“I don’t want Phineas to duel one of his best friends!” Rosalie said, alarmed. “Anyway, that won’t be necessary, the Duke has been very attentive and kind. Yes, he can be a tad abrasive at times. There’s a reason he has the reputation that he does. But underneath all that, he is a good person, I believe. Just a man with a tremendous amount of pain…”
There must have been something dreamy in her eyes because Iris and Violet exchange knowing—and amused—looks.
“If there are any two women who understand the allure of a difficult, troubled man with a heart of gold, it is us,” Violet observed. “We both married dukes with fearsome reputations, but we have both found that this outer layer is usually just hiding a soft, tender heart that he is afraid will get hurt.”
It was hard to imagineherduke with a soft, tender heart, but then again, he had confessed his fears to her after he’d rescued her from the caved-in floors; that had felt more tender-hearted than anything else he had shown her so far.
“There is something alluring about the Duke,” Rosalie admitted slowly. “He is very protective. I know that when he’s with me, nothing and no one could ever harm me. And he’s resilient. He has overcome so much in his life, and it has made him strong. He’s also just a good man. I admire so much his commitment to bringing down the criminal elements that are proliferating all over the country. His work with Scotland Yard is astonishing.”
She didn’t mention their attempt to take down Redfield; not only did she not think she should mention it to anyone in case it got back to him, but she also didn’t want to mention Redfield to Violet since she’d almost been forced to marry his father.
“It makes sense that you are drawn to the fact he is a good person,” Violet said. “Especially after growing up with Father. I understand why you would want something different.”
“Yes, well…” Rosalie bit her lip. “I do worry sometimes about my husband’s temper. There are moments when he shows the same flare of anger that Father used to, but he never makes me feel small or as if I am to blame for his anger. It’s usually at injustice that he gets angry. Still, I always envisioned myself with a calm, even-tempered man—the opposite of Father.”
“Sometimes the person wewantto be drawn to and the person we actually are drawn to are quite different,” Iris said with a small smile. “Unfortunately, we humans do not always want what is best for us. Although it does sound like your husband is good for you.”
“He has been surprising,” Rosalie said. “I like him more than I thought I would.”
She blushed again, and both of her sisters smirked; well, Iris smirked, and Violet hid a smile behind her hand.
“Is it as good as in those romantic novels you love to read?” Iris asked.
“Actually, what I like best about the Duke is that he encourages me to live my own life more fully instead of relying on my characters to live for me.”
This seemed to surprise both her sisters, who exchanged another glance.
“What?” she asked, looking between them.
“It’s just… Iris and I had discussed something similar,” Violet said at last. “In the past, we worried that you escaped into novels so much that real life wouldn’t interest you anymore, or it would always let you down compared to a novel.”
Rosalie smiled. Once, this might have offended her. Now, she understood where her sisters were coming from. She even agreed with them.
“The Duke encourages me to read,” she said, “but he also encourages me to live. I think it’s good for me.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Violet agreed, taking her hand and squeezing it.
A maid came in with the tea, and Iris began to pour it for the three of them.
“So, the match has turned out better than you had supposed?” Iris looked pleased as she set down the teapot. “A year ago,I never would have guessed that the three of us would all be married—and to men we actually like!”
“I’m still not sure exactly how I feel about the Duke,” Rosalie said quickly, but Iris waved a hand as if to dismiss this.
“Well then, at least we didn’t have to marry the men Father would have picked out for us! That’s something we can be grateful for at the very least.”
Violet laughed. “It was a close call, though.”
Rosalie set down her tea and looked between her sisters. “Actually, speaking of Father, there is something I wanted to discuss with you two.” And she told them briefly about seeing their father at his prison. When she was done with her story, both sisters were staring at her in shock.
“You actually went to his prison?” Violet breathed, eyes wide. “Rosalie, that must have been terrifying!”
“Actually, it wasn’t that bad.”
“I can’t say I approve of you going there,” Iris interrupted. “And your husband allowed that? I will need to have words with him! What was he thinking, bringing you to such a place? What if there had been a breakout while you’d been there? What if you’d been harmed? What if?—”
“There are guards there, Iris,” Rosalie said, annoyed. “And the Duke is also very capable of protecting me. Anyway, I’m not a little girl anymore. I’m a grown, married woman. A duchess!”
“You’re still a little girl to your eldest sister,” Iris reminded her.
