Page 54 of An Orphan for the Broken Duke

Finally, she was starting to see this marriage for what it could be.

Nineteen

The night of the ball arrived, and Violet found that she was not feeling nearly as nervous as she ought to be. For weeks, nerves had been a constant companion, and a large part of the reason that she had thrown herself so fastidiously into her tasks was to distract from them.

But as she readied herself in her bedroom with Rose, she tried to find those nerves as if she needed them to keep her alert and focused; proof that she had not lost her mind and that tonight was a most important thing. However, the more she searched, the more obvious it became that they were gone.

And while Violet did not want to admit to the reason for that, she suspected it… she felt it, as much as anything.

“Would you look at the two of us.” Rose stepped in beside Violet. There was a full-length mirror before them, and Rose put her arm around Violet so that they both faced it. “Who would have ever guessed? A Season ball, hosted by you, attended to by me.” She laughed. “If this is a dream, may we never wake up.”

“It is rather surprising,” Violet agreed. “Just two months ago, I feared that we would be living on the street.”

“Surprising, maybe,” Rose said. “But well earned. You did this, Violet. This is because of you. And do not dare forget it.”

“Oh, I do not know about that. Rhys was—” Violet caught her tongue before she finished. As if it was a natural reflex, she was about to praise Rhys for helping her. She saw Rose smirking and Violet looked flatly at her. “You are right, Rose. This was earned, and we both deserve it.”

Standing together, the two sisters took a moment to admire their gowns.

Violet was dressed in a gown of magenta; the shades varied, swirling across her bodice and down her skirt like a storm. Rose’s gown was ruby colored, and the pattern was stitched in deep gold so it looked as if vines were slowly snaking their way up her body. Their jewelry was chosen to match their gowns, their hair was worn in ringlets with tiaras to pin it back, and their faces had been powdered pristine white.

Look at us… how far we have come.

Violet’s entire life had been one of struggle, and all she had ever wanted was to know that her sister would be taken care of. That was now proven, and to see what all the effort had achieved brought a tear to her eye.

In that way, perhaps it was not such a bad thing to finally accept help? Now that the hard work was done, why not relax and be happy for a change? Nobody had earned it more.

“Shall we?” Rose linked her arm through Violet’s. “I have a feeling that His Grace is waiting for you. As I have a feeling he is going to be rather taken with how good you look.”

Violet scoffed at the implication. “He will be pleased that I look the part and that I will not embarrass him. That is all.”

“Are you certain about that?”

No, she was not certain. While Violet wanted to get through tonight without anything going wrong, she knew that so long as Rhys was there, she would be safe and looked after. Not something that she was used to needing, but now it was something that she was grateful for.

What was more, she did rather like the idea of impressing him.

These last few days had moved strangely between herself and Rhys. While it was not awkward, it was certainly tense. They both seemed to understand what tonight meant, and while they might have said it was merely for appearances, they both realized that it was so much more.

This marriage walked on a knife edge, and if it had any chance of becoming something else, of growing into something real, tonight would prove it so.

Do I want such a thing? And is it time that I stop lying to myself?

She and Rose left the room together. From there it was a short trip down the hallway until they arrived at the top of the staircase. Rhys waited in the foyer for them. As soon as they appeared, he looked up and the expression on his face was one that Violet felt more than saw.

His eyes became wide as if in surprise. His mouth opened just a little bit. There was a sense that he could not talk… that he did not know what he was looking at. All he could do was stare.

Violet blushed as his eyes held her. Her heart fluttered. And while she might have once dismissed such a look, not wanting it, she accepted his gaze, letting it take her fully so that she wondered if she might float.

“Violet…” Rhys gasped finally. “You look…”

She pressed her lips together to keep her smile at bay, and as she went to step forward, she realized that Rose was not there. Her sister had taken a step back, hiding, giving the moment to Violet and Rhys.

“You look perfect,” Rhys managed as he walked to the base of the steps. “A duchess like no other.”

“You do not look so bad yourself,” she said, but it came out softly spoken and embarrassed.

Then, her legs suddenly trembling, she started down the stairs as her husband continued to gaze up at her in wonder.