Page 100 of Duke of Bronze
The gardens were alive with color and movement, as though the entire city had conspired to dazzle. Lanterns swung from the trees in delicate arcs of golden light. Acrobats twisted mid-air, jugglers tossed flaming torches, and a pair of Parisian mimes gestured silently to the delighted crowd.
Anna felt herself smiling unreservedly. It was impossible not to.
She turned to Colin, the glittering spectacle reflecting in her eyes. "This is marvelous."
"Do you like it?" he asked, watching her with a quiet sort of satisfaction.
"I love it," she breathed.
He offered his hand, and she took it, her gloved fingers curling around his with ease. "Come, there's more."
And then he led her—through the crowds, past a fountain lit with floating candles—toward a clearing.
Her steps slowed.
There, rising above the gardens like something out of a dream, was a hot air balloon. Striped in deep green and ivory, its basket gleaming under the lantern light.
"Oh… my goodness," Anna managed, her voice nearly lost to the breeze.
"I am gratified to see that Her Ladyship is finally struck dumb," Colin said, his lips twitching.
She laughed, half dazed, and swatted his arm lightly. "You are insufferable."
"And yet, here you are."
The ascent was smoother than she'd anticipated. Within moments, the gardens fell away beneath them, a patchwork of color and noise receding into the quiet hush of altitude. The city sprawled beneath them like a storybook illustration.
Anna drew closer to the edge, breathless.
"This is…"
"I know," Colin said softly.
She turned toward him then, the wind toying with the curls framing her face.
"I received a letter from Roderick," she said, her tone shifting with the breeze. "He told me everything. And he thanked me. But he ought to thank you."
"There is no need," Colin replied evenly. "It is merely business."
She looked at him askance. "Business?"
He met her gaze fully. "Besides, there is no gratitude between family."
"Family?" she repeated, blinking. The word echoed oddly in her chest.
Colin hesitated only a moment before nodding. "Lydia summoned me. Some weeks ago. I thought her summons odd at first, but I honored it."
Anna waited, silent, sensing the weight behind the words he was carefully choosing.
"She told me everything," Colin said. "And she asked me to know the truth before she passed."
Anna's breath caught.
"She said she knew my father before he assumed the title. When he was simply the heir. They met at the theater—she performed, and he watched. Often. They became… involved."
His voice grew quieter. "She bore him a child. Roderick."
Anna stared, lips parting.
