Page 29 of Duke of Silver
Elizabeth’s grip tightened slightly on the arm of her chair.Lady Elizabeth. The title, so pointedly used, struck her with the force of a subtle jab. Was it deliberate? Did Lady Winston mean to dismiss her newly acquired status as Duchess, or was this some casual disregard?
“Thank you,” Elizabeth replied, her voice steady despite the unease twisting inside her.
“The country air never disappoints, does it? You’re practically glowing, Lady Elizabeth,” Lady Winston said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Or is it the marriage?” she added with a curious air, her gaze sweeping over Elizabeth in a way that made her skin prickle with discomfort.
Elizabeth forced a smile, though inwardly, she felt the tightness of uncertainty growing. “Could be both,” she responded, trying to sound pleasant while attempting to collect her scattered thoughts.
Lady Winston’s eyes gleamed with something—satisfaction, perhaps—as she leaned forward slightly. “Oh, I wouldn’t be surprised. Alexander knows how to take care of a woman. I am sure you know that now,” she said with a shameless chuckle, the implication hanging heavily in the air between them.
Elizabeth’s stomach turned. If she had entertained any doubt before, Lady Winston’s words all but confirmed her worst suspicions. There was no mistaking the allusion, no hiding from the truth now glaringly clear: Alexander had a mistress. And that mistress, it seemed, was Lady Winston.
The realization stung, sharper than she had expected. Why it hurt so much, she could not fully understand. After all, it was hardly unusual for a man of Alexander’s rank to have had a mistress, especially one who had been a bachelor for so long. But still, the thought of it—of him—carved a hollow ache into her chest.
Even as her heart squeezed painfully, Elizabeth maintained her smile, her composure intact. She could not afford to let her emotions show. Not now. Not in front of this woman. “We all have our talents, I suppose,” she managed, her voice tight. “And being a gentleman is one of my husband’s.”
She prayed that she was wrong, that the insinuations were nothing more than baseless gossip. But the confidence with which Lady Winston spoke, the brazenness of her words—it was difficult to believe otherwise. And the fact that the widow had followed them all the way to the country, during their honeymoon no less, only made it worse.
Would Alexander’s relationship with her truly remain in the past? The nagging doubt clawed at her as she glanced at Lady Winston once more. The woman exuded familiarity, as if she had a claim on Alexander that Elizabeth, his wife, did not yet understand.
The arrival of the tea offered a brief respite from the tension, and Elizabeth moved to serve them, her hands steady despite the storm roiling within her.
Lady Winston continued without missing a beat, her voice sweet but edged with something darker. “I ought to have waited for Alexander to return to Town to give my felicitations on his marriage, but I’m afraid some unpleasant news I heard couldn’t wait. I simply had to pass it along to him immediately.”
Elizabeth paused, her heart skipping a beat. “Unpleasant news?”
“The scandal, I’m afraid, seems to have left plenty of dust behind,” Lady Winston remarked, taking a graceful sip of her tea. Her voice was calm, but the weight of her words settled heavily in the room.
Elizabeth remained outwardly composed, but inside, her stomach twisted with apprehension. She waited, her hands steady on the delicate teacup, though her heart raced as she sensed something far worse coming.
“Society spreads rumor of an affair between you and Sterlin’s brother. An affair they believe you are carrying into your marriage,” Lady Winston continued, confirming the dread that had been simmering beneath the surface.
The words hit Elizabeth like a physical blow. She felt the color drain from her face, a wave of nausea rising in her throat. How twisted the aristocracy could be, to weave such vile fabrications. She could hardly breathe for the sickness and humiliation that gripped her.
“I thought it best to warn Alexander at once of these lies before they got out of hand, of course,” Lady Winston went on, her tone light as though she were speaking of some trivial matter. But her words were filled with something darker—a sense of satisfaction, perhaps, in delivering such damning news.
“But now that I’ve told you, I am sure there is nothing to worry about. And that these rumors are just the lies they have always been?” she added, her gaze sharp, the question in her statement more pointed than Elizabeth had expected. The skepticism in Lady Winston’s green eyes was unmistakable, her disbelief thinly veiled behind a polite smile.
Elizabeth swallowed hard, summoning every ounce of control she had. She could not let this woman see how deeply the rumorshad shaken her. Instead, she returned Lady Winston’s gaze with an unperturbed smile. “Why, I should think a woman of your caliber would be able to tell the truth apart from falsities in such rumors,” she replied, her voice steady and calm, though her insides churned.
Lady Winston’s eyes widened slightly, clearly taken aback by Elizabeth’s unexpected composure. But she recovered quickly, her expression smoothing over with practiced grace. “That is why I thought to break the news to you and possibly nip the rumors in the bud soon.”
“How very thoughtful of you,” Elizabeth responded with cool politeness, reaching for a sugar-coated cookie as though nothing at all had unsettled her. She took a small bite, though the sweetness barely registered. “The gesture will be remembered,” she added, her words carrying a subtle edge.
“I am sure Alexander–” Lady Winston began again, clearly not yet finished.
“Will find the rumors as interesting as I do,” Elizabeth interrupted, her tone firm but light, cutting off whatever further venom the woman might have wished to spread.
Lady Winston’s face stiffened, a flicker of discomfort passing over her features as she reached for her tea once more. It seemed the conversation had not gone as she had expected.
Elizabeth, however, felt her appetite vanish entirely. The afternoon with Lady Winston had left a bitter taste in her mouth, one that no amount of tea or sweets could ever wash away.
At dinner time, Elizabeth made the decision to seek her husband out rather than force herself to sit through another lonely meal. The weight of Lady Winston’s visit lingered heavily on her, and she could no longer bear the silence of the dining room.
She found Alexander in the one room he seemed to favor for his self-imposed isolation. The moment she stepped inside, he glanced up, his brow lifting in mild surprise.
“Isn’t it time for dinner?” he asked, a hint of amusement lacing his tone.
“I should say the same to you,” she countered, stepping further into the room.
