“Then so we shall.” Tommy grinned at her. “An entire wing of this house is unused. Which means there are plenty of extra rooms if you’d rather not be in the same corridor as the rest of my noisy, meddlesome siblings.”

“First,” Philippa said, “I adore the idea of being heckled by your noisy, meddlesome siblings. Second, I want to be as close to you as possible.”

“My bedchamber and your guest chamber are adjoining rooms. We could make it permanent,” Tommy offered.

“May I still sleep with you from time to time?” Philippa teased.

“Actually using your bedchamber is completely optional. I hope you do spend every night right here with me.” Tommy stroked Philippa’s hair. “You’re not worried what people say?”

“Your siblings and staff already know the truth, and no one else has any reason to know where I sleep. I shan’t hide myself or my love for you in my own home.” Joy bubbled inside Philippa. “Oh!—must my bedchamber be a bedchamber?”

“It can be a gambling den or a circus for otters if that’s your preference. We’ve more than enough money to outfit your rooms however you like. What is your heart’s one true desire?”

“A study,” Philippa said dreamily. “A big, beautiful study, with sunny windows and a large desk and a comfortable armchair and a special bookcase for my collection of illuminated manuscripts.”

“You have scandalized me,” Tommy said. “But I acquiesce. You are to have the bluestocking study of your dreams. And if you like, the largest salon on the ground floor of the other wing can be converted into a library.”

“I don’t have that many books.” Philippa thought it over. “Yet. You’re right. That’s an excellent choice.”

“I was thinking you’d have room for your reading circle,” Tommy said with a laugh. “You needn’t give up your friends just because you’ve become a Wynchester.”

“No.” Philippa’s voice scratched. “But they may be obliged to give me up. A few of them already have. When they find out I’m no longer in Mayfair…”

“They’ll no longer wish to be friends with you?”

“No,” Philippa admitted. “They still love me. But they must obey their parents, and after the scandal with Northrup, I’m no longer fashionable.”

“Scandal doesn’t last forever,” Tommy promised her.

Philippa let out a slow breath. “It’ll last long enough to ruin my chance of building a network of neighborhood reading libraries.”

Tommy frowned. “Are they literal neighborhoods? Do you have directions?”

“We didn’t even get that far,” she said glumly. “I was still working on finding sponsors. Once we had enough pledges and patronesses, we could work on determining specific addresses for the little libraries.”