Chapter 197: Plans for Dax
An hour later, the manor hummed with restrained activity, staff rushing like silent currents beneath the surface while the east terrace was cleared and polished to perfection.
NovelFire
Trevor stood before the full-length mirror in his dressing room, adjusting the cuff of his formal jacket. Black and deep violet, the regalia of House Fitzgeralt, sat sharp against his frame, every seam immaculate, the ceremonial sash cutting a diagonal line across his chest. His dark hair was brushed back, and a silver pin at his collar caught the light with every movement. He looked every inch the Duke he was, a dominant presence wrapped in precision and tailored authority.
Lucas leaned against the wardrobe, tugging his own simple slate-gray jacket into place over a cream shirt and soft charcoal trousers. It was elegant without screaming for attention, a quiet balance to Trevor’s full regalia. A few loose strands of blond hair fell over his brow, giving him that easy, unhurried air he seemed to wear naturally.
Trevor turned from the mirror, sweeping his gaze over Lucas slowly. "You’re going to distract every photographer on that terrace."
Lucas raised an unimpressed brow, though his lips twitched with amusement. "Please. They are more interested in my newly found lineage and the clash between you and Dax."
NovelFire
Trevor’s mouth curved into that slow, deliberate smile that always carried a hint of danger. He stepped closer, adjusting the fall of Lucas’s lapel with a touch that lingered a little longer than necessary.
"Clash?" Trevor echoed, voice low, amused. "You make it sound like he and I are meeting in the middle of the terrace with swords drawn."
Lucas’s green eyes sparkled, teasing and sharp. "You’re not?"
"Not unless he tries to steal you with a basket of croissants."
Lucas huffed a laugh, brushing a hand through his hair to tame an errant strand. "He wouldn’t dare. He knows you’d have him arrested before dessert."