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With a nod toward her aunt, she stood, her fingers curled into fists by her sides. “I think it’s time we told everyone the truth.”
The room fell silent for a long moment, and everyone turned sharply toward her.
Finally, Kensington asked, “Whatever do you mean?”
She bit her lower lip, her heart racing, thumping against her ribcage. “About my marriage to William.”
“Not a chance in hell,” Uncle growled.
“How can that possibly help?” Lavinia added.
Victoria started pacing the carpet, her chest heaving. “Of course, being the wife of a known profligate and a rake will sting. As will the fact that he’s a bastard. But he is a duke’s bastard. Your half-brother. That ought to count for something, right?” She glanced at Kensington, sitting silently, his wife’s hand in his, and continued pacing. “And with your help, perhaps, we can smooth over some of the scandal. Besides, it’s better if it’s known that I was taken by my own husband than by a band of brigands. Or we can tell them that we eloped because you”—she waved in her uncle’s direction—“were understandably against our union. We can say that Porter lied out of jealousy. That would smooth over some of the damage he’s done.”
“That will still ruin your reputation,” Uncle Bastian said gravely.
Victoria let out a nervous laugh at that. “It is already ruined. At least this way, it won’t be destroyed. And then, after a few months, I can openly divorce him. And be free.”
“Divorce him?” Lavinia reared back. “What makes you think he will agree to such a thing? What makes you think the courts will even allow it? There hasn’t been a divorce in England for decades!”
Kensington shrugged. “I can deal with the courts if that’s what you truly want. It might not be easy, but not impossible.”
“And I will deal with William,” Victoria said. “You said he had to marry me to gain social status, or something else of that manner. I will figure out what he wants, and I shall give it to him as long as he agrees to our scheme.”
“Suppose he agrees. What then? People still hate him. He is still a bastard. How will that make anything better?” Lavinia asked.
“We’ll turn everything society knows on its head!” Caroline exclaimed. “We’ll turn Victoria from a meek little victim to an eccentric princess who is ruled by passion. English ladies are supposed to be poised and graceful. But Victoria is not English. With the right attitude, foreigners are actually forgiven a lot. And we shall endow Victoria with those attributes.”
“An Eccentric Princess campaign,” Lavinia mused. “I like it.”
“Yes,” Caroline said, “we’ll tell most of the truth about her and spin it on its head.”
“Right,” Victoria agreed. “I suppose my life would seem a bit eccentric under the right circumstances. My father was divorced twice and married three times. And we can say that it is due to his passionate nature, which I happened to inherit.”
Caroline raised her finger with a smile. “Exactly.”
“And wasn’t your sister well-known and revered as well as judged for having two lovers of both genders? That would help cement your eccentric status for certain,” Lavinia added.
Kensington looked puzzled at that, seemingly trying to reconcile that idea in his head. “We can feed the information to the papers, embellishing the details as much as we can.”
“And then we shall parade you around with your new husband,” Caroline continued. “Telling everyone who will listen that instead of following a political agenda you decided to follow your heart and marry the man you fell in love with. For this, of course, you’d need to pretend affection. And we will have to… ahem… publicly acknowledge William as part of our family. But luckily for us, that will make you my sister-in-law.”
Kensington groaned. “Do I really have to publicly acknowledge William?”
“Recognizing a bastard has been done all over Europe, including England.”
“Everybody already knows William is my bastard brother,” Kensington countered. “And they also know we can’t stand each other.”
“You’ll have to try your best to convince them of your acceptance if not love,” Frau Elinor spoke for the first time since Kensington’s arrival.
The duke nodded, and a brief lull fell in the conversation before Caroline spoke up thoughtfully. “We were wondering all this time what he wanted from you. Perhaps it’s this. He could never be a duke’s son. Not legitimately anyway. So, now he is the princess’s husband.”
“Are you sure William will agree to all this?” Lavinia asked. “I know we are all quite certain he has his selfish reasons, but I am convinced that you–and not your status–are what he wants.”
Victoria swallowed and turned away. “And I am quite certain you’re wrong.”
“I’ll write to Annalise and Olivia to help.” Lavinia stood and approached her husband’s desk to do just that. “And Olivia, no doubt, will inform Helen as well.”
Caroline nodded. “We need all the help we can get.”
