Page 31 of A Duke's Sinful Bargain
That morning, while Anna was still having breakfast and wondering whether yet another night would pass without her seeing Alexander, her wish came true. The note arrived, carefully folded, bearing no mark, no seal of any kind, nestled in the caring hands of Eliza. It was brief, consisting of a single word.
Tonight?
Anna looked up at her. “Who delivered it?”
Eliza didn’t say anything at first. There was only a faint smile on her face. Anna swallowed heavily. Her heart felt as if it were about to jump out of her chest. Without a word, she rushed to the library, as it had the best view of the entrance to the estate.
She climbed the stairs almost in one go, breathing heavily as she claimed victory over the last one. She rushed into the library, heading straight for the window. There was an unmarked carriage, with drawn curtains over the windows, preventing anyone from seeing who was inside.
“Shall I wait for the answer, my lady?” Eliza asked.
“Yes, just a moment, Eliza.”
Anna’s eyes darted about the library, resting on the writing table in the corner. With her heart beating inside her throat, she scribbled the answer on a piece of paper.
What time?
She handed it over to Eliza with a trembling hand. Perhaps she ought to wait a little with her response? No.
“Take it,” she instructed.
She couldn’t believe she was so thrilled by that single word. She hid behind the curtain, watching the carriage. Eliza was down in minutes, offering the note, when a hand, seemingly out of nowhere, extended from the darkness of the carriage, withdrawing hastily with the note.
Anna waited, aquiver, for the response, which arrived fifteen minutes later. Eliza appeared, slightly flushed, offering another note, which consisted once again of a single word.
Eight?
Anna was smiling as she read it. She hastily scribbled her response.
Perfect.
Eliza rushed over yet again. This time, Anna wasn’t expecting a response, but it appeared while she was still hiding behind the curtains—unwilling to allow anyone to see her, but her curiosity was overwhelming. Was it him inside the carriage?
“Here you go, my lady.” Eliza spoke patiently as Anna’s fingers fumbled with the note.
I am looking forward to it.
Anna pressed the note to her chest, and at that very moment, the curtain inside the carriage moved barely perceptibly. Two eyes peered from the darkness, two eyes Anna would have been able to recognize anywhere. Their gazes met despite the distance, or perhaps exactly because of it. A hand appeared, lifted in a silent greeting.
Then it patted the roof of the carriage and, within seconds, they were gone. Anna sighed longingly, knowing every hour until that evening would last twice as long.
“I take it that my lady has plans for the evening,” Eliza teased good-humoredly.
“It would appear so, yes.” Anna chuckled.
“I am happy to see you back to your cheerful self,” Eliza revealed. “Yesterday, when you returned, you seemed a bit… troubled.”
Anna smiled, walking over to Eliza and taking her by the hand. “My friend, you know me so well. Why don’t we have some tea and I shall tell you all about it?”
Within fifteen minutes, the two ladies were sitting comfortably on a sofa in the library, partaking in a pot of flavorful tea. Anna did her best to explain to Eliza what had happened the previous day at Lady Pentor’s abode. As always, Eliza listened intently, focusing on every word.
“His questions were relentless,” Anna admitted. “He probed into the details of the estate, my late husband’s affairs, as if he were collecting this information for some hidden purpose.”
Eliza had always been a good confidant, one that offered her honest opinion as well as advice. Anna hoped for the same this time as well.
“My lady, you know as well as I do that high-society gentlemen can have hidden agendas.” Eliza approached the matter with a quiet reassurance. “Perhaps he is interested in marriage.”
Anna nodded. “Those were my thoughts as well.”
