Page 23 of Duke of Bronze
CHAPTER 10
"My lady, the Copperton carriage has arrived for you." Anna's fingers stilled at the clasp of her pearl-drop earring as her lady's maid entered the room.
She nodded, though the simple motion did little to steady the fluttering in her stomach. She turned back to the mirror, willing her hands to remain steady as she fastened the second earring. Despite her best efforts, the slight tremor in her fingers betrayed her.
How utterly absurd.
It's only an afternoon outing.An outing for which she had no notion of the destination or purpose.
She drew in a slow breath.This is precisely what you wished for, she reminded herself. She had asked to be surprised.Why, then,did it feel as though she were walking into the unknown armed with nothing but sheer bravado?
Anna swallowed, resisting the urge to press a hand to her stomach. Yes, it was merely the uncertainty of it all that made her feel so…unsettled. That was all.
And yet.
She thought of the way Colin had looked at her the night before. There was a quiet longing in his eyes, a longing for companionship she had often seen in her father after her mother passed. But Colin? She could not fathom how a man like him could wear such a look. Perhaps she had been mistaken. Perhaps his gaze had held something else entirely.
A foolish part of her had wanted to know what troubled him, to understand?—
No. She shook off the thought as one would shake off an errant raindrop.Whatever burden he bore, it was not hers to carry.
A gentle nudge at her feet made her look down. Plato, her massive Newfoundland, gazed up at her with his soulful dark eyes, tail thumping against the floor.
She bent and smoothed a hand over his thick fur. "Wish me luck, Plato," she murmured. "I daresay I shall need it." The dog tilted his head, as though he quite understood the gravity of the occasion.
A soft snore from the chaise drew her gaze to Titan, her tiny pug, who remained blissfully unaware of her dilemma. She considered, just for a moment, bringing them along. Their presence might help her unease.
No. That would be ridiculous.
She straightened, giving Plato one last affectionate scratch behind the ears before turning back to her lady's maid, Miss Watson, who was busy arranging the final touches of her attire.
"You look lovely, my lady," Miss Watson said, stepping back with a satisfied nod. "And there is no cause for nerves. I daresay you shall have a most delightful afternoon with His Grace."
Anna's spine stiffened.So, I betrayed myself, after all.
"I am not nervous, Miss Watson," she replied swiftly, lifting her chin. "Not in the slightest.” She added the last part for good measure, but it was too late. Miss Watson merely pressed her lips together in that knowing way of hers—saying nothing, yet managing to convey her complete disbelief.
Anna exhaled, casting one last glance at herself in the mirror.Whatever awaited her this afternoon, she would face it with composure.
Or at the very least, she would pretend to.
"My lady, you shall wear a hole through the floor if you persist," Miss Watson teased gently.
Anna stilled her tapping foot at once and folded her hands neatly in her lap. "I am merely eager to arrive."
Miss Watson's smile was knowing. "Of course."
The carriage rolled to a halt, and before Anna could collect herself, the door swung open, revealing Colin, waiting at the foot of the steps. The moment she met his gaze, her stomach gave a most inconvenient flutter.
"Good afternoon, Lady Anna," he said smoothly, extending his hand.
She hesitated for half a second before placing her gloved hand in his. The warmth of his fingers seeped through the fine fabric, and before she could think better of it, he lifted her hand and pressed a slow, deliberate kiss to her knuckles.
Her heart stumbled.
He released her, his eyes gleaming in that infuriatingly self-assured way of his. "I trust your journey was pleasant?"
"Uneventful," she replied, lifting her chin in defiance of her traitorous pulse.
