Page 74 of Duke of Silver
Elizabeth nodded, but her thoughts were elsewhere, her gaze still locked on Alexander. She could feel the tension between them, thick and unspoken, as the evening drew on. Even the carriage ride back to the estate was filled with a strained silence, Alexander trying once more to ask if she was all right, and Elizabeth dismissing him with a quiet murmur.
The next afternoon, as Elizabeth tried to distract herself in her sitting room, the housekeeper entered, carrying a set of keys.
“These are the keys to Lady Eleanor’s bedchambers, Your Grace,” the housekeeper said, holding them out to her. “The Duke wishes for you to have them.”
Elizabeth blinked, surprise flashing through her. “Whatever for?”
“I believe the Duke will be the best person to answer that,” the housekeeper replied with a respectful nod.
Elizabeth hesitated for a moment before taking the keys. Confusion mingled with curiosity as she made her way to Alexander’s study, where she found him sorting through correspondence.
“Ah, yes,” Alexander said when she questioned him. “I want you to have them.”
Elizabeth’s heart gave a small flutter as she held the keys in her hand. “Why?” she asked softly.
“You can do as you wish with the room now,” he said, his voice steady but carrying an edge of something deeper. “It is time to close that chapter, and I trust you to decide what should be done. It is in your hands now.”
Elizabeth was touched, a warmth spreading through her chest at his words. This was a gesture she hadn’t expected, and it meant more to her than she could express. But at the same time, a painful reminder crept into her heart. He may trust her now, but that didn’t mean he loved her. He may rely on her, but she would never be more than a part of his duty. She reminded herself to know her place, even as her heart longed for more.
Before she could respond, the butler entered with yet another invitation, interrupting the moment.
“It seems every household in society is clamoring to host now that the season is drawing to a close,” Alexander remarked, his brow furrowed as he scanned the pile of ball invitations spread out before him. His tone was measured, a hint of exhaustion creeping into his voice as he sifted through the endless cards, each one vying for their attention.
Elizabeth sat across from him, her hands resting idly in her lap, though her thoughts were anything but calm. She had been distracted all morning, her mind turning over the same question, the same quiet longing that had been building inside her since their conversation the night before. Alexander hadshown her a glimpse of the man he kept hidden, the man buried beneath layers of duty and responsibility, and it had stirred something deep within her.
Despite everything—despite the rocky start to their marriage, the misunderstandings, the moments of distance—she still longed for something real between them. Something more than an arrangement or a partnership of convenience. Last night had given her courage. They had made progress, surely. Perhaps it was finally time to ask for more.
“Alex...” Her voice came out softly, almost tentative, as she reached for the words that had been sitting on the tip of her tongue all morning.
Alexander looked up from the stack of invitations, his gaze shifting to her. There was curiosity in his eyes, tempered with a trace of concern. “Yes?”
The simple word hung in the air between them, and for a moment, Elizabeth felt as though the entire room had stilled. This was her chance—to say what had been weighing on her heart for so long. To tell him how she truly felt, how she wanted their marriage to be something more. She opened her mouth to speak, to find the courage to finally voice her desires.
But as the words hovered on the edge of her lips, doubt crept in. What if he didn’t feel the same? What if her longing for more was met with indifference, or worse, rejection? The fear of what his response might be seized her, and in that instant, the courage she had felt just moments before crumbled.
She shook her head, letting out a small, resigned sigh. “Nothing.”
His eyes narrowed slightly, but he did not question her further.For how long must I endure this?
CHAPTER 33
Alexander had been watching Elizabeth closely for days now, a gnawing worry building inside him with every passing moment. Something had shifted in her—he could feel it. There was a distance between them, one he couldn’t quite place. She regarded him curiously at times, as though she had something on her mind, yet every time she gained his attention, she dismissed it. She would start to speak, only to stop, offering nothing but a quiet, “It’s nothing.”
But it wasn’t nothing. He could see it in her eyes, in the way her smiles never quite reached them. Something was troubling her, and she wasn’t telling him. That, more than anything, unsettled him.
As they arrived at the ball that evening, his concern only deepened. Elizabeth looked radiant, her dress a soft ivory that contrasted beautifully with the dark, gleaming curls that framed her face. She moved with her usual grace, greeting the guests with poise, but Alexander couldn’t shake the feeling that she was... distant. Present, but not reallythere.
Determined to address it, he asked her to dance. As they moved together on the floor, the music swelling around them, Alexander used the closeness to press her gently for answers.
“You’ve been quiet of late,” he said, his tone low and careful. He didn’t want to startle her, but his concern was palpable. “Is something troubling you?”
Elizabeth glanced up at him, her expression soft but guarded. “No, nothing’s the matter, Alex,” she replied, offering a polite smile.
But Alexander wasn’t convinced. She had been saying that too often lately, and each time it felt less and less believable. “You’ve seemed... distant,” he pressed. “If something is wrong, you can tell me.”
She smiled again, though this time it was thinner, as if she were trying too hard to reassure him. “All is well. Truly.”
The music swirled around them, the violins filling the air with a melody that should have been soothing, but Alexander found little comfort in it. He twirled her gently, guiding her across the floor with practiced ease, but in the pit of his stomach, the unease remained.
