Page 10 of Duke of Silver
Elizabeth opened her mouth to protest, to retort, but no words came. Her mind betrayed her, scattering her thoughts like leaves in the wind. She found herself uncharacteristically speechless, her usual composure crumbling under the weight of his presence. And, despite herself, she couldn’t help but notice just how striking he was—his features sharp and undeniably handsome, his gaze magnetic and commanding.
“Now, Elizabeth,” he repeated, his voice a quiet rumble as he leaned in closer, the air between them charged with a tension she could not ignore. “What is it that youwant?”
His face hovered mere inches from hers, his breath warm against her skin. There was something inscrutable in his gaze, something that drew her in even as her mind screamed to pull away. It was in that moment, as she struggled to maintain her composure, that a wild, irrational thought crossed her mind: perhaps society had mistaken the brothers. Perhaps it was Alexander, not Percy, who was the true rake.
“I want a say,” Elizabeth finally managed, pulling her thoughts together with effort. “I want a choice in this whole affair. To beasked,” she added, her voice firm with indignation. She refused to tolerate any more of his domineering commands.
“Very well,” the Duke replied without hesitation. “Will you marry me, Lady Elizabeth Sutton?”
Elizabeth blinked, her breath catching. She searched his face, expecting to find some trace of mockery or sarcasm. But as ever, he remained unreadable, his gaze steady, his tone devoid of jest. And she, flustered and overwhelmed, felt her pulse quicken.
“Yes,” the word escaped her lips before she could even fully comprehend it, her voice breathless and barely her own.
“Good,” he said simply, stepping back from her, retreating from the space that had felt so suffocating just moments ago.
As soon as he departed, the air seemed to shift in the room. Elizabeth stood there, staring after him, still processing what had just transpired.
“Well, that certainly took an unexpected turn,” Anna’s voice broke through her thoughts.
Elizabeth returned to the drawing room, her mind still reeling, while her uncle went to see the Duke out, likely to finalize the arrangements. The thought of it all being truly settled sent a fresh wave of anxiety through her. Finality with the Duke... She could hardly imagine it.
“But it is for the best,” Aunt Petunia chimed in, her tone reassuring. “And I am relieved to know that your future is secure, dear child.”
“And thank goodness he is handsome,” Anna added with a wry smile.
“Handsome?” Elizabeth let out an indignant snort. “I’ll tell you what he is.Exasperating. That is what he is.” The frustration from their encounter still simmered inside her, especially when she recalled how he had cornered her by the end table.
“Well, you had best grow accustomed to his exasperating company, as it will be quite permanent now,” Anna replied, her voice full of teasing amusement.
“You make it sound so ominous, Anna,” Elizabeth muttered, though she couldn’t deny the sinking feeling of uncertainty that had taken root within her.
“Realityisominous, darling,” Anna said with a shrug, ever the realist, never one to soften the harsh truths.
“Oh, I am all too familiar with how unfair reality can be,” Elizabeth sighed, feeling the weight of it pressing down on her.
“Clearly not enough, if you think your future husband merely exasperating,” Anna teased, her words light but holding with the same dry humor that Elizabeth had always found both comforting and irritating in equal measure.
“Oh, you silly girl,” Aunt Petunia interjected, shaking her head at Anna’s jesting.
“Do not let her trouble you, Lizzy. Once you’re married, she’ll have no one left to torment,” her aunt added, her voice warm with affection.
“Why, but I shall still have you, Auntie,” Anna quipped with a grin. “And Peggy too, of course, until she marries and moves away as well.”
“You are going to marry too, Anna,” Petunia said firmly, though her tone was light, as if the notion were as certain as the sun rising.
“”I am three and twenty, Auntie. Wake up from your delusional dreams. Society already deems me on the shelf,” Anna laughed, her voice filled with that spirited confidence she always carried. “Besides, if I am to marry one of those dandies who parade about as gentlemen, I’d rather remain gloriously unmarried. A more sprightly spinster you’d never meet!” She added with a proud lift of her chin.
Elizabeth managed a smile, though it felt faint. How she wished she could be as indifferent to her fate as Anna seemed. Her cousin had always been brazen, forward, unconcerned with the opinions of others. It was part of what made her so unpopular among the gentlemen—her refusal to be meek or submissive, her unwillingness to conform.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, had harbored a secret hope that Anna might eventually change her mind, that she would one day marry and that they would still find their happiness. Elizabeth had even made a quiet vow not to marry before Anna did. Yet now, she stood on the precipice of marriage, not for love or companionship, but out of necessity—forced away from the path of spinsterhood she had once imagined walking alongside her cousin.
“I will wager my favorite parasol that you will one day change your mind and enter the parson’s mousetrap, Anna,” Aunt Petunia teased.
“Only a parasol? How cheap of you, Auntie,” Anna shot back, her eyes twinkling. The room burst into laughter, the lightness momentarily lifting the heavy cloud that hung over Elizabeth’s heart.
But then, the door opened, and Sebastian returned. His face was solemn, and the laughter quickly faded.
“May I have a word, Elizabeth, dear?” he asked, his tone gentle but serious.
