Page 12 of Duke of Silver
“What do you mean, you ‘cleaned up’ after him?” Colin’s brow furrowed as he reached for his own drink.
“What else could I do?” Alexander said, his voice tight with frustration. “I offered to marry the lady, of course.”
Colin nearly dropped his glass. “Youdidwhat?”
“Do you see my brother here, ready to take responsibility?” Alexander shot back, his tone clipped. “It is either that or allow the family name to be dragged through the mud for eternity. I couldn’t let that happen. Not again. Not after everything.”
Colin shook his head, disbelief etched on his face. “Alex, you don’t have to bear all of this alone. You are not a failure. I’ve told you that a thousand times. You couldn’t have saved everyone.”
Alexander’s chest tightened, the familiar bitterness clawing at him once more. “Percy’s lost something he’ll never get back,” he muttered. “But the others... the others losteverything.”
“And you?” Colin’s voice softened. “What about you? Don’t you think you’ve lost enough? Don’t you think you deserve to let go of this burden, this guilt?”
Alexander snorted, the sound bitter in his throat. “My existence is to take care of my family. Percy is all I have left. I failed the rest of them. I cannot fail him too.”
Colin’s gaze was steady, concerned. “Percy is a grown man. More than capable of taking responsibility for himself. It’s time to let him live his own life, Alex.”
Alexander knew what Colin was getting at. His friend had always tried to lighten his load, to make him see that the weight he carried was too much for one man to bear. But Colin didn’t understand. He didn’t know the promise Alexander had made. He didn’t know what failure truly tasted like.
“And what are you suggesting?” Alexander asked, his voice cold. “That I rescind my offer to Lady Elizabeth? Leave her to deal with the consequences of my brother’s actions?”
“That’s not what I’m saying, and you know it,” Colin replied, his voice steady, his concern evident. “I just don’t want to see you destroy yourself over something that was never your fault.”
Alexander turned away, staring out the window, his jaw clenched. Colin’s words tugged at him, but he couldn’t allow himself to listen. He’d made a vow, and he would keep it—no matter the cost.
“I’ll need to obtain a special license for the marriage,” Alexander said, changing the subject with finality.
Colin sighed, giving him a knowing look. “Well, at least I’ll still get to hear those wedding bells,” he said with a faint smile, though the concern in his eyes lingered.
“You know... For a sworn bachelor, you certainly seem to be getting excited over a wedding,” Alexander remarked lightly, glancing at Colin with a smirk.
Colin chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “Excited? Perhaps I just enjoy watching others fall into the parson’s trap, so I don’t have to.”
Alex raised a brow. “Don’t you think it’s high time you entered the trap yourself?”
“Oh no,” Colin waved off the suggestion with a laugh. “I still have my freedom, thank you very much.”
“And I don’t?” Alex countered, his brow arching in amusement.
“Well,” Colin began with a grin, “youaregetting married.”
They shared a good-natured laugh, but as the afternoon slipped by, Alexander found Colin’s company an unexpected relief. For a few fleeting hours, he forgot the weight that hung over him, the responsibilities that had accumulated like stones on his back. It was only later, as the evening grew quiet and Colin took his leave, that the reality came crashing back down on him. His impending marriage, the promise he had made to his father, the looming responsibility—it all felt suffocating, pressing in on him as he retired for the night.
He was on his way to his chambers when the butler interrupted him with a rather unexpected announcement.
“Your Grace,” the butler said, his tone careful. “There is a late-night caller for you.”
Alexander’s brow furrowed in confusion as he entered the drawing room, only to tense at the sight of his guest.Georgianna Proctor.
“What are you doing invading people’s homes at this hour, Georgianna?” he asked, though he was hardly surprised. If there was one thing he had learned about the widowed Countess over the years, it was her persistence. Especially when she wanted something.
“Such a warm welcome, Alexander,” she replied smoothly, her back to him as she seemingly admired the ornate clock on the mantel.
Alexander sighed inwardly, willing himself to muster some patience. She was a guest, after all, despite the hour. “If you are lost, I can summon a coachman to point you in the right direction,” he said, ignoring her attempt at pleasantries.
“Oh, there’s no need to trouble anyone,” she said, finally turning to face him. “I know precisely where I’m going.”
“Going?” He raised a brow. “Am I to presume you’re still on this supposed journey of yours, then?”
