Catherine let her fingers run over the leather spine admiringly. "Yes, I'll take them," she decided. She didn't ask about the price. She had a greater allowance than could be spent on what was worth buying in Whitby. She handed the book she was holding over to the girl to take them to the counter. "Oh yes. We have a library. But it is mostly old books and my father's purchases. They don't interest me. These will be for my own collection." The question had been rather forward, but Catherine realized that she herself had of course encouraged it, by striking up a conversation with the young girl in the first place. She didn't mind it. Here was someone genuinely interested, rather than asking just to compete with her. These days even daughters of doctors and lawyers pretended to be a match.