Page 43 of Duke of Gold
But then, as she watched Morgan laugh with her over their breakfast, a sudden idea came to her—a bold, almost reckless thought.What if I made him care deeply enough for me that he’d never want to send me away?
The notion grew roots almost immediately, and her heart quickened at the prospect. Yes, that was it. She would make him fall in love with her.Surely, it isn’t impossible,she thought. After all, whatever she was doing now seemed to be working. Slowly but surely, Morgan was taking those first steps to open up, just as she had hoped.
With renewed determination, Peggy set down her teacup and met Morgan’s gaze with a brightness she hadn’t felt in days. This was a challenge she was willing to take on.
One she fully intended to win.
CHAPTER 21
“Your Grace,” Barrow said, stepping into the drawing room. “The Duchess of Sterlin and Lady Anabelle Sutton are here.”
Peggy blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“The Duc—” before Barrow could finish, Margaret was already on her feet, her embroidery forgotten on the settee. “Lizzy! Anna!” she cried, her voice bright with excitement. Without a moment’s hesitation, she gathered her skirts and hurried out of the room, leaving Barrow to follow in bemused silence.
She reached the grand foyer in record time, her breath quickened with the rush of emotion. Standing near the entrance, framed by the soft morning light pouring through the arched windows, were Elizabeth and Anna. The sight of them, as familiar and dear as her childhood memories, brought an immediate warmth to her chest.
“Lizzy! Anna!” Peggy exclaimed again, crossing the marble floor with eager steps. She threw her arms around them, pulling them into a close embrace that left no room for decorum. “What are you doing all the way in the country during the Season?” she asked, her voice trembling with delight.
Elizabeth, poised and elegant as ever, pulled back slightly, her gloved hands resting affectionately on Peggy’s arms. “Alexander is here to inspect a property he has expressed interest in acquiring. I could not abide another day in Town’s stifling air, so I accompanied him,” she said with a serene smile.
Peggy turned her gaze to Anna, her brow lifting in silent inquiry.
Anna shrugged with an air of practiced indifference. “Lizzy mentioned she would be calling on you while in the country. Naturally, I thought it prudent to join her. Someone must ensure you are not driving yourself mad with isolation.”
Peggy’s lips quirked into a teasing smile. “So, in essence, you imposed yourself on Lizzy and her husband?”
Anna placed a hand over her chest, her mock offense almost convincing. “Is this how you welcome a concerned cousin? By accusing me of imposition?”
Peggy’s laugh was light and genuine, a sound that filled the space between them. Elizabeth soon joined in, her own smile softening the edges of her typically composed demeanor, while Anna’s grin grew wider.
“Well, I am glad you both came, whatever the reason,” Peggy said, the warmth in her voice genuine as she linked arms with them and led them toward the drawing room.
Once they were seated, Peggy rang for tea and settled opposite her visitors, her spirits lifting with each passing moment. Elizabeth studied her sister with a keen but affectionate gaze. “So, dearest, how has married life been treating you?”
Peggy exhaled deeply, the sigh heavy with unspoken thoughts.
“That is not an encouraging sound,” Anna remarked, her tone dry as her sharp eyes swept over Peggy with the same penetrating scrutiny that had unnerved her since childhood.
“Do not jump to conclusions, Anna,” Elizabeth said, her tone chastening yet gentle.
“How else would you interpret that sigh, Elizabeth?” Anna said, her tone lightly accusatory.
Elizabeth turned her attention toward Peggy, her brows knit with concern. “Is everything amiss, Peggy?”
Peggy hesitated, her fingers tightening slightly around the delicate porcelain teacup she held. Dismissing their concerns would be easy, a simple nod and a hollow reassurance, but something within her resisted. The weight of her solitude had pressed heavily upon her of late, and the words tumbled from her lips before she could stop them.
“There is little life in the household,” she admitted, her voice quieter than she intended. “It feels... empty, as though the very walls sigh with discontent.”
She paused, glancing down at the pale sheen of tea rippling in her cup. “And the servants, though dutiful, are not the warmest of company. I find it difficult to bring any liveliness to such a somber place.”
Her words ended on a soft sigh, and she glanced up, only to find her sisters exchanging glances of concern. They both regarded her with an intensity that made Peggy shift in her chair, suddenly aware of how much she had revealed.
Elizabeth was the first to break the silence. “You speak as though you have taken residence in a ghostly village,” she said, a small chuckle escaping her lips, though her gaze remained gentle, searching.
“Do you still keep the salt Aunt Petunia gave you?” Anna interjected suddenly, her tone startlingly earnest.
Peggy blinked, her head tilting in confusion. “The salt?”
