Page 60 of Duke of Silver
“Why, you needn’t have troubled yourself to come all the way to deliver the cards then. A footman should have sufficed,” Elizabeth replied, her voice as pleasant as she could muster, though the irritation was bubbling just beneath the surface.
“Oh, I’d been hoping to give the invite to Alexander myself,” Georgianna said, her eyes narrowing slightly as she watched Elizabeth’s reaction. “As I’m hosting the party in his honor, you see.”
Elizabeth felt a flash of anger at the audacity of the woman.Why would the Countess throw a party in honor of Alexander?
It was clear to Elizabeth that this was no mere social courtesy—it was a bait, a deliberate attempt to provoke her.
CHAPTER 27
“Why, how magnanimous of you, Lady Winston,” Elizabeth replied, keeping her tone as serene as possible. “I shall pass on the pleasant news to my husband when he returns home.”
Georgianna’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if searching for a crack in Elizabeth’s composure. “Is he never home? You seem to always be by yourself,” she observed, her tone laced with feigned innocence.
“My husband is a Duke, Lady Winston. Naturally, he has matters of business to attend to during the day,” Elizabeth responded, her voice steady and unruffled.
“You must find it awfully boring then,” the widow pressed, her words clearly meant to needle.
“About as leisurely as you find your own days at home alone,” Elizabeth returned sweetly, her smile never wavering.
For a brief moment, the Countess looked taken aback by Elizabeth’s retort, but she quickly recovered, though there was a hint of sheepishness in her tone as she replied, “Well, we women must devise ways to make the most of our days.”
Elizabeth could sense the shift in Georgianna’s demeanor, but she was not inclined to offer any further courtesies. “Now, I am sure you must have quite a lot to do with your afternoon,” she said dismissively, her words a clear invitation for Georgianna to take her leave.
“Quite a lot indeed,” Georgianna agreed, though her tone now conveyed her annoyance. “A party for a Duke must live up to expectations, after all. Don’t you think, Lady Elizabeth?” she added, her voice carrying that familiar edge.
“Your Grace,” Elizabeth corrected her calmly, her eyes meeting Georgianna’s with an unwavering gaze.
“I beg your pardon?” Georgianna sputtered, her composure slipping for the first time.
“You seem to have forgotten your manners once again, Lady Winston. It’s ‘Your Grace,’ not ‘Lady Elizabeth’ anymore,” Elizabeth repeated, her tone patient but firm.
A deep shade of pink spread across Georgianna’s cheeks, and she pinned a rather forced smile to her lips, clearly embarrassed. She rose to her feet, clearly eager to end the conversation.
“Oh, and Countess Winston,” Elizabeth called out as Georgianna reached the door. The widow turned, her expression strained. “I am the Duchess of Sterlin. You will do well not to forget that next time,” Elizabeth added, her voice carrying the quiet authority of her title.
Without another word, and looking thoroughly mortified, Georgianna turned and hurried out the door. As soon as the Countess was gone, Elizabeth felt a rush of questions flood her mind, questions she had been trying to suppress about the true nature of Georgianna’s relationship with Alexander. Throwing a party in his honor was a bold move, indeed. What was the woman after? And more importantly, what sort of backing did she believe she had from Alexander to be so audacious?
As Elizabeth pondered these troubling thoughts, she was interrupted by the housekeeper in the hallway. “Oh, I was just on my way to your chambers now, Your Grace,” the woman said, approaching with a rather large box in her hands.
“This just arrived for you,” the housekeeper declared, setting the box down with a respectful nod.
Perplexed and curious, Elizabeth followed the housekeeper to her chambers, where the box was placed on the bed. With a mix of anticipation and excitement, she opened the box to reveal yet another dress, this one a stunning olive green and gold ensemble. Her eyes widened at the sight, and the disappointment from her earlier encounter with Georgianna seemed to melt away, replaced by a renewed sense of joy.
Was her husband trying to make up for his actions once again? Whatever his motives, Elizabeth found herself increasingly drawn to these little surprises. They filled her with a sense of anticipation, a spark of excitement that she had not felt in quite some time.
“Oh, I find myself looking forward to your new dresses now, Your Grace,” her lady’s maid remarked, pausing in her task of folding laundry to admire the new gown. It was as though she had read Elizabeth’s thoughts.
Elizabeth picked up the accompanying note, her heart fluttering as she unfolded it.‘Gold is a color fit for the Royal Opera House, don’t you think, Liz?’her husband’s elegant penmanship read.
A thrill of excitement coursed through her. Alexander was taking her to the theater!
“I am beginning to think that you would make even a burlap sack look beautiful,” Alexander said, helping Elizabeth into their waiting carriage the following evening, his voice rich with warmth and affection.
“Is that a hint about my next dress?” Elizabeth quipped, feeling a pleasant warmth spread through her at his compliment.
“Oh, do not tempt me, Liz,” he laughed heartily as he joined her inside the carriage, the sound of his laughter reverberating pleasantly through the enclosed space.
As their carriage rolled through the lamplit streets of London, heading toward the theater, Elizabeth took the opportunity to share something that had been on her mind. It was the first real chance for a proper conversation since the ball, and she wanted to let him know how their efforts were being perceived by society.
