the library.
"I'll be back with your assignment after a while but for now, just enjoy yourself."
Virginia smiled and thanked Angela for being so kind. "I really appreciate the way you've treated me since I got here. I can't express enough gratitude for you, when everyone else I've met is so cold."
Angela's kind gray eyes crinkled at the edges when she smiled. "Of course, Virginia. You can always consider me a friend."
The relief Virginia felt when she heard this was visceral. When she breathed in and back out, she felt her shoulders relax. She hadn't realized that she was so tense.
Angela started to turn to leave, as did Virginia, but then Angela rotated back around. "Wait. Virginia?"
Virginia stopped and turned. "Yeah?
"I think it's best for you to keep away from anyone you don't know. So just stay away from strangers." Angela's tone was low and cautious. She suddenly seemed a bit worried.
Maybe she was worried about that hateful Eliza.
"I'll be careful," Virginia said.
Angela nodded her head once in approval and headed towards the stairs.
Virginia spent a few minutes in her room. She checked herself in the mirror. The bags under her eyes had improved, though they were still a light purplish color. She reapplied the concealer. At least the redness in her eyes had lessened.
Her throat started feeling a bit dry, so she walked downstairs to the kitchen to get a glass of water. She passed a random man with dark hair in the Great Hall but kept her head down as Angela had instructed.
There was still no one in the kitchen, though her plate from breakfast had been cleaned and put back on the open shelves. She grabbed a golden embossed glass and filled it with water from the spout on the fridge.
She was still curious about the contents of the fridge, but she heard some footsteps in the hall and decided not to open it. Instead, she retreated upstairs to her room with her glass of water in her hand.
Virginia took her time sipping the water, and after she finished it she decided to take a trip over to the library. She walked quickly from her room to the open door of the library, nervous to run into anyone in the hallway.
She was instantly calmed by the smell of old paper and dust. She meandered through the rows of shelves and bookcases, running her fingers lightly over the spines. It appeared that most of the books were antiques. Most of the books were sewn together, though many also were bound the modern way with glue.
There was a section and sub-genre for every type of genre. The largest sections were filled with historical, scientific, and other non-fiction texts. There was also a good-sized space for contemporary works.
Some of the shelves were labels for Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Man Booker Prize, Hugo Award, and other prestigious awards. Virginia was able to identify many of the titles, though she hadn't read them all.
There was a large section of poetry, organized by date. Virginia was surprised to see a section for romance. It was small, but she thought it funny that it existed at all. It seemed so out of place in such a strange house.
When Virginia saw a sign for World Classics, her heart sped up with excitement. This was her favorite section. She rushed over to it. These books were organized first by the author's origin and then by the author's name. She was surprised to see several books that she didn't recognize. And many seemed to be first editions. There were multiple copies of most of the books, and Some of them were copies written in other languages.
She pulled off a first-edition version of Jane Eyre. The book was heavy and slightly worn on the edges. The cover was a red-brown color with gold lettering and a raised floral design. She hugged it tightly to her chest and then put it back on the shelf.
She skimmed over the titles and stopped when she arrived at a mustard yellow book with red lettering. It was Bram Stoker's Dracula. Virginia had read it a few years before and quite enjoyed it. She began to flip gently through the pages when she felt like someone was watching her.
Virginia looked up to find Charles Prince standing at the other end of the long bookshelf.
She startled and grasped the book to her chest. Her heart thudded against it.
"Sorry to surprise you," Charles said. His voice was oddly gentle. "I thought I heard someone in here."
Virginia thought she had been quiet, but perhaps he'd heard the turning of the pages.
Charles began to slowly walk closer, like he was approaching a wounded animal he didn't want to frighten away. He was casually grasping his wrist behind his back.
His head was bowed slightly down.
Virginia met his gaze as he approached, and she found his eyes to be unexpectedly bright. She thought he was attractive before, just to be immediately thrown off by his cold glances, but now he looked kind and curious.
Her heart fluttered a bit as he neared.
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, like he was staving off a smile. "Ah, Dracula, a classic."
Virginia looked down at the book clutched against her chest. "Oh" was all she could say. She loosened it and began to put it back on the shelf. She wasn't sure what to do.
She recalled suddenly what Eliza had said earlier about leaving 'Charlie' alone. They must have been close for her to have called him by a nickname, even now that they were no longer dating.
"It's one of my personal favorites," Charles prompted. "Have you read it?"
"Yes, I have," Virginia said quietly.
Charles leaned towards her and reached past her to remove the book she'd just put back. She froze at their sudden proximity.
She caught a faint whiff of his scent again, as she had in the car. It was like mahogany and rosemary.
When he returned to his position a couple of feet away from her with the book in his hands, she wore a faint smile.
As nervous as Virginia was becoming, she enjoyed seeing the corners of his mouth twist up like that, and it made her smile too.
She felt her cheeks grow warm.
"The gothic elements in here are amazing," Charles said.
"You're a fan of the gothic, I'm beginning to see," Virginia said, thinking of the numerous paintings throughout the house.
Charles chuckled. It was a happy, melodious sound. Virginia wanted to hear it again, but she wasn't sure what had caused it.
"Yes, I suppose l am."
He watched her with a spark in his eye, which she noticed.
Boys had looked at her before, and she wasn't naive. She knew what that spark meant. Her heart began to quicken again, so she tried to distract herself with conversation.
"I really appreciated the sneaky way in which Stoker alluded to the consequences of modernity," she said.
Charles' eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Oh yeah? How so?"
"Without Van Helsing's deep knowledge of all things ancient and foreign, Mina and Dr. Seward would still be stumped trying to understand her condition. They had both fallen into the ease and superficiality of modern advancements." She paused, trying to recall a quote. "What was it Van Helsing said about the 'fault of our science'?"
Charles closed the book. "It is the fault of Our science that it wants to explain all; and if it explains not, then it says there is nothing to explain."
Virginia's smile grew wider. So he was smart, too.
They beamed at each other. Virginia suddenly questioned why she'd been so afraid of him in the beginning. He truly seemed like a nice guy now.
"So, what's your favorite book then?" Charles asked, leaning forward once more to put Dracula back in its place. But this time he stayed closer to her, leaning slightly in but not too close.
Virginia blushed and hated that she was suddenly so affected by Charles. It was nice though, the attention, the interest.
She gently cleared her throat. "I think Jane Eyre."
Charles rubbed his chin. "Ah. A story of a smart, independent woman who perseveres through all sorts of back luck just to find love, leave it for the sake of her morals, and find it again."
Virginia smiles and shrugs. "I guess you can say I'm a realist."
Charles donned a crooked smile. "And," he said in a near whisper, "I'd bet you're a bit of a romantic, too, deep down."