Page 13 of Duke of Silver
“But of course,” she said with a thin smile. “How quickly I reach my destination depends entirely on you, Your Grace—and the answers you give me.”
“I thought I had already given you my answers, Georgianna,” Alexander replied, his voice steady but firm.
“And I told you I wasn’t satisfied with them,” she countered, stepping closer. “But tonight, I’m not here for those particular answers.”
Alexander narrowed his eyes slightly, waiting for her to explain herself. His patience was wearing thin.
“I’ve heard certain news,” Georgianna began, her voice carrying a new edge of seriousness. “Disturbing news, in fact. And I’ve come to confirm its veracity.”
“Pray tell,” Alexander said, crossing his arms. “What is it you’ve heard?”
She didn’t hesitate. “That you made an offer for Lady Elizabeth Sutton after that dreadful scandal,” she said, her words slow, as though testing his reaction. Her expression, however, betrayed the faintest hint of apprehension. “Is it true your brother has fled England, and you intend to marry the girl in his place?”
Alexander felt a surge of irritation, though he kept his composure. He was surprised at how swiftly the news had spread. He had made the offer only that morning.
“News doesn’t remain private for long in society, does it?” he muttered.
“What kind of Countess would I be if I didn’t have eyes and ears everywhere?” she retorted with a small snort, attempting to mask her unease.
“Spies, you mean,” Alex corrected, his tone dry.
“If that’s your preferred term,” she shrugged, unbothered by his remark.
Georgianna’s gaze sharpened as she pressed forward. “So, is it true, Sterlin?”
He let the silence linger for a moment, deliberately goading her. “What happened to calling me Alexander?” he asked with a smirk.
“Are you marrying the girl, Sterlin?” she demanded, refusing to be drawn into his teasing now, her voice hardening with impatience.
“Haven’t your ‘eyes and ears’ already answered that for you?” he asked, meeting her gaze coolly.
“I prefer my answers directly from the source,” she said, her chin jutting forward defiantly.
“Then that rather defeats the purpose of having those ‘eyes and ears’ in the first place, don’t you think?” Alexander said, his voice dry with a hint of amusement.
Georgianna sputtered, momentarily thrown off balance. But, in true form, she quickly regained her composure, smoothing her expression with the grace she always managed to summon.
“Are you purposefully refusing to answer my question?” she asked, her tone cutting, but he could sense the underlying tension.
“Why ever would I do that?” Alexander countered, his voice deceptively calm. “Yes, Percy is gone. And I’ve decided to do the honorable thing in his stead.”
“Why?” Her voice cracked just slightly, and for the first time that evening, she sounded genuinely hurt.
“Have you any family, Georgianna?” he returned, the question heavy with meaning.
She shrugged, her response indifferent. “If you count my dead husband, then I suppose.”
Alexander’s lip quirked in an almost rueful smile. Of course, she wouldn’t understand. She was playing a game—one she had mastered. But the gravity of his decisions was beyond her, and he had no desire to explain himself further. He owed her nothing beyond the barest civilities shared between peers.
“What happened to us, Sterlin? Why are you doing this?” Georgianna pressed again, her voice edged with something that almost resembled vulnerability.
Alexander’s patience, already wearing thin, snapped. “Listen here, Lady Winston,” he began, his tone firm, leaving no room for ambiguity. She grimaced at the sudden formality, but he didn’t care. It was time to end this once and for all.
“There was never an ‘us’ to begin with,” he said, his words deliberate. “I do not know at what point you chose to interpret my basic civility as something more, but I assure you, there was no special sentiment attached to it. I will say this clearly: there has never been an ‘us.’”
For a brief moment, Georgianna looked genuinely taken aback, as if she hadn’t expected him to be so blunt. But it didn’t last long.
“You think you can fool me with this marriage of yours?” she scoffed, her voice regaining its usual edge. “The rest of society, perhaps, but not me. I know you, Alexander. Far more than you give me credit for.”
