Nathan sat back, a slightly humbled expression on his face. “You’re right, I haven’t. We need to find you someone whocantell you that it’s worth it. The person we need is Phineas.”
James looked up. It hadn’t even crossed his mind to ask the Duke of Eavestone for help regarding his romantic tribulations. But while Phineas certainly knew about the ups and downs of love, as his marriage-of-convenience-turned-love-match with Iris had shown, it was difficult to ask him for advice when he was in Italy.
“He’ll be back tonight,” he mumbled, suddenly remembering his wife’s words to him earlier. “Violet has gone to stay with him and the Duchess tonight.”
Nathan tilted his head to the side, the lines around his eyes deepening. “What are you talking about? I got a letter from Phineas today saying that they have delayed their trip another week so that they can visit Greece.”
“What? But Violet said…” A horrible realization dawned on James, and he felt a knot of dread forming in his stomach. “She lied to me. But why would she lie? Where might she find refuge from her father if not at Phineas’? You don’t think she has a paramour, do you?”
“No,” Nathan said at once. “When would she even have had the time?”
“Then…” The knot of dread seemed to grow bigger. “Nathan, I have a terrible feeling that something bad is happening. There is no way Violet would ever put her family in danger. The only reason she would annul our marriage was if she was sure her sister would be safe wherever she was going next. And if Phineas isn’t back, then there’s nowhere safer than my home.”
“Unless…” Nathan looked ill all of a sudden, and James knew his own expression matched his cousin’s.
“Unless the only way to keep her sister safe was to annul our marriage. But why?” Their eyes met, and goosebumps broke across James’s arms and legs as horror seized him. “We need to get back to my housenow!Before Violet does whatever it is she thinks she has to do to keep her family safe!”
As he and Nathan stood up and raced towards the exit, a million questions were racing in his mind. But none of them mattered except for one.
How can I keep my wife safe?
“What is going on?” Rosalie asked for what felt like the hundredth time as Violet threw all the clothes she would need for her journey into the small trunk she’d ordered her lady’s maid to bring her from storage.
It felt like only a short time ago that she had been unpacking this trunk as she’d prepared to marry and move out of her father’s house.
“Violet, just tell me! You can’t just leave me here alone!”
“I told you, the Duke and I are separating. We are not compatible, and while I feel deep respect and care for him, I can no longer go on living in a loveless marriage. One where I cannot even hope to have children someday.”
“But you cannot leave!” Rosalie protested. She was standing at the foot of Violet’s bed, watching her pack with a dumbfounded look on her face. “Where will you go? Father is still out there! If you leave the house, you won’t have the protection of the Duke’s guards. Father will find you, and who knows what horrible things he will do!”
Violet tried to steady her breathing. It was a good thing, at least, that Rosalie had no idea their father was behind all of this. That meant Mr. Cain had not harmed her earlier when he had hidden in her closet, unbeknownst to her.
“I am not worried about Father—at least not yet,” she said. “I will stay with our cousin tonight. He might not inspire fear in Father, but I believe I will be safe there for at least tonight. Tomorrow, I will figure out whatever needs to be done to keep myself safe.”
She was just making things up now. Whatever she had to say to get out of the house before James guessed what was really going on and stopped her. She’d thought she’d heard him leaving earlier—at least, the front door had slammed shut with all the force of a deeply distraught man. But he would be back soon, and she needed to be gone by then.
“That makes no sense!” Rosalie scoffed. “The whole point of you marrying the Duke in the first place is because our cousin wasn’t able to protect us!”
“Which is why you will stay here,” Violet said at once.
She hadn’t discussed that with James, but there was no way she was letting her sister out of this house until she was married, her father had left the country, and she could be sure Mr. Cain wouldn’t come near her again.
I probably shouldn’t have told James that Iris returned.He will discover the lie quickly.
But she knew that if she said she was going to her cousin, James wouldn’t have believed her. He knew her well enough for that.
“Please, don’t do this,” Rosalie whispered, interrupting her thoughts.
“I need to be away from him, Rosalie,” Violet insisted.
She moved to the window and drew the curtains, scanning the street below. Sure enough, the carriage her father had told her about was waiting outside. The carriage that would take her to her fate.
She swallowed as her throat went dry.
“You’ll understand once you’re married,” she said, turning back to her sister.
In her head, she was making a list: dresses for a few days; stockings; traveling cloaks; stays and shifts; boots; and of course, agown for the wedding.
