“Thanking the help?” Alexander sighed. “You never learn.”
The slight was too common an occurrence with her cousin to rattle her. “Why are you here?”
He waved her question away and circled the room, his gloved fingers trailing across the marble mantel, a pearl inlaid side table, and the strings of the harp in the corner.
Anna winced at the clashing chords and rotated her body, knowing better than to ever give him her back.
Finished with his perusal, Alexander plopped down on the cream damask divan and crossed one ankle over his knee. Sitting while she stood.
“How it stung that I was not invited to the wedding,” he said.
She didn’t hide her smugness. “You weren’t invited.”
Alexander didn’t seem to hear her. “Too bad dear old William wasn’t around to wish you well, either. Missing over three weeks. How you must be overcome with worry.”
Anna stilled. Heknew. “Who told you William is missing?” The news hadn’t been printed in any of the papers. At the request and far-reaching power of the Duke of Grandfellow.
One side of his mouth curled upward. “A man of my position is informed of such things. And you forget; we are family. Who else should be informed than the man’s heir apparent?”
Fingernails of unease raked down the back of her neck. But she fixed her attention on the most concerning of his statements. “‘Position’?”
His smile widened. “You aren’t the only one with a new title these days, cousin.”
‘New title’?Anna’s gut twisted. “Then Uncle is—”
“Dead? I’m afraid so.”
Anna sat back heavily in the chair by the fire, her body no longer able to hold herself up.
Uncle was dead. And Alexander was nowSirAlexander.
Her uncle had always had an affinity for drink, a measurable inciter to the man’s aggressive spirit.
A touch of regret rested heavily on her heart beside immeasurable relief. Uncle Daniel had been a selfish man, and too reliant on his own skewed ideals to carry an ounce of compassion, but he had still been kin.
And every life was precious.
Anna looked up at her cousin. “My condolences.”
Alexander sneered. “You almost sound sincere.”
“I am.”
“My father was a brute and a lecher. The world is better off without him.”
Anna’s lingering fear gave way to understanding and an unwelcome sense of comradery. She hadn’t been the only victim of her uncle’s brutal attentions.
But the son had clearly taken after the father as Alexander’s gaze turned reptilian. “Of course, my rise to fortune is nothing compared to yours. You’ve done well for yourself.”
She said nothing.
“All those years, I wondered where the money came from every month.”
Anna blinked at the sudden change of topic, then frowned. “What money?”
“No need to play coy.” He shook his head. “Who knew you had it in you to be a lord’s mistress? And now, duchess.” His appreciative gaze swept over the lush fabrics and intricate scrollcolumns around the room. “Truly, cousin, I am impressed. It takes a great deal for these puffed-up pricks to lower themselves by mingling with the raff.” A slow clap. “I honestly believed your righteous masquerade as some prim maiden. How delighted I am to learn I was wrong.”
His gaze raked down her figure.
