Page 40 of An Orphan for the Broken Duke

Expectation… societal roles… Violet liked to pretend that they mattered not to her, but the deeper she dived into this marriage, the more she was forced to admit that even she could not escape them. This was, after all, her world now.

For Lucy… that is why I do this.

They rode together in a carriage; the trip to Fairview House was not far, less than fifteen minutes. Violet spent that ride in a state of nerves, and it was only thanks to Rhys’ kind words that she managed to maintain some semblance of composure.

As they rode, she found herself watching him.

They had been married now for one week, and barring that rather unexpected argument they’d had about the nursery, it had been a week worth remembering. Slowly, Lucy warmed up to Rhys, as he warmed up to her. Slowly, all three of them grew closer together in ways that were welcome, if not unexpected. And slowly, Violet started to see Rhys as more than some uppity lord, and more as someone determined to do the right thing because he needed to prove something to himself.

Slowly… surely… Violet was starting to see Rhys as a man who she was glad to have married. He really was different to what she had expected.

“Here we are,” Rhys said as he looked out the window. “Are you ready?”

Her stomach knotted, and her heart raced. “I am…” she said with an awkward laugh. “Or as ready as I will ever be.”

“That will have to do,” he said with an encouraging smile.

When the carriage came to a stop, the driver hurried to open the door. Rhys was the first one out, at which point he turned, hesitated, and then offered Violet his hand. It was done almost as an afterthought, as if he expected her to ignore it.

She very nearly did too.

As always, Violet hated having to rely on others. What was more, she did not want to encourage anything between herself and Rhys. There had been moments this past week when she had felt something between them. It was more than pure companionship. And it was certainly more than comfort. It was what she had always expected it to feel like when you found yourself in the company of a person whom you truly trusted, that person being someone you were glad to be with and to be seen by.

She did not fully understand it, and she was terrified to think too much about it. Always, she dismissed those thoughts, convinced it was merely a result of her desire to feign happiness for Lucy’s sake.

But as Rhys offered her his hand, she knew that she wanted to take it, just as she wanted to show that she appreciated all he was doing.

“Thank you,” she said as she took his hand. She wore long, white gloves, but she felt his touch through them, and it sent a ripple up her arm that almost made her gasp.

He chuckled as he helped her down. “Look how far we have come. I never would have guessed.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “For appearances, of course.”

“Yes.” She swallowed. “For appearances.”

They approached the townhouse together; their arms linked. Violet’s legs trembled. Her stomach was still terribly knotted. But with Rhys beside her, she felt more safe that she expected, just as she knew that she had nothing to worry about.

It was not a feeling that she was used to, that reliance on somebody else. And where Violet wanted to dismiss it, she could not deny how good it felt. For once, she did not have to do everything herself.

“Your Grace!” The moment they stepped into the townhouse, they were greeted by Lord and Lady Fairview. “We are so pleased that you could make it.”

Lady Fairview looked exactly like so many ladies who Violet had seen before. Her features were dainty, her body was lithe, and she walked as if there was somebody behind her, poking her in the shoulders to ensure that she did not slouch. With her short chin and her large nose, she looked severe, but also proud.

Lord Fairview struck a stark contrast. He was overweight, red in the face, and he wore a sour expression as if he was annoyed by something. But they were both dressed finely, they smelled sweet and exotic, and there was just something about their air that made them appear superior… as if they owned the world, and wanted everyone to know it.

“Lady Fairview…” Rhys offered a short bow. “Lord Fairview. Thank you for inviting us this evening.”

“Of course,” Lord Fairview dismissed.

“Might I introduce you to my wife,” Rhys then said. “Her Grace, the Duchess of Ashmere.”

Violet produced a friendly smile.

She had expected indifference. She had known that her presence would not be welcome. But even she was not prepared for just how coldly Lord and Lady Fairview treated her.

They looked her over. Their smiles were closer to sneers. And neither bowed or curtsied for her; neither looked like they thought that she deserved it.

“Charmed,” Lord Fairview said simply before turning back to Rhys. “You are the last to arrive, Your Grace. Shall I show you to the dining room?”

Rhys’s brow creased, clearly noticing the rudeness of their behavior. And Violet held her breath, wondering if he might say something in her defense. Truly, she wanted him to, as she did not have the courage to say anything herself.