Page 55 of Duke of Bronze
Colin straightened, caught off guard. "Quite," he replied easily, offering her a smirk that did not feel at all natural. "Why do you ask?"
She studied him for a moment, as if weighing his words, then merely shook her head. "No reason."
The carriage rumbled on and the silence intensified between them until Anna spoke again.
"It was you, was it not?"
"What?" Colin arched a brow.
"The hospital received an anonymous donation," she elaborated, tilting her head slightly as she regarded him. "Aconsiderablesum."
He remained quiet, contemplating his response. There was no use in denying it. "It was meant to remain a secret," he admitted at last, sighing as he leaned back against the seat. His solicitor had wasted no time in sending out the donation after receiving his letter, and now here was Anna, unraveling his so-called secrecy with alarming ease.
"Well, Your Grace," she said, the corners of her lips twitching, "I am afraid you areatrociousat covering your tracks."
A reluctant chuckle escaped him. "I shall endeavor to do better next time." He shook his head in mock disappointment.
But then her expression softened. "Why did you do it?"
"Why doyouengage in such charitable endeavors?"
Anna blinked. "Because I can," she murmured. "Because someone must."
He inclined his head, as if to sayexactly. A small smile touched her lips, but it was her eyes that held him captive. "I suppose," she said, "there is still hope for the English aristocracy after all."
A peculiar tightness settled in his chest. She was callinghimthat hope. It was there, in her voice, in the way she looked athim—not with amusement, not with challenge, but with a quiet admiration that unsettled him more than he cared to admit.
He was not certain he deserved it.
"It was most generous of you, Colin," she said as the carriage rolled to a stop before her home.
Colin forced himself to grin, shifting back into the comfortable role of the careless rake. "Do not speak too highly of me, Anna. It may go to my head."
But as she stepped down from the carriage, he could not stop thinking about the way she had looked at him. Nor could he deny that he rather liked it.
"Have a pleasant evening, Anna."
Colin took her hand and raised it to his lips, pressing a lingering kiss to her gloved knuckles before releasing her.
The moment he was alone again, reality descended upon him with the force of an unforgiving tide. The air inside the carriage was suffocating, and he mindlessly tugged at his cravat. His thoughts, which he had so deftly pushed aside in Anna's company, rushed back.
As the carriage rolled through the streets, he noticed a carriage being loaded with suitcases. An idea took root.
A house party.
Yes. It was precisely what he needed. A reprieve from stifling London and everything it held.
And, perhaps, an excuse to see Anna in a setting far removed from gossip sheets. She would enjoy it, he was certain of that. And, if he was being honest with himself, a reason to keep her close just a little while longer.
CHAPTER 22
Anna,
I must insist upon a particular request for our next engagement—dress plainly.
C.
Dress plainly? She read the words again, baffled. Was he beginning his surprises before she even arrived at the destination? The notion unsettled and excited her in equal measure.
