Jewelry Box

Ch. 7 Partners

Alexander

A smile tugged at my lips as I watched Victoria wrestle with the weight of what had just happened.

It wasn’t complicated. The contract bound me to her. Yet she paced the room, her face pale with disbelief, her dress dragging against the carpet with every step.

“I can’t believe this!” she swore, hands clenched at her sides.

I leaned back in my chair, letting her frustration wash over me. It amused me more than it should have. After all, I hadn’t expected this outcome either. Still, the sight of her unraveling stirred something I couldn’t quite name.

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” I said evenly.

She froze mid-step and turned that fierce glare on me. The way she looked at me should have made me indifferent. Instead, I found myself enjoying it.

“It benefits you,” I added, my tone smooth, deliberate. “Don’t you see? Your father can’t deny us now.”

Her expression softened, thoughtful, her finger tapping against her chin.

Slowly, she nodded, realization dawning. The moment she accepted the bond, a strange spark of satisfaction flared in me.

A sigh slipped from her lips as she finally sank into a chair.

“Yes. I suppose it’s a good thing.”

“It is,” I murmured, sitting beside her.

I took her hand, lifting it to my mouth, brushing a kiss against her knuckles.

She flushed instantly, her composure cracking for just a heartbeat before she masked it again.

I smirked. Teasing her was far too easy.

“Now we have to prepare for the wedding,” she said firmly as I released her hand.

“Yes,” I agreed, “but before that, you’ll need to move into my home.”

Her brows arched in surprise.

“Word will spread quickly,” I explained. “And when it does, you’ll be a target. Staying here will put you in danger.”

Her teeth worried her bottom lip, but after a pause, she nodded.

“Good.” I softened the edge in my voice. “Now, how about we eat something? You’ll feel better.”

Her stomach had betrayed her earlier, but I knew the suggestion was about more than hunger. Food would calm her nerves, whether she realized it or not.

“I apologize,” she said softly, “but I have something else to attend to.”

“Very well,” I replied, though my frown lingered.

Later, as I settled into my carriage, my gaze lingered on the sprawling Lombardy estate.

One step. That’s all this was, one step closer to what I wanted.

“Are we still heading to the congress?” my assistant asked quietly.

“No,” I said, stroking my chin. “Take me to the finest clothing house instead.”

He relayed the command, and the carriage shifted course.

I leaned back, a grin curving my mouth as I recalled the faint blush on Victoria’s cheeks when my lips touched her skin.

Yes. Very soon, she would be mine completely.

***

“This one will do,” I said, studying the dress.

Its rare hue had me already picturing Victoria in it, breathtaking, impossible to ignore.

“Very well. Anything else?” the shopkeeper asked.

My gaze drifted across the window-lit room and landed on a display of jewels. One stone caught the light and held it.

“Is there a jewelry shop nearby?” I asked my assistant.

“Pandora, my Duke. It’s close by.”

He smiled at me as if in a private joke. I shook my head, paid for the garments, and we left.

In two days the king would announce our engagement at the ball. I knew the repercussions: whispers among dukes, simmering rivalries, and predictable opposition from certain family members.

My uncle, in particular, would not be pleased.

Pandora’s bell chimed as we entered. The shop carried the weight of the royal family; it supplied jewels that traveled across oceans.

The attendant’s greeting stiffened as soon as he saw me.

“Duke Graham, welcome.” He paled beneath the forced smile.

Clients angled toward us, murmuring. I ignored them and told the shopkeeper plainly, “I want your best.”

He led me to a private room. The assistants seemed nervous in my presence; their unease made the hunt more amusing.

The shopkeeper opened a box filled with a dozen stones, each humming with a different color and glow.

My finger paused over one tied with a red string. “This one.”

“Sorry, Duke Graham—that one’s not for sale.” The shopkeeper’s discomfort was visible.

“Who bought it?” I asked.

“The Lombardy family. Lady Victoria, specifically,” he answered.

A small heat crawled up my spine. The jewel’s glow was pink and impossible. It was due to be delivered tomorrow.

Interesting, I thought. Something about it called me. Still, I chose something else and left with a plan taking shape in my head.

***

Back at my desk, papers formed neat stacks. I should have been efficient; obligations demanded it. Yet since Victoria’s quiet declaration, since the way she’d looked at me, my attention had frayed.

I forced myself to work: clear the decks for the next four days, then act without distraction.

A knock interrupted me.

“Duke Graham?” my assistant called.

“Yes?” I didn’t look up.

“Your uncle is here,” he said.

My pen is still. I didn’t care for unexpected family visits. My assistant knew the rules.

“Tell him I’m busy.”

He nodded and closed the door, but my patience didn’t last. Voices carried, angry, strident, then my uncle’s approach.

“Alexander!” he barked as I rose. My hands found my pockets, fingers tightening.

“I didn’t invite you in,” I said.

“I’m your uncle. How dare you—” he snapped.

I turned slowly, watched him recoil the instant I closed the distance between us. My fingers drummed the desk; the wood echoed the tempo of my irritation.

“I’m the duke. This is my house,” I said, every word low and precise. “When I give an order, I expect it to be obeyed. I won’t tolerate disrespect—especially not from you.”

He guessed at defiance and spat, “You’re marrying Lombardy’s daughter? You’re making a mistake.”

“Hush.” My head snapped toward him. “What I decide concerns no one.”

He hissed a final threat—“You will regret this!”—before guards seized him and hauled him away.

I watched until they slammed the doors behind him.

“Make sure he never sets foot here again,” I told my assistant once the room was silent. “Use whatever means necessary.”

When the door closed, I sat. I closed my eyes for a moment and let the image of Victoria, her sudden blush, the careless arch of her throat when I’d kissed her hand, replace the burning annoyance.

It satisfie me.