Page 34 of An Orphan for the Broken Duke

More than once, Violet gasped and had to resist the urge to race ahead and take Lucy by the hand. That desire to keep the little girl safe and from harm.

Is this what it means to be a mother?

For so many years now, Violet had looked after both herself and Rose; she was the nominated matriarch of their little family of two. But Rose had been fourteen when Violet