Page 14 of Duke of Silver
The air between them thickened, and Alexander’s irritation flared again. This woman, with her persistence, her inability to accept the truth, had pushed him far beyond his limits.
“You should leave now,” he said, his tone sharp with finality.
But Georgianna was not easily deterred. She stepped closer, her green eyes gleaming with challenge. “Your marriage will not keep me away,” she vowed, her voice a dangerous whisper. “You may think you’re securing your future, your family’s honor, but you will not shake me so easily.” Her lips curled into thatfamiliar, insufferable smile. “Give my felicitations to your future bride, Alexander,” she added, dipping into an exaggeratedly graceful curtsy.
She lingered in the act, her gaze tilting up to meet his, her hand hovering just above her bosom in a way that had captivated men—but had no hold on him.
Alexander clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing as he fought back his anger. He knew her games, and he knew her tactics.
CHAPTER 6
“Where is Uncle?” Elizabeth asked as she entered the breakfast room the following morning. The sun streamed through the tall windows, casting a warm glow over the scene. Her aunt Petunia and Peggy were already seated, enjoying their morning meal, while Anna was helping herself from the sideboard.
Elizabeth joined her cousin at the sideboard, selecting a plate and casting her eyes over the spread.
“He was summoned to the House of Lords by Lord Chamberlain,” Petunia replied, buttering a piece of toast with measured precision.
As Elizabeth moved toward the table, she couldn’t help but smile widely at the sight that greeted her. Right in the center was a decadent cheese platter, arranged with care and gleaming invitingly in the morning light.
“I see you haven’t been to the kitchens yet, Peggy,” Anna teased, recalling her sister’s mock threat to banish cheese from the menu the previous night.
“Consider it a wedding present,” Peggy said, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
“Do you never tire of cheese?” Petunia chuckled, shaking her head in mild disbelief.
“She never did,” Anna laughed as she sat down, her plate piled high. “Lizzy constantly smelled like cheese growing up. She was always eating it.”
Elizabeth smiled fondly at the memories. Anna, two years her senior, had always taken a playful jibe at her childhood obsession, while Peggy, four years her junior, had teased her mercilessly as well.
“You must have been astinkychild, Lizzy,” Peggy teased, casting a glance at the cheese platter with mock disgust.
“Cheese smellsglorious,” Elizabeth said, taking a generous portion of the mild cheddar and inhaling deeply before heaving a satisfied sigh.
“Perhaps Father should have offered a cheese factory as your dowry,” Anna quipped, earning laughter from both Peggy and Petunia.
“Indeed,” Peggy guffawed, just as the quiet morning was interrupted by a commotion from the hallway.
“Oh, my babies are back!” Anna exclaimed with delight, already knowing the cause of the noise.
“No wonder the house has been so peaceful,” Elizabeth said with a wry smile as the culprits bounded into the breakfast room.
Anna’s two beloved dogs—a tiny, grey pug and a large black Newfoundland—barged in with their usual exuberance. The contrast between the two animals never failed to amuse Elizabeth. She had long ago taken to calling them “the Pea” and “the Cannonball."
“They were walked quite early today,” Petunia observed calmly between bites of her toast, though she kept a wary eye on the pug, knowing all too well his antics during meals.
“No, no! Titan, not my sausages!” Peggy cried as the pug, ever the mischievous one, leaped onto the table and made a bold move toward her plate.
Titan had a notorious reputation for his audacity at mealtimes, often seizing whatever food took his fancy. His behavior was met with indulgence from Anna, who merely laughed as Peggy wrestled with the little creature for her sausages.
“Titan!” Anna called at last, and the pug, as if understanding he had pushed his luck, promptly scampered to his mistress’s lap, where he was rewarded with even more sausages from her plate.
“You really should teach that dog some manners,” Petunia scolded mildly, though her tone held little weight against Anna’s adoration for the little grey creature.
“He only wants breakfast too,” Anna defended with a grin, scratching Titan’s ears. “Don’t you, darling?” she cooed, and the pug barked happily in response, wagging his curled tail.
While Titan wreaked his usual havoc, Plato, the Newfoundland, moved with far more dignity. He padded quietly over to Elizabeth’s side and sat by her feet, his gentle eyes waiting patiently for a treat.
“Now, there’s agoodboy,” Elizabeth murmured, tossing him a piece of sausage from her plate. “Would you like some cheese as well?” she asked, scratching his thick fur. “If only certain dogs could be as refined as you, Plato,” she added pointedly, casting a sidelong glance at Anna.
