Page 83 of Duke of Silver
Her words hit him like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, he could hardly breathe.Did she just say she felt like she had me?
“You yearn for me, Liz?” he asked, his voice hoarse with disbelief.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked up at him. “I love you, Alexander. And I know I shouldn’t, but?—”
He didn’t let her finish. Before she could say another word, he pulled her against him and kissed her, pouring everything he felt into that kiss—the longing, the regret, the love he had been too afraid to admit.
When he pulled away, she looked up at him, her eyes wide and confused. “I don’t understand,” she whispered.
“It means that I have loved you, too, all this while,” he confessed, his voice thick with emotion. “And I am sorry it took me this long to admit it.”
Her face crumpled with relief, and she threw her arms around him, holding him tightly. “Oh, Alexander,” she whispered, hervoice filled with the same love he had been too blind to see before.
Before he could say another word, a familiar voice interrupted them. “I see you two have finally found your missing brains,” Percy said, grinning as he stepped onto the terrace.
Alexander kept his arms around Elizabeth, a rare smile tugging at his lips.
“He turned into a madman in your absence, Elizabeth,” Percy teased, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
Elizabeth’s eyes sparkled with newfound light. “Did he now?” she asked playfully. “You’ll have to tell me everything, Percy.”
“I’ll gladly spill all of it,” Percy grinned, bouncing on his feet.
“You say a word, Percy, and you’ll regret it,” Alexander warned, though he couldn’t stop the laughter bubbling out of him.
Elizabeth woke to the soft glow of morning light spilling through the curtains, warmth wrapping around her like a comforting embrace. For a brief, blissful moment, she forgot where she was. Then, she turned and saw Alexander beside her, his features softened in sleep, his breathing steady. The sight filled her with a happiness so profound that she could scarcely believe it. After everything, she had never imagined waking up like this—beside the man she loved, and knowing that he loved her in return.
Her heart swelled, but before she could savor the moment, a commotion echoed from downstairs, disturbing the quiet of the morning. She sat up, exchanging a confused glance with Alexander, who was already alert.
“What is going on?” she murmured as they both quickly dressed and made their way downstairs to investigate.
As they reached the foyer, Elizabeth was startled to see a footman holding her lady’s maid, struggling as if she were trying to break free. Percy stood nearby, his expression stern as he questioned her, while the housekeeper and butler looked on, clearly distressed.
“What is the meaning of this?” Elizabeth demanded, her voice sharp with confusion as she stepped forward. “Let her go!”
“I’m afraid I cannot do that,” Percy said, his demeanor calm but gaze firm.
Alexander moved to intervene, but before he could speak, Percy held up a hand. “You need to hear this,” he said, his eyes serious as they flicked between Elizabeth and Alexander. “The lady’s maid, I regret to inform you, has been acting as a spy.”
“A spy?” Elizabeth’s brow furrowed in disbelief. “What on earth are you talking about?”
Percy sighed, his expression grave. “She’s been in Lady Winston’s employ since the moment she arrived here.Georgianna has been using her to spy on your household, to feed her information about your marriage.”
Elizabeth’s stomach churned, her mind reeling with the betrayal. She glanced at the young maid—her maid—who had become a familiar presence in her life. The girl had always seemed so kind, so eager to help. And now to learn she had been an agent for Georgianna all this time... It made her feel sick.
“We caught her trying to leave this morning,” Percy continued. “She realized that I had begun to suspect her the night of your argument. I found her eavesdropping then, and it raised my suspicions.”
Elizabeth’s throat tightened. “You were spying on me?” she asked the maid, her voice barely above a whisper.
The girl looked down, her face pale, and said nothing.
Percy’s voice cut through the tense silence. “I decided to investigate further, and what I found was... unsettling. Georgianna has been paying her to report back on everything. She’s also the one responsible for spreading all those rumors about your marriage and the supposed affair.”
Elizabeth felt as though the ground had been ripped from beneath her. The rumors, the whispers that had nearly destroyed her—it had all been orchestrated by Georgianna? And her own maid had been part of it?
Her heart hardened, the shock quickly giving way to anger. “You are dismissed,” she said coldly, her voice trembling with restrained fury. “You will leave this house immediately.”
Before the maid could say a word, Alexander’s voice rang out, firm and unyielding. “Without a wage,” he added. “Consider it your punishment. You’ll receive no reference from us, and if you seek help from Lady Winston, you may tell her exactly why you were dismissed. Perhaps she will be more than willing to employ you again as her spy.”
