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She had been so young and naive that she’d fallen for his sweet words, or rather his skillful omissions of truth. Yes, he had lied to her. But he had never forced her to marry him. In fact, she was the one who had insisted on it. And she had been only too happy to keep their marriage a secret.

It had all sounded so romantic at the time. God, she’d been such a fool.

A light rap on the door jolted her out of her gloomy thoughts before the butler appeared on the threshold. “His Grace the Duke of Kensington and Her Grace the Duchess of Kensington have arrived, my lord. My ladies,” he said with a bow.

“Thank God,” Lavinia breathed.

“Please, let them in,” Uncle Bastian commanded as Victoria jumped to her feet.

Caroline, the Duchess of Kensington, would no doubt be so disappointed in Victoria. She was the one who’d taught her English etiquette. She was the one who’d sponsored her into society. She was also one of the most poised women in England. A woman who had never been embroiled in any scandal and who probably had never even sneezed in the presence of another.

The couple entered, and after a bow and a curtsy toward Frau Elinor, the duke immediately walked toward Lavinia, while Caroline approached Victoria and, to her surprise, pulled her into a warm hug.

When she released her, she still had her hands on Victoria’s shoulders, her gaze sharp but full of compassion. “Do not worry. We’ll take care of everything.”

Victoria’s eyes started tearing up. “How?” She was prepared for scolding, and she could withstand anger, but she was not prepared for kindness.

Caroline chewed her lower lip, such an uncharacteristic action for her. “I don’t know yet. But I am a duchess. I will figure it out.”

Victoria chuckled. “And I am a princess. And yet all I seem to be able to do is get myself into trouble.”

Caroline waved a dismissing hand and smiled. “You are right. You are a princess. You can afford to get yourself into trouble.”

“Thank you for coming so quickly,” Lavinia said when everyone settled down and turned to Caroline. “Especially since you have so much going on. How’s the duke?” Lavinia meant the Duke of Wolverstone, Caroline’s late uncle’s friend, who was like a family to her.

Caroline’s late uncle was the only family she knew. He was the man who had raised her, and he had passed away by his own hand after William had blackmailed him. So naturally, Caroline hated William. And now, she latched onto the Duke of Wolverstone, her uncle’s best friend, as the only reminder of the person she had lost.

She swallowed visibly and nodded. “He is… Well, he is still bedridden.”

Her husband took her hand, and she gave him a grateful smile.

“I assume that’s why William is back now,” she continued, her voice strained. “The duke was the only person William ever feared. Perhaps feared is not the right word… Avoided. Now that Wolverstone can’t touch him, he’s back.”

Wolverstone was a powerful man. Besides being a duke, he was also the leader of a secretive spy society called the Shadows, a society Victoria knew little about. She knew that they aimed to eradicate violence toward the most vulnerable and least protected. She knew that not many people were aware of that and as a result, they feared the Shadows. However, she knew them to be a group of vigilantes who’d inherited their mantles from their parents, and a few of her friends, including Caroline, her husband, and her other friend’s husband, Viscount St. John, were part of this group.

She also knew that the leader of this society, Wolverstone, was called Erebus, a pseudonym used to hide his real identity.

And, of course, in his usual fashion, William had taken advantage of this society and managed to smear their reputation. He’d pretended to be Erebus and blackmailed a good portion of the general population using his name as a shield.

When Wolverstone found out about this little detail, William was forced to leave the country. And now he was back.

“Regardless of the question why now, we have to ask ourselves, why come back at all? What are his motives?” Kensington asked.

Lavinia glanced at Victoria and cleared her throat. “He wants his wife back.”

“Yes, but why?” Kensington didn’t relent.

“Because he loves her,” Lavinia insisted, in a tone that conveyed her conviction.

“I doubt the bastard can love anyone,” Uncle Bastian growled. “He must have selfish reasons.”

“Isn’t love a selfish enough reason?” Lavinia countered.

“Love is caring about another person’s well-being, not jeopardizing their safety and social standing so long as you are the one who possesses them like a coveted item! I can’t believe you would…”

Uncle Bastian continued with his tirade, Lavinia softly rebuking his statements, but although Victoria heard their voices, she didn’t comprehend the meaning of their words anymore. At some point, the Kensingtons interjected with their own opinions. Everyone was trying to solve her problem. Everyone put their lives aside to save her from another misfortune caused by her youthful mistake like they always did. Ever since she’d married William, she had expected her uncle to sweep up the rubble of her poor decisions. It was time for her to get off her bottom and take responsibility for some of them, too.

She glanced at Frau Elinor, who looked back at her at the same moment as if reading her mind. She gave her an encouraging smile coupled with a light frown. Only Frau Elinor was able to make that kind of grimace of stern approval. And Victoria felt comforted by it.