Page 51 of A Duke's Sinful Bargain
Eliza shrugged again. “Perhaps he didn’t want to hurt your feelings?”
Anna cleared her throat. She felt there was something in there, suffocating her, preventing her from speaking clearly. “We’ve grown close. That cannot be denied. I feel we share a bond that goes beyond this arrangement of ours.” She said all of this out loud, although she didn’t want to. She wanted to keep at least something to herself, but the desire to convince Eliza otherwise was too strong.
Eliza’s expression, on the other hand, softened with sympathy. She was not convinced at all. “Of that I have no doubt, my lady.” She spoke tenderly. “But the realities of the world we live in are often far less forgiving than matters of the heart.
Perhaps it is better not to question the duke’s duties, because… well, perhaps he might think that there is a better match for him in theton. We should accept this possibility and move forward with grace and dignity.”
“I have been nothing but graceful and dignified,” Anna bit back, a little harder than she ought to have. But the stinging feeling of her friend’s words cut deep. At a moment like this, Anna could not conceive that Eliza probably spoke those words from a place of love and concern for her own well-being, albeit saying them a little too… openly.
“You know what?” Anna stood up, not really knowing what to do with herself. “I think this conversation is over, Eliza. I need to be alone, please.”
Anna could see the look of shock on Eliza’s face. She had never been dismissed in such a curt manner, so she, too, was not certain how to handle herself. A moment later, she got up and curtsied before Anna.
“I did not mean any harm, my lady. You know this,” Eliza said in a whisper, her voice betraying how deeply she felt. “I will be in my chamber if you need me.”
The door closed after her, and Anna was felt alone with the weight of not only the message but also her own thoughts. Eliza’s comment still simmered underneath the surface of her being, and it threatened to consume her completely. It was all inexplicable, Alexander’s behavior, even her own feelings. Nothing seemed to make any sense.
And the thought of other ladies being in race for the duke’s hand in marriage… it was a reality that filled her with a deep sense of despair. Her heart ached. She felt that would be the end of the world. The realization arrived, cutting through the fog of uncertainty and confusion like a beacon of light in the darkness.
She was in love with Alexander. It was as simple as that. She could see it now, with startling clarity.
It was a love that had blossomed quietly, without her even noticing, arriving like a thief in the night, cloaked by the darkness itself. This newfound knowledge left her startled. Even more than that, it left her frightened that Eliza’s words might actually hold a kernel of truth. The intensity of her emotions grew with each passing moment. Her love for Alexander was as real and as undeniable as the beating of her own heart.
But worst of all was that she didn’t know what to do with this newfound realization. There was no sense of liberation about it, as one would usually expect. Not now that Alexander was urging her to keep her distance from him, for whatever reason. Even if she did decide to fight for him, how could she fight for someone who was pushing her away? It was impossible.
She inhaled deeply, and at that moment, she heard a knock on the door. Angrily, she stomped over to it, opening it forcefully. As she expected, Eliza stood before her.
“I told you I did not want to be disturbed,” Anna said angrily, unable to control the rawness of her current emotions.
“I apologize, my lady,” Eliza persisted, “but there is a solicitor here for you. From Hatwells and McKee. He is requesting an audience with you.”
“A solicitor?” Anna frowned.
“Yes, my lady,” Eliza confirmed apologetically, her unwavering dedication to her duties compelling her to deliver the urgent message she had received despite the situation that had arisen between her and her mistress.
Anna wondered what a solicitor might want with her. Perhaps some issues with her late husband’s estate? Or maybe even to collect his outstanding debt? There were several possibilities. She sighed heavily. This was the last thing she wanted to deal with right now, but she could not ignore the pressing matters at hand.
“Have him wait in the parlor,” Anna instructed, closing the door without adding anything else. She needed to calm herself down if she were to discuss anything of importance with a stranger.
She walked over to the looking glass, preparing to meet with the solicitor. She breathed deeply, bracing herself for the uncertainties that surely awaited her.
Chapter 27
Anna was still in her bed chamber fifteen minutes later. She was still bracing herself for the meeting with the solicitor, mustering the courage to go downstairs. She had to present herself with dignity, and she could not very well do such a thing when her emotions were swirling inside of her.
She took one last glance at her reflection in the looking glass and decided it was the moment to go. She walked down the stairs as slowly as she could, buying herself more time to compose herself, especially her expression. It was something she had never been able to learn, to hide her emotions and pretend as if nothing happened. It was a character trait of all those in theton, as she had come to discover early on. But she herself could never obtain that priceless skill.
She crossed the threshold of her parlor, and her eyes locked with those of the solicitor from Hatwells and McKee, who stood waiting with an air of professional detachment. He approached with a grave look on his face, and she knew what was to follow was no ordinary house call.
“Lady Ravenscroft,” he greeted her. “I am Mr. William Thornton.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Thornton.” Anna nodded in a polite greeting. “Please, take a seat. Might I offer you some refreshment?”
“No, thank you,” he refused immediately, sitting down and placing a black leather bag in his lap. He proceeded to rummage through it, in search of something known only to himself.
As he did so, Anna studied his physique. He was a man of middle age, with nothing that distinguished his appearance. His hair was streaked with gray at the temples, and it was neatly combed back from his forehead.
He was dressed in a tailored suit of dark wool, a crisp white shirt beneath a waistcoat adorned with subtle pinstripes. She looked down at his hands, which bore noticeable calluses. His eyes were looking down, where his hands were working. She waited patiently for him to extract a letter.
