Page 29 of Duke of Bronze

CHAPTER 29

" I would like to redeem my loss from the last game, Your Grace," Fiona announced, extracting a deck of cards from one of the baskets with an air of challenge.

Colin leaned back against the tree trunk, a slow smile playing at his lips. "You ought to surrender while you still have some dignity, Lady Fiona. We both know that will not happen." They were having a picnic out of doors with all the guests.

"My pride would never allow it," she returned, lifting her chin with mock defiance.

"You are far too ambitious for your own good, Fiona," Hester quipped, while Nancy laughed in agreement.

The exchange was lighthearted, filled with easy amusement. But Anna found little enjoyment in it.

The setting was, in truth, quite idyllic. Colin had arranged a picnic for the guests deep within his estate, by the banks of a picturesque stream. The breeze was cool and invigorating, rustling through the branches above, while birds flitted about, their cheerful songs filling the air.

Yet, despite the beauty of the surroundings, Anna felt a creeping discomfort settle over her.

She tried to focus on the spread before them—delicate sandwiches, ripe fruit, and chilled lemonade—but her gaze kept straying to Colin and Fiona as they prepared their game. The easy camaraderie between them, the way he laughed at her jests, the manner in which she leaned in, utterly at ease in his company…

Anna's stomach twisted.

She rose abruptly, brushing the crumbs from her skirts. As she did so, she became aware of Elizabeth's gaze on her—sharp, assessing. Her cousin said nothing, but Anna did not miss the scrutiny in her eyes.

Thankfully, she did not press the matter.

"Where are you going?" Colin's voice cut through the din of conversation, drawing the attention of several guests.

Anna smoothed her hands over the folds of her dress and forced an easy smile. "My legs are beginning to feel quite numb from all this sitting," she replied lightly. "I should like to stretch them for a moment."

It was not entirely untrue. But it was not the whole truth, either.

"How very inviting the stream appears," Elizabeth remarked, her voice light but pointed. She looped her arm through Anna's with a knowing smile. "I believe I shall join you, dearest."

Colin parted his lips as though to speak, but Anna found she had little patience to hear whatever he intended to say. Before he could utter a word, she turned, leading Elizabeth away from the gathering without so much as a backward glance.

The cool breeze and the gentle murmur of the stream should have soothed her. She focused on the soft trickle of water over smooth stones, the shifting patterns of light dancing upon its surface. Anything to keep her mind from straying back to the picnic.

But it was no use.

Fiona's lilting complaints of yet another imminent defeat reached her ears, followed almost immediately by Colin's deep, unrestrained laughter. A victorious, teasing chuckle that grated against Anna's every nerve.

She clenched her jaw. Not a single peal of their laughter went unnoticed, every sound only adding weight to the discomfort pressing upon her chest.

"I had not thought fresh-water streams harbored fish," Elizabeth mused, crouching slightly as she peered into the water with mild fascination.

Anna turned, latching onto the distraction with relief. "Some do," she said, feigning interest. "Trout, usually."

Her reprieve was short-lived.

Another hearty bout of laughter rang out behind her, and despite herself, her head turned instinctively.

Colin and Fiona had just concluded their game. Unsurprisingly, he had won. Again. He grinned, smug and triumphant, while Fiona shook her head in exaggerated defeat.

Anna's fingers curled at her sides.

"They appear to have had a most enjoyable match, those two," Elizabeth observed, looking toward the gathering beneath the trees.

"It would appear so," Anna murmured.

Elizabeth's head tilted slightly, her scrutiny evident as she regarded Anna more closely. "You do not sound impressed."

"Why should I be? I was not a participant in the game," Anna said with a small shrug, willing herself to look away from Colin and Fiona. She forced her gaze back to the water, watching the slow movement of fish beneath its rippling surface.

Elizabeth was silent for a moment, her thoughtful gaze lingering on Anna before she spoke again. "If I did not know better, I would say you sound quite jealous, Anna."

Anna's head snapped toward her cousin, eyes widening in disbelief. "Jealous?" she repeated, as though the very notion were absurd.

Elizabeth merely lifted a brow.

Anna let out a sharp laugh, shaking her head. "Now that is the most ridiculous statement you have ever made, Lizzy."

