Oliver studied him. “So it’s all just proof you’re not him?”
Alexander didn’t flinch. “It’s how I prove it to myself. Every day, I don’t gamble and I don’t drink to forget. I will never lose control.”
Oliver cracked a wry smile. “No, you just own half of London’s underground, and still manage to be a doting father.”
“Balance,” Alexander’s mouth curved slightly.
Oliver let out a laugh.
“Must be exhausting, walking that line.”
“Can’t say I can complain,” Alexander said. “It keeps me sharp.” He glanced at the wall clock, then reached for his coat. “And for now, it keeps them safe.”
“Just make sure you let them in,” Oliver said as they started toward the back hallway. “It’s not just about protecting them. But maybe they can protect you from yourself.”
Alexander didn’t reply. He had enough on his mind to mull over Oliver’s opinions.
CHAPTER 10
“Isee you bought yourself a nice dress from your visit into town the other day,” Alexander said from the doorway to Penelope. It was a figure- hugging emerald gown that looked incredible on her petite frame. “Good.”
Penelope seemed unfazed by the compliment. Instead, she was in quite a rush. She hurriedly made the remaining preparations.
“We are going to be late,” she noted, frowning.
“I did not know you were so punctual,” Alexander remarked dryly, though his eyes followed her as she moved across the room to grab hold of her coat and then gestured at him to follow her .
“It is always a good thing to be on time,” she said as she walked.
There was a certain coldness in the Duchess’ voice, and Alexander was not quite sure what had caused it.
They reached the carriage, with Alexander following her rather quickened pace. But he made a point to open the door for her.
“Thank you,” she said stiffly before climbing in.
His suspicions were proving to be correct. The Duchess was mad about something, though she refused to admit.
In an effort to diffuse the tension, and also because he really meant it, he decided to pay her a compliment instead.
“The dress does look quite lovely on you,” he remarked. She seemed to turn a shade of pink, and then looked away from him. “And you do look beautiful. For someone to look like this, I would expect that you would be quite used to taking compliments. So I am quite surprised to see you blushing like this.”
She glared at him for a moment before blushing again.
“Perhaps I am just not accustomed to receiving compliments from you,” she replied.
“That is quite the shame,” he smiled, despite her notable annoyance. “But you should know that I mean them, and that they are not made lightly.”
Penelope looked up at him, and Alexander wondered what might have been going through her mind at this moment.
“Then should I consider myself grateful that my husband rarely compliments me?” she said after a moment. “Or should I be happy about the fact that he means them each time?”
“I think both things can be true,” Alexander chuckled. “Though, if you insist, I can try to increase their occurrence.”
“Oh, you do not have to do me that favor,” she quipped.
“No, it would be more for me, than anything else,” he replied, smiling now.
“How considerate of you.”
