She was, he reflected, very well spoken. It was fortunate that he'd not ended up in the same boat as his friend Henry. The poor waif he'd married was little more than a peasant. Ella had been a servant, but she spoke like a genteel woman.
"The gameskeeper has come down with something," he explained. "And he'd take it as a bit of an affront if I dared go without him. He thinks I'm unable to find so much as a pheasant lacking his guidance. I do not wish to disabuse him of that notion, especially when he is feeling unwell. So no hunting for today, at least."
After watching her for a moment, perusing the library, Felix turned and crossed to the opposite side of the room. There, he plucked a slim book from between thicker tomes. Felix didn't think his parents even knew it was in the room.
"Perhaps you would enjoy this," he offered, holding out the book for her to see. "It's not quite a history of the kingdom, but rather the legends and stories of my ancestors. Some more fanciful than others, but all very interesting."