He had always appreciated beauty when it presented itself, and Miss Brown had done so rather unexpectedly. There had been a certain… contrast in her, composure undone by circumstance, dignity paired with disarray, that he found faintly amusing.
Not captivating, certainly not that, but diverting in a way I might observe a game yet to be played.
“Hardly unique,” he murmured to himself, though his fingers tapped idly against the desk in quiet contradiction.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, and his expression shifted at once, the languid edge replaced by duty.
“Enter,” he called.
Lionel stepped inside without ceremony, his presence as steady as ever, though there was a clear tension in his posture.
“You have ignored the steward’s latest report,” he said without preamble. “He requires a decision regarding the south holdings.”
Victor did not rise, though his gaze sharpened slightly. “I have not ignored it,” he replied. “I simply have not yet chosen to respond.”
Lionel exhaled, clearly unimpressed. “Delaying the matter serves no one.”
Victor steepled his fingers, considering him. “And you would have me approve the expenditure without review?” he asked.
“I would have you act,” Lionel returned evenly. “You are the duke, after all.”
Victor’s lips curved faintly. “Indeed, I am. I am glad to hear you know your place, brother,” he said. “Which is precisely why I shall decide when and how it is addressed.”
Lionel sighed. “You do enjoy making matters unnecessarily difficult,” he said.
“And you,” Victor replied, his tone cool but controlled, “have a tendency to forget your place in them.” He leaned forward just slightly, his gaze unwavering. “I will review the steward’s report and issue my decision when it suits me, not before.”
A brief silence followed, charged but not unfamiliar. Lionel huffed softly, turning away. “Very well,” he said. “Do as you please.”
“I generally do,” Victor replied.
Lionel paused at the door, glancing back with faint exasperation. “I am returning to my townhouse,” he said. “Try, for once, to remain out of trouble.”
Victor allowed himself a small, amused smile. “Where is the fun in that?” he asked lightly.
Lionel shook his head, though there was the faintest trace of reluctant amusement in his expression. “One day,” he said, “your definition of fun will cost you more than you expect.”
“Perhaps,” Victor said. “But until then, I shall continue to enjoy it.”
Lionel gave a short nod before departing, leaving Victor alone once more in the quiet of his study. For a moment, he remained still, his gaze lingering on the door.
Then, inevitably, his thoughts drifted again.
It was… unusual.
* * *
Charlotte felt a brief reprieve. With the duke absent and his brother gone to town, the halls felt quieter, less charged, and far easier to navigate as she walked beside Elizabeth through the portrait gallery.
“That is Victor's great-grandfather,” Elizabeth said, pointing with a small, proud gesture. “A terribly serious man, though he once fell asleep during his own dinner party.”
Charlotte smiled faintly.
“I imagine that must have caused quite a stir,” she said.
“Oh, it did,” Elizabeth replied, delighted. “No one dared wake him, so they all simply waited.”
Charlotte suppressed a laugh, glancing up at the painted figure with renewed interest. “A powerful man indeed,” she said lightly.
