Page 70 of Duke of Silver
They stood in silence for a moment, the cool night air swirling around them. Then, Percy’s tone shifted, becoming more serious. “I didn’t come out here to disturb your peace, Elizabeth. I wanted to say something that’s long overdue.”
She turned toward him, curious but guarded.
“I know that no apology I offer will undo what I’ve done,” Percy said, his gaze steady and sincere. “There is no excuse for the disrespect I showed you, for the way I treated you and your family. But I hope... in time, you might find it in your heart to forgive me.”
Elizabeth studied him, her emotions churning beneath the surface. The words hung in the air between them, heavy and weighted with the past. She wanted to believe him, wanted to accept his apology, but the hurt he had caused lingered like an old wound that had not yet fully healed.
Still, there was something in Percy’s eyes that made her pause. Genuine remorse, perhaps. And though her feelings were conflicted, she found herself nodding slowly. “I... appreciate your words, Lord Percy,” she said quietly. “But forgiveness... that may take time.”
Percy inclined his head, accepting her response with grace. “Time is something I’m willing to give.”
Elizabeth gazed out over the balcony, the cool breeze brushing against her skin as she turned her eyes upward. The moon hung high in the sky, full and bright, casting a silver glow over the garden below. It was a peaceful night, a sharp contrast to the emotions roiling within her. She sipped her drink, letting the quiet of the evening settle over her, but her thoughts remained restless.
As her gaze lingered on the moon, an unexpected thought surfaced, and before she could stop herself, she spoke aloud. “Peggy always says the full moon is when the werewolves come out.”
Percy, who had been leaning quietly against the railing beside her, turned with a raised brow. “Werewolves?”
Elizabeth smiled, her amusement growing as she recalled Peggy’s enthusiastic descriptions of the books she devoured. “Yes. It’s a favorite topic of hers, it seems. The more fantastical, the better. Werewolves, dragons, enchanted forests… she lives for such tales.”
Percy chuckled, his eyes gleaming with humor. “Ah, yes. I can see why that might appeal to her. Knights, dragons, and now werewolves. It all sounds rather thrilling.”
Elizabeth couldn’t help but laugh at his tone, the tension between them easing further. “She does have quite the imagination, doesn’t she? It’s been that way since she could first hold a book. I used to worry she would get too lost in her stories, but now... it’s simply who she is. She finds comfort in her books.”
Percy nodded thoughtfully, his expression softening. “She’s a curious one, Lady Margaret. There’s something… intriguing about her.”
Elizabeth’s smile faltered slightly at the sudden change in his tone. She studied Percy for a moment, noting the peculiar interest he seemed to have in her sister. “She is curious,” Elizabeth agreed slowly, feeling her own curiosity rise. “But why does she intrigue you so?”
Percy shrugged, his gaze shifting away. “I suppose I’ve always been drawn to those who live with one foot in reality and the other in imagination. It takes a certain kind of mind to lose oneself in stories, doesn’t it?”
Elizabeth nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly as she considered his words. There was something about the way he spoke, as if he were keeping something back, evading her question in a way that felt intentional. “And what about your own stories, Lord Percy?” she asked, her tone light, but her curiosity genuine. “You said you write. What sort of tales do you create?”
Percy smiled, but it was tight, and the ease in his expression from before seemed to fade. “Oh, nothing nearly as exciting as your sister’s fantasies, I assure you. Just… tales of flawed men, trying to make sense of their own mistakes.”
Elizabeth tilted her head, watching him closely, sensing the evasion. “You sound as though you know your characters well.”
A shadow flickered across his face, and for a brief moment, something unreadable passed through his eyes. But then, just as quickly, his usual charm returned. “Perhaps too well,” he said lightly, deflecting the question once more. “Though, I must say, werewolves would certainly liven up my stories.”
Elizabeth laughed, the tension between them lifting once more, though her thoughts remained unsettled. Percy was difficult to pin down. One moment, he seemed sincere, the next, elusive. But despite the evasion, she found herself warming to him, against her better judgment.
As they continued to talk, Elizabeth felt a subtle shift in her thoughts. Maybe the scandal had been an accident after all, born of recklessness rather than malice. Percy had caused pain, there was no denying that, but as she stood here with him, listening to him speak with humor and a kind of quiet self-reflection, she began to wonder if she had judged him too harshly. Perhaps he was not the villain she had made him out to be. Perhaps he was just a man who had made a grave mistake.
Her thoughts spiraled, conflicted and confused. She had spent so much time building walls of resentment toward him, seeing him as the source of her misfortune. But now, as she stood beside him, she began to see cracks in those walls. He was more than the scandal that had ensnared them all. He was a person—flawed, yes, but human.
And yet, the unease lingered. Elizabeth’s gaze drifted back toward the drawing room, her eyes searching for Alexander. Shespotted him immediately, standing near the door. But what she saw in his face made her heart stutter.
Alexander was watching them, his dark eyes fixed on her and Percy, narrowed with a cold intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. There was a hardness in his gaze, a shadow that had not been there before, and the sight of it twisted something deep inside her. The easy warmth she had begun to feel evaporated, replaced by a sudden, sharp tension.
Her breath caught as their eyes met across the distance. There was no mistaking the darkness in Alexander’s expression.
CHAPTER 31
“Iheard something rather unsavory after my return to Town,” Percy said as he closed the study door.
Alexander, seated behind his desk with a glass of brandy in hand, glanced up at his brother. It was late, the guests had long since departed, and the house was finally quiet. He’d expected to be alone to reflect on the evening, but Percy had other plans.
“Is that so?” Alexander leaned back in his chair, feigning disinterest, though he already suspected what Percy would say next. Gossip was never far from the lips of theton.
Percy nodded, moving closer and taking the seat opposite his brother. “Rumors are circulating. About the three of us. You, me, and Elizabeth.”
