But instead of reassuring her, this seemed to only anger her more.
“Then it is some sort of physical problem?” Her eyes swept over him. “Or are you merely afraid of women?”
Her tone was taunting and cruel, and alongside his anger, James also felt something else—embarrassment.
“There is no need to be so cruel,” he said, and he was shocked by how hurt he sounded.
“No need?!” Violet exclaimed.
She was completely out of control, he realized. Her anger had overtaken her so completely that she could no longer see how much she was hurting him.
James understood her anger. It was that kind of anger that had led him to make a certain vow to his father.
“There is every need! You know what your problem is, Your Grace? You pretend to be the strong man, the Devilish Duke, the frightening Duke who makes others quiver in their boots when he is near. But at the end of the day, you are afraid. You’re afraid to be close to anyone because you know if they get close, they will discover that underneath the persona you have built, you are afraid.”
“You’re one to talk!” he snapped, his temper getting the better of him. “You think I’m afraid to get close to people? You are the one who won’t even let your sister or mother close! You keep everyone at a distance!”
“Because I had to! It’s not like I wanted to be like this.”
“Well, neither did I! I didn’t have the easiest childhood either.”
“Our positions were not the same!” she argued, stomping her feet. “You are a man, and a duke! You have your own money, your independence, and the ability to forge your own path. I had to get married to a man I barely knew just to keep myself and my sister alive!”
James couldn’t argue with that. She was right—their positions were not the same. The world had made her powerless simply for being a woman. All the anger left him then, and he felt a deep, terrible pain in his chest, as if his heart was cracking open.
“I thought I married a strong man,” she said. She took a step towards him, and he saw in her eyes his pain. “I did not agree to marry a coward who could not even be a real husband to his wife. Next week, I believe we should look into an annulment. It will not be hard to get, once I tell them of your… problem.”
It was the blow that felled him. The world spun around him, and he thought for a moment that he might collapse. But he didn’t. He just stood there, feeling as if he had been punched in the gut.
“Goodnight, Your Grace,” she uttered, before she stormed out of the terrace, leaving him alone in the darkness.
Chapter Twenty
“Are we really leaving so soon?” Rosalie complained as Violet dragged her across the dance floor.
“Yes,” Violet snapped. “We need to leave at once.”
“But…” Rosalie cast a longing glance back over her shoulder, to where Mr. Cain stood by the door to the terrace, looking shocked.
Violet didn’t blame him. When she stormed off the terrace, she had run smack into the two of them, grabbed her sister by the hand, and pulled her away. It was very far from proper, and Violet knew she would pay for it tomorrow when the scandal sheets reported that she’d behaved like a mad woman and not at all with the refinement required of a duchess.
“Where’s Mama?” she asked, ignoring her sister’s sigh of disappointment.
“I don’t know,” Rosalie whined, “but I’m not ready to leave yet, Violet. Just because you had a fight with your husband doesn’t mean the rest of us want to leave.”
“A quick goodbye is more romantic anyway,” Violet said, glancing to where Mr. Cain stared after them, looking love-lorn. “Leave Mr. Cain wanting more.”
“I’m not about to take relationship advice from you,” Rosalie snapped, and Violet rolled her eyes.
Lady Carfield emerged from the crowd at that moment, a concerned look on her face.
“Violet, is there a reason you are rushing out of this ball like the building’s on fire?”
“We need to go,” Violet snapped. “I’ll explain later.”
“You don’t need to explain,” her mother said, looking around nervously. “Everyone heard your fight. But if we leave now, it will cause a scandal. You and the Duke should dance together again, to put any rumors to bed right away.”
“No,” Violet huffed. “That’s out of the question.”
