Page 66 of Duke of Bronze
The speculations. The comparisons. The notion that she and Fiona were now reduced to mere wagers in the eyes of theton.
It left a bitter taste in her mouth.
A rustle at the doorway pulled her from her thoughts. Margaret entered, offering Peggy a conspiratorial smile before turning to Anna.
"I am sorry, dearest, but I must abandon you," Margaret said ruefully. "It seems I am needed elsewhere."
Anna waved off the apology with a slight smile. "Think nothing of it."
In truth, she welcomed the solitude. She had sought it from the beginning, and now, at last, she would have it.
Or so she thought.
She had barely lifted her coffee to her lips when another figure entered the room. She sighed inwardly, but as soon as she saw who it was, her tension eased.
Roderick. Her lips curved into a smile.
At least he would not mention the infernal gossip columns. He had no interest in the idle scandals of the aristocracy, nor did he waste his time following such nonsense.
"I find you again," he observed as he helped himself to the sideboard before settling opposite her.
Anna arched a brow. "And here I thought I might finally enjoy a moment's solitude."
Roderick chuckled as he unfolded his napkin. "I do seem to have a talent for disrupting your peace."
"Indeed. And I do hope you will not make a habit of it." Anna lifted her chin in mock severity. "Or else."
Roderick's grin deepened. "Or else what?" he prompted, feigning concern. "Shall I be cast out into the cold?"
She had just opened her mouth to respond when a shadow fell over the table. Colin.
His steps slowed, his gaze sweeping over her and Roderick with a fleeting look of surprise. For a brief moment, an unreadable emotion flashed across his face—curiosity, perhaps, or something else she could not name. But just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone, replaced by his usual composure.
"I did not realize you two were well acquainted," Colin remarked.
Across from her, Roderick tensed ever so slightly. The shift was subtle, but Anna noticed it, nonetheless. A stiffening of his shoulders, a tightening of his jaw. Yet, beyond that, he gave no response; no polite explanation or casual remark to ease the moment. His demeanor turned reserved—cold, even—and Anna could not help but recall the strange unease that hadlingered between him and Colin the previous evening after the announcement at dinner.
Something was amiss.
Anna forced a lightness into her tone as she set down her cup. "A lovely morning for a hearty breakfast and some laughter, do you not agree, Your Grace?"
Colin did not respond immediately. His gaze remained locked with hers, unreadable, searching. The silence stretched just long enough for her to feel its weight. And when he finally spoke, his words came clipped, his manner a shade too terse.
Anna's fingers tightened around her spoon. A sudden, unwelcome image of Fiona surged through her mind, and though she willed it away, it left behind an unmistakable sting before vanishing.Is that why he looks displeased?
She inhaled softly, straightening in her chair.Perhaps his affections have shifted elsewhere.The thought settled uneasily within her, and she could not quite tell why it left her feeling so hollow.
But Colin, unaware of her thoughts, had taken his seat. The earlier ease in the room had all but dissolved. The warmth of laughter now felt like a distant memory, as though it had never existed at all. Anna found herself making a conscious effort just to swallow her food.
Colin, for his part, appeared equally disinclined toward conversation, his movements a touch too rigid as he cut into his meal. If he was displeased, he gave no clear reason for it. And that, perhaps, was what unsettled her most.
Anna was baffled. This inexplicable shift between them, this tension that had not been present mere moments ago—it all felt as though it had come from nowhere.
But she was wrong.
It had come from everywhere at once.
After a most unpleasant breakfast, Colin retreated to his study, a scowl settling deep into his features. He had no patience for company, no appetite for distraction. Yet no matter how he willed himself to focus, his mind persisted in replaying the sound of Anna's laughter—warm, unguarded, utterly effortless.
