Jebediah raised an eyebrow. “Don’t try to lie to me, Violet. I know Rosalie is here. I planned this little visit carefully so that you would both be present. Mr. Cain was very eager to earn my forgiveness—after all, his family owes me a lot of money. It was easy enough for him to flirt with Rosalie and win her affection, then arrange an impromptu visit with so many flowers that he needed men to help him carry them.”
Violet’s brain felt fuzzy, and she closed her eyes briefly as the horror of this explanation washed over her.
Mr. Cain was in on it! I was right when I was paranoid and thought he might be working with my father!
When she opened her eyes, her father had begun to pace. “Leave it to Rosalie to be foolish enough to fall for the first man who bats his eyelashes at her. She is too silly and romantic for her own sake. I hope, at least, that this little adventure will teach her a lesson when she discovers the truth of what Mr. Cain did.” Hesmiled again. “Of course, I cannot fault her entirely for falling for the act. Mr. Cain truly played his partpar excellence.He is ingenious! I dare even say he is my natural successor.”
Jebediah looked momentarily amused, and Violet felt anger bloom in her chest. It was one thing for him to come here and scare her, but Rosalie had done nothing to him. He had no reason to harm her.
“He is upstairs as we speak,” her father continued, “hiding in her closet until you and I are done speaking. And if we do not come to an understanding… let’s just say Rosalie’s first romance will end tragically.”
All at once, fear like she had never felt before flooded her. She thought it might make her sick. Drawing herself up, she glared at her father as a voice in her head screamed,Do whatever it takes to protect Rose! Whatever it takes!
“What do you want?” she asked through gritted teeth.
“I want you, my dear,” Jebediah intoned. “Or rather, I want your marriage.”
“What?”
“It is time your farce of a marriage with the Duke of Attorton came to an end. I brought with me papers for an annulment. You will sign them, and then you will come with me.”
“Annulment?” Violet stared at her father, her mind whirring.
He can’t know. How could he?
“My marriage can’t be annulled! The Duke and I are married in the eyes of men and God.”
“Don’t give me that dribble,” her father snorted. “I know that you two do not live as husband and wife. Mr. Cain overheard your argument on the terrace. He knows that the Duke refuses to have children and that you remain a maiden.”
A myriad of terrible emotions surged through Violet. She couldn’t believe her father knew this about her marriage, and the shame of it was overwhelming. At the same time, she also felt furious at her father, at Mr. Cain, and even, irrationally, at Rosalie for falling for Mr. Cain’s lies.
Worst of all, she felt a blinding rage at James.
If he had just acted like a normal husband, this wouldn’t be happening.
But she had to lie—anything to stop this from happening. “That may have been true then,” she forced herself to say, “but it is no longer true. The Duke and I have… consummated our marriage.”
Her father let out a cold, harsh laugh. “I believe that as much as I believe Mr. Cain actually loves Rosalie. You can’t fool me, Violet. You and I are cut from the same cloth. Everyone has alwaysknown it—we look the same, we have the same mannerisms, and we have the same ability to get what we want. Isn’t that how you ended up being married to the Duke in the first place? You, a girl without any special skills or even looks to recommend her? But you wouldn’t take no for an answer, and you found a way to get what you wanted so that you couldprotectyourself and your sister from me.”
He scoffed. “I applaud you for your effort, but while we might be similar, I have one thing you don’t have—I am a man, and you are only a woman. So I will always be able to outsmart you. Which is how I was able to get to you today, and how I know that you are lying.”
Violet wasn’t sure how her father knew, but she also knew that there was no point in lying. His cruel gray eyes were staring deep into her soul. He knew.
“You will speak to your husband today and demand an annulment,” he continued when she didn’t try to argue. “And after he signs this document, you will remove yourself from this house. I will be waiting for you outside in a carriage, and you will join me there.”
“Why?” Violet’s heart began to pound. It wasn’t just an annulment her father wanted, she was sure. There was something else behind it. “Why do you want me to annul my marriage, and why do you want me to go with you?”
Her father looked her over carefully as if assessing how much information she needed to know. “There is a man in Wales whocan forge papers that will allow me to leave these shores. He is an expert at smugglingpersons of interestout of England, and he has promised to help me. But his price is steep, my dear. And now that I no longer have access to the estate’s funds, well… as you can see, I have had to make do.”
He gestured to his clothes, and only then did Violet realize how threadbare they were. It was unusual for the former Viscount Carfield to dress so poorly. The jacket he wore was worn at the elbows, the color was faded, and it seemed to be missing a few buttons. His cravat was wrinkled and stained, and even his hat looked worn.
“Being on the run is difficult,” he sighed. “But not only will this gentleman provide documents that will allow me to cross the ocean, but he will also give me a small sum of money. It should be enough to get me started in America, or wherever I go. Once there, I’ll start a business.”
“Why would this gentleman give you money?” Violet asked, her mouth very dry. “And what’s his price?”
But she already knew. It was obvious.
Her father’s eyes glittered. “Your hand in marriage.”
