Page 45 of An Orphan for the Broken Duke

It had begun as a marriage of convenience, but somehow, it had turned into so much more.

But was that a good thing? Was it something to encourage, or run away from? If only Rhys had an answer.

Sixteen

“It is sure to be a large undertaking,” Charlotte pointed out as she sipped on her tea. “Are you certain that you are up to such a thing?”

“Rhys seems to think that I am,” Violet said.

“I do not see why you are wasting your time,” Rose added with a scoff. “After the way you were treated at that supper? I would rather have my toenails pulled out than go through that again. Not to mention, it feels suspiciously like begging to me.” Rose scowled. “As if you are pleading for people to accept you who you should not care one whit about.”

“It is not begging,” Violet said carefully. “And Rhys assures me that such a gesture will be well taken. Like it or not, this is my life now, and I cannot spend it in hiding. Rhys is adamant that this is what I need to do to prove that I belong.”

“But do you even want to belong?” Rose countered.

“I…” Violet furrowed her brow. “I think that I do. Would it be so wrong to be liked by people who are now technically my peers? And Rhys truly believes that the gesture will be greatly appreciated.”

Charlotte and Violet exchanged a look between one another. It included a raised eyebrow, a knowing smirk, and a shared chuckle that Violet did not understand.

“What?” she demanded. “What was that look?”

“What look?” Charlotte grinned as she had another sip of tea.

“Was there a look just now?” Rose giggled. “How strange.”

“What is going on?” Violet demanded of her sister and cousin. “Is there some joke that I am not privy to? What is it?”

Again, a shared look between the two women.

“Oh, it is nothing too concerning,” Rose started, barely able to withhold her laughter. “But just now, you have mentioned His Grace four times, and always with a sense that he knows best.”

“I have not!”

“You have,” Charlotte said with a firm nod. “And it is not just that he knows best, but that you put a rather high stake on his opinion.”

“I…” Violet felt her cheeks turning pink. “I am merely repeating what he has told me.” She looked at them both, eyes wide as if demanding that they believe her. “He knows these people better than I do, so why would I not trust his opinion?”

“Trust his opinion?” Rose winked at Charlotte. “Or worship it? It is hard to tell the difference.”

“That is absurd!”

“Just making an observation, Violet,” Rose laughed from behind her cup of tea. “No need to become so defensive.”

“I am not defensive!”

“You are that,” Charlotte joined in on Rose’s laughter. “And I think we both know why.” She looked at Rose, they shared a grin, and they burst into another fit of giggles.

Violet scowled at them both, as if that simple act might cease their mockery and have them taking back their words. Frustratingly, it only made them laugh all the harder.

Was I really speaking with such praise about Rhys? And so what if I was! I am allowed to be kind to him… it does not mean… it is nothing!

Violet felt her mood plummet. A shame too, as she had so been looking forward to today.

It had been several weeks now since she and Rhys married. And what started as a rather tense and uncertain affair had since transformed into a state of being that was not only easy and carefree, but rather enjoyable… dare Violet even say that she could not remember a period of time when she had been so happy?

A large reason for that was Lucy, who was coming along in leaps and bounds. Still shy, still a little nervous and withdrawn, each day saw her grow steadily into herself and she transformed into the little girl that Violet had always known she could be.

Another reason for the current state of bliss was Rhys.