“Lewis, see him out, please.”
At that, the man lunged forward at Alexander, though his swing was wild and untrained. In his defense, Alexander stepped into him cleanly and caught his wrist mid-air, twisting just enough to send him off balance.
The man staggered and reached for the duke’s coat with his free hand. Alexander’s grip shifted and he slammed the man’s shoulder against the doorway, keeping him upright only long enough to shove him backward into the arms of the approaching staff.
“Get him out,” Alexander ordered again, curtly.
Lewis, wiping the corner of his mouth, gave a sharp nod and assisted the footmen in hauling the man toward the entrance. The door slammed shut behind them a moment later.
Alexander exhaled, adjusting the sleeve of his coat, only then registering a faint ache in his wrist. It felt like a sprain.
“Are you all right?” Oliver asked, already stepping closer, “Confound it . That was something, wasn’t it?”
“I’m fine,” Alexander replied, flexing his fingers once, then again. The discomfort was mild, but very much so present.
“I am not sure I believe you,” Oliver gave him a look. “You’re not fine. You’re doing that thing where you pretend you’re not in pain.”
“It’s nothing. A strain, maybe. I’ve had worse from fencing,” Alexander rolled his wrist slowly, testing it.
“Still,” Oliver said, watching him. “You should wrap it.”
“I will. Later.”
“You won’t,” Oliver muttered. “You’ll go home, and act like nothing happened. I hope to God that your Duchess notices, because you really do not know how to take care of yourself.”
“She won’t notice,” Alexander gave him a withering look. “Nor do I think I need to bother her with something so small.”
“It’s always small when it comes to you,” Oliver shook his head. “You know, I’m glad that you have a wife to return to. I can bet that she will notice your discomfort.”
“What a strange thing to bet on,” Alexander murmured, though the pain grew sharper. He winced slightly.
“Oh, I have bet on worse,” Oliver grinned. “Why don’t you place one with me? If she notices, then I owe you land in the countryside. If she doesn’t…”
“Then nothing,” Alexander said, sharply. “I don’t place bets.”
“Fine, then nothing. But my end of the bargain still stands,” Oliver said. “She’s observant, from what you have told me about her.”
Alexander said nothing, but his expression flickered. He flexed his wrist again, slower this time. The ache had settled a bit, and he was sure that it was still manageable.
But even if it wasn’t, Alexander would deal with that. It was not the worst of his injuries and certainly not the last one.
“Take care of yourself,” Oliver patted his friend on the back as he saw him out the door. Fergus was waiting by the carriage.
“You need it more than I do,” Alexander replied, sarcastically.
It was just a strain. Nothing to worry about, and definitely not something that Penelope should bother herself over.
But as the carriage left, he found himself wondering if Oliver would be proven correct.
Would Penelope notice? Suddenly, he felt like he had stakes in the matter. It was a dangerous thing to hope, but the seed had been planted, all without him even intending it .
CHAPTER 15
Penelope had been so engrossed in her book that she almost did not notice the sound of the door opening downstairs. But at past-midnight, the estate was so silent that even a small noise was enough to draw her attention.
“It must be His Grace,” Penelope noted, willing herself to get up from the sofa and start walking towards the door.
His rules were clear. She must not disturb him unless it was absolutely necessary.