"Is it?" Elizabeth returned, an inscrutable glint in her eyes that unsettled Anna far more than she cared to admit.

Anna pursed her lips, her fingers grazing the folds of her dress as if smoothing an imaginary crease. "Utterly absurd," she insisted.

"If you say so," Elizabeth replied. "After all, who am I to claim otherwise?" A sly smile ghosted over her lips, as though she saw far more than Anna wished her to.

Anna's chest tightened. A sudden, inexplicable need to escape the conversation seized her. "My, is that a minnow?" she exclaimed, returning her attention to the stream with forced enthusiasm.

Elizabeth did not even bother disguising her amusement. The look she gave Anna was a mixture of patience and quiet victory, as though indulging a child who believed themselves terribly clever in their evasions.

Anna, however, did not care.

For deep down, she knew the truth.

The wretched, undeniable truth she had perhaps always known but had stubbornly refused to acknowledge.

Sleep proved elusive that night. No matter how Anna tossed and turned, her mind refused to quiet. It replayed the events of the picnic in excruciating detail—Colin's laughter, Fiona's ease, Elizabeth's knowing looks.

And, worst of all, her own reluctant realization.

With a frustrated sigh, she threw back the covers and rose. There was no use in lying awake any longer.

The hallways were dark and silent as she wandered through them, her bare feet scarcely making a sound against the polished wood. A governess might have chided her for behaving like a restless child, but she hardly cared. Eventually, she found herself in one of the smaller salons.

She hesitated only a moment before striking a match and lighting the candles. The room flickered to life in a soft, golden glow, and the tension in her limbs eased slightly.

Her gaze landed on the liquor collection.

She crossed the room and poured herself a measure of brandy, savoring the sharp scent as she lifted the glass. The warmth would surely calm her nerves. But just as she turned, a voice broke the silence.

"I saw the light. I did not realize it was you."

Anna started violently, nearly dropping the tumbler. She whirled around to find Colin standing in the doorway, one brow arched in faint amusement.

"Good heavens, must you sneak about?" she demanded, pressing a hand to her racing heart.

His lips quirked. "I was merely walking."

"Then at least have the decency to make some noise when you do so."

"You are rather jumpy, are you not?" he teased.

Anna scowled. "I should hate to think of you as a ghost."

Colin chuckled. "I assure you, I do not make a habit of haunting unsuspecting ladies."

"Only spinsters, then?" she quipped.

He threw his head back and laughed, and despite herself, Anna felt a reluctant smile tug at her lips.

Without invitation, he strode past her and reached for the decanter she had left atop the sideboard. He poured himself a generous amount, entirely at ease.

"Do you not think it rather late to be indulging so freely, Your Grace?" she teased.

He lifted the glass in mock solemnity. "My excuse is that I am currently hosting half the English aristocracy in my house and require liquid courage."

Anna smirked. "In that case, I shall allow it." She gave an impish little wink before taking a sip of her own drink.

Colin laughed. "I need your permission to drink now?"

"Evidently."

They fell into their usual rhythm of easy banter, words flowing effortlessly between them. And for a time, Anna forgot entirely why she had come here at all; why she had sought solace in candlelight and brandy. The weight in her chest lessened, and she let herself enjoy the moment.

Until Colin's expression shifted. The humor faded, giving way to something more thoughtful, more deliberate.

"I see you are well acquainted with the Mighty Stone," he remarked, his voice even.

Anna stilled, fingers tightening slightly around her glass.

Of all things, she had not expected that .

Anna was momentarily taken aback by the abruptness of his words, but she schooled her features quickly, masking her surprise with practiced ease.

"Why, who does not know the Mighty Stone, Colin?" she returned airily, feigning ignorance at the obvious implication beneath his words.

Colin did not so much as blink. "Dining together, laughing, taking strolls in the garden—these are not the pastimes of strangers; least of all with a pugilist whose acquaintance has only just been made."

Anna's chin lifted slightly. "Are you stalking me now, Colin? Keeping an account of my every movement?"

His expression remained infuriatingly composed. "Nothing that transpires within my own household escapes my notice, Anna. You ought to know that by now."

There was a weight to his words, an unspoken meaning that sent an odd, restless feeling through her. His gaze was intent—too intent—yet impossible to decipher, as though he had locked his thoughts away behind an impenetrable door.

