Celia froze at his words.
In truth, it sounded more than a little appealing. She'd always enjoyed historical research, even as a child. Her tutors had all praised her intellectual curiosity. And she'd be helping her father-in-marriage find a resolution to his headache, in theory at least.
And that was precisely the problem, wasn't it? Tobin had barred her from doing anything useful with her time. The idea of her spending hours buried in books would instantly raise his ire.
This is different, the little voice inside her head wheedled. He didn't want you building your own relationships with the ambassadors, Celia. He never said anything about you not helping his father solve one of his problems. Hell, the king himself might even show a little gratitude.
Still…
"Your Grace?" Lucas asked. "Can I count on your company tomorrow?"
"I…I don't know." Celia swallowed and replied lamely. "I'll have to think about it."