Page 41 of A Duke's Sinful Bargain
Alexander tilted his head a little, watching his steward’s exuberance with subtle bemusement, wondering what could have caused such eagerness.
“Thank you, Tom,” Alexander said without delving more deeply into it. “The details within are for her eyes only.”
“Yes, Your Grace!” Tom replied with a swift bow and hastened away, cradling the letter with a care that suggested he was not holding just parchment and ink in his hands, but the very future of his master. In a way, that was true.
Moments later. Alexander was alone once again, his heart racing. Tom’s behavior rang inside his mind, and he couldn’t help but chuckle softly to himself, still amused by his unexpected enthusiasm. He turned his gaze toward his table, where work awaited, but he would not be able to focus on anything, at least not until Tom returned with Anna’s response.
Alexander walked over to the window and gazed outside, wondering how she would receive his missive. Would she be surprised, stunned, shocked? Would she accept or refuse? The anticipation of her response lingered in the air, a delicate dance of hope and uncertainty.
Chapter 22
“Why, my lady, that looks absolutely horrendous!” Eliza said through an onslaught of chuckling as she pressed her hand to her chest.
In all honesty, Anna had to agree. “It does, doesn’t it?” She tilted her head to take a closer look. Her nose turned upward as she frowned. “The lines are all crooked. And the threads… goodness me!”
Up until a moment ago, Anna was sitting gracefully in an intricately carved armchair in her drawing room, her slender fingers delicately maneuvering an embroidery hoop. However, instead of the meticulous stitches one was to expect from a lady of her station, the result of her work appeared rather haphazard, with threads tangled and patterns askew.
Opposite her, Eliza sat perched on a cushioned stool, cradling a delicate teacup in her hands. With an amused twinkle in her eye, she had been observing Anna’s futile attempts at embroidery, when, finally, she had started teasing her mistress good-naturedly about it.
Anna glanced up from her work, a sheepish smile gracing her lips. “I fear my mind is elsewhere, Eliza,” she admitted, setting aside the embroidery hoop with a sigh of resignation. “It seems I am unable to make a single stitch in a straight line today. Not that it has ever been a favorite pastime of mine, you know this as well as I do.”
Eliza nodded, then cautiously added, “Perhaps my lady ought to consider horseback riding again?”
A cold shower of invisible sweat washed over Anna the moment Eliza suggested it. “No, no. Absolutely not.” She was quick to shake her head. “I’ve got enough on my mind. The last thing I want to do is add more stress.”
“Is it the debt you are still stressed about, my lady?” Eliza wondered.
“Well… yes and no,” Anna replied.
Eliza arched an eyebrow. “I don’t understand.”
Anna smiled. “Neither do I, dear Eliza. And that is exactly the trouble.”
“Tell me about it,” Eliza urged. “I might not be able to help much, but sometimes, it is enough to share one’s burden with someone who cares, to make it feel lighter.”
Anna nodded with an even wider smile. “You most certainly speak the truth, my friend.” She sighed heavily, and just as she was about to tell Eliza how confusing this entire situation with the duke was, how her own heart did not know which way to go, a knock on the door prevented her from doing so.
“I beg your pardon, my lady,” the butler appeared in the doorway, “but there is a certain gentleman here who claims to be carrying an important message for you from his master. I have tried explaining to him that he is welcome to hand me the message and I shall deliver it to you, but he insists on giving it to you and you alone.”
Anna and Eliza exchanged a meaningful glance. Her heart danced with hope that it might be a message from Alexander, but why was he sending her letters so openly? Had something happened? Something terrible? Once again, she swallowed heavily, nodding at the butler.
“Send the gentleman in, Sotheby,” she urged.
“As you wish, my lady.” Sotheby bowed and closed the door behind him.
“Who could it be?” Eliza wondered, still glancing at the door.
Anna stood up, straightening an invisible wrinkle on her gown. “We are about to see, aren’t we?”
Less than a minute later, the aforementioned gentleman appeared in the doorway. Anna did not recognize him, but it seemed that Eliza certainly did. Her smile revealed as much.
“My lady,” the butler announced the man standing by his side, “Mr. Thomas Higgins, the Duke of Blackthorn’s steward.”
“Forgive the intrusion, Lady Ravenscroft,” Tom spoke, bowing respectfully before her. Anna gave a quick, dismissive nod in the butler’s direction, then her attention was once again focused on the man standing before her. “I come bringing an urgent message from the Duke of Blackthorn.”
Anna’s eyes lit up with curiosity as she accepted the envelope from Tom’s outstretched hand. She recognized the seal immediately. So plainly obvious. There was no hiding this time. She didn’t understand this. Frightened as well as eager, her trembling fingers broke the seal and unfolded the paper within, her heart racing with anticipation.
As she drank in the words that the letter contained, a radiant smile spread across her face, illuminating the entire drawing room with its warmth. “It’s an invitation from the duke,” she exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement. “A picnic… what a wonderful idea!”
