Page 38 of An Orphan for the Broken Duke

Add it to the list of things I have done wrong.

They waited in silence as Lucy slowly stood and walked from the room. She held to her chest a wooden toy, but Rhys did not see what it was. Really, he could hardly bring himself to look at her.

Once she was gone, Violet snapped.

“I did not know that I needed permission to make such changes as this.” She scoffed. “Silly me for thinking so.”

“Of course you do,” he said. “This is my home and I do not appreciate being kept in the dark.”

“Your home, is it?” She scoffed. “And here I thought that we were married. Were you not the one telling me that this is my home too, to do with as I please? Your words.”

“Which you rebuffed,” he countered. “I offered to help you adjust into your role here, Violet. But you refused me, stating without hesitation that you did not care about any such things. All you cared about was Lucy.”

“Which is why I am doing this.”

“I think you are doing it for you,” he said.

“What?” She exhaled sharply through her nose. “That is ridiculous. I am doing this for Lucy, so that she has a nursery that she might want to spend time in.”

“Which she had,” he said back with a hiss. “And by making these changes, you undermine me. Worse, you make me look weak in front of Lucy, as if I am someone to be taken advantage of. I will not have it.”

His words were harsh, just as they were unfair.

In truth, Rhys cared little about the nursery. But he was so determined to assert himself, and to remind Violet of what this marriage was, that he got carried away.

And Violet, never one to cower back or apologize when she did not think that she had done anything wrong, certainly was not going to bow her head and submit. That was never her way… which, frustratingly, was one of the things that Rhys liked about her.

“That is not… what is wrong with you?” she snapped.

“Me? Nothing,” Rhys said.

“You hide for two whole days, and when you do finally decide to see us, this is what you focus on? I thought you cared about Lucy. I thought that you wanted to do better.”

“This has nothing to do with Lucy. “All I am doing is⁠—”

Rhys was cut short when he felt something tugging on the leg of his pants. He started at the feeling, then looked down to see what the cause was. And when he saw it, the forced anger that had flown through him, the rudeness and hostility, faded as if it had never been.

It was Lucy.

Despite being told to wait outside, she had wandered back into the room. Perhaps she had heard them fighting? And while Rhys felt a sudden surge of guilt, it dissipated when she tugged on his pant leg with one hand, while in the other she held a small wooden horse.

“L—Lucy,” he stammered awkwardly, suddenly embarrassed by how he had acted. “What are you… what is that?”

She said nothing. Rather, she held the wooden horse up for him to take. Her big eyes had a hint of nervousness in them, but there was also hope.

“For me?” he asked, his throat suddenly tight.

She nodded and continued to hold the horse up for him.

“I…” Rhys did not know what to do, and he certainly did not know what to say. For some reason, Lucy wanted him to have that toy.

Did she hear us fighting and think this might be a way to stop it? Does she really care that much?

Suddenly, Rhys felt like a damn fool. He was a fool, and that was why. There had been no good reason for him to act as he had done, and every reason for him not to. This wasn’t about him, and it wasn’t about his feelings for Violet. It was and always would be about Lucy, and he needed to remember that.

“Thank you,” he said as he gently took the horse. “That is very kind.”

Lucy beamed proudly and then looked at Violet for support.