Anna inhaled sharply, unwilling to let him unnerve her. "Very well," she relented at last, tilting her head in mock concession. "If you must know, I was acquainted with Roderick well before your introduction."

Colin stilled, his brows lifting ever so slightly. "Were you?"

She nodded. "He saved my life, as it happens."

For the first time that evening, genuine surprise showed in his eyes. Anna pressed on before he could question her further.

"I was walking through the streets in Town when an erratic horse broke loose from its carriage. I had neither the time nor the sense to move, but Roderick did. He pushed me aside just as the beast and the cart came hurtling past."

She glanced down at the tumbler in her hand, running her fingers idly along its rim. "And so began an acquaintance," she continued, her voice softer now. "One that extended beyond mere gratitude and into friendship. His family is dear to me, Colin. They have been for the past two years."

Silence settled between them for a long moment.

At last, Colin sighed and shook his head, as if seeing her in a new light. "He thinks highly of you, you know," he murmured.

"He appreciates your generosity as well," Colin said. There was a subtle shift in his expression now, something watchful beneath the casual remark.

Anna stilled slightly, her fingers tightening around her glass. Generosity? The word struck her as oddly specific. She had not expected Roderick to share such a detail.

Had he?

Roderick was a man of immense pride, despite his circumstances. He was private—often to a fault—and the thought of him openly speaking of any form of charity grated against everything she knew of him. In truth, he barely tolerated what little she managed to extend to his family, accepting only after much persuasion and never without some degree of reluctance.

So how, precisely, did Colin know ?

She looked him over, her mind turning. Was Roderick truly so close to Colin that he had spoken of matters she had thought confidential? Their connection had always seemed one of business—an advantageous arrangement between a sportsman and his wealthy patron. But if Colin was privy to such intimate details, did their relationship extend beyond that?

The thought unsettled her.

She met Colin's gaze, searching for something—some indication of what he really knew—but his expression remained infuriatingly composed. Not quite smug, but far too knowing for her liking.

Well played, Your Grace.

"The Millards are remarkable people," she replied at last, carefully choosing her words. "I only wish I could do more."

"We simply continue to try our best then," Colin said, pouring himself another measure of brandy before lifting the decanter in silent offering.

Anna hesitated only a moment before accepting, extending her tumbler as he poured. The warmth of the brandy had settled into her limbs now, loosening the tension that had taken root earlier. For the first time that evening, she felt almost at ease.

Colin swirled his glass, watching the amber liquid catch the candlelight. "I must admit, Anna, you continue to surprise me."

She arched a brow over the rim of her glass. "Do I?"

"Indeed." He leaned back slightly, studying her with that infuriatingly unreadable gaze. "There is a great deal more to you than society would assume."

Anna smirked. "That is not a particularly high bar to exceed, given society's assumptions."

Colin chuckled. "Fair enough. But even so, you are not what I expected."

She tilted her head. "And what, pray, did you expect?"

He considered her for a moment, a slow, contemplative smile forming. "I am not entirely certain. But I know I should like to continue finding out."

Anna's breath caught slightly, and she forced herself to take a measured sip of her drink, as though the burn of the brandy might temper whatever warmth had just unfurled in her chest.

A silence settled between them—not entirely uncomfortable, but charged with something unspoken; something neither seemed willing to name.

And then?—

"Lady Fiona mentioned an interest in the estate's stables earlier," Colin remarked idly, breaking the quiet. "I shall have to arrange a proper tour for everyone before the house party concludes."

The moment the words left his mouth, something within Anna shifted.

The ease she had felt only moments ago vanished, replaced by a jolt of something sharp, something wholly unwelcome.

She set her glass down with more force than necessary. "That sounds like a fine plan," she said briskly, though she was suddenly desperate to be anywhere but here.

Colin's brow furrowed slightly at her abrupt change in demeanor. "Anna?—"

But she was already rising to her feet. "It is quite late. I should retire."

Colin blinked, clearly caught off guard. "You were perfectly at ease a moment ago."

"I find I am no longer," she replied, offering him a tight smile before making her way toward the door.

She did not look back.

She could still feel his gaze on her as she exited.