Page 38 of Trapped with the Beastly Duke

Marie laughed but followed suit, waving goodbye to Rose and Olivia as she departed with the small box in her arms.

Olivia walked over to her brother. “What treasures did you give them this time?”

Alexander waved a hand vaguely. “A few bits and pieces. Some pretty river stones, a couple of books—nothing too extravagant.”

“You resisted the temptation to give them each six guineas?” Olivia nudged him on the shoulder.

Six guineas? I never even held such money at their age.

Rose looked at Alexander, who seemed to be deliberately avoiding her gaze. It stung.

“I did.” Alexander smiled at his sister. “I gave them each ten instead.”

“Ten guineas each?!” Olivia yelled.

Alexander laughed and then glanced at Rose, the warmth in his eyes vanishing in an instant. “It is my money, and I am sure you will help them spend it wisely. However, I have some matters to attend to. I fear I must leave you both. Good day.”

Rose opened her mouth to call out to him, but he had already disappeared through the archway and out of sight. She turned to Olivia, who was still standing utterly dumbfounded and staring after him.

“I take it your father was not as generous with the prizes he left for you?” Rose nudged her sister-in-law teasingly.

Olivia shook her head. “Father would give us money, but not so much as Alexander likes to give the twins and Marie. And Mother is far more relaxed with those three than she ever was with Alexander and me. Why, the last time we played, Peter bought and ate so many sweets that he was ill for a week. Natalie decided to bury her treasure and promptly forget where she had buried it, and Marie… well, I’m not sure what she did with hers.”

“Perhaps she saved it?” Rose suggested as they began their walk towards the castle.

“Perhaps. Marie can be quite a sensible creature.” Olivia looked thoughtful.

Rose only half listened to Olivia as they walked towards the castle, trying to understand what had happened in the maze.

Was that the real Alexander?

She remembered the warmth of the moments they had shared. The way he had been with his younger siblings.

How can he be so warm in one moment and yet as cold as stone the next?

Rose frowned, thinking back to the moment at the ball all those months ago. She had been nervous—of course, she had. But Alexander had been perfectly gentlemanly, funny, and kind.

But you saw his fury.

Yet, she found herself wondering if it had truly been fury on his face or something else.

“Rose?” Olivia’s voice brought her back to the present.

Shaking her head as if to clear it, Rose gave her sister-in-law an apologetic smile. “Pardon, my mind was elsewhere. Pray, what did you say?”

“I was saying that we should change for supper.” Olivia gestured to a grandfather clock. “We have about an hour before the gong rings.”

Rose’s eyes widened. “Goodness, were we in the garden so long?”

It felt like no time at all.

Olivia laughed. “It is easy to get swept up in the game. It was lovely to see you play with the others with such camaraderie.”

“I enjoyed it. I hope we will have other adventures together.” Rose thought of the coldness in Alexander’s expression as he turned away from her. “It was lovely getting to see such a different side to you all.”

Olivia cast her a sidelong look. “I am glad you saw the softer side of my brother. That is the man I know and love.”

“I can see why. I had not realized he could be so…” Rose tried to find the right words.