Louisa nodded.
"We still have time. The King's visit will be the perfect stage. If we can present Marcus as the clear successor, the Duke will have no choice but to favor him."
Liam took a slow sip of wine, his eyes darkening.
"And if that fails…" he murmured, almost to himself, "there are other ways. Olivia, for example."
Louisa paused mid-sip, her glass freezing halfway to her lips.
"Olivia?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What about her?"
Liam's gaze drifted toward the window, a faint, hungry smile playing on his lips.
"She is still the Duchess. Beautiful. Influential. If I could get closer to her… win her over… it would make everything much easier. The Duke trusts her completely. If she whispered in his ear in my favor…"
Louisa set her glass down with a soft clink. She stared at her husband for a long moment.
"You are joking, right?" she asked, her tone light but with an edge beneath it. "You cannot possibly be serious about pursuing your own brother's wife."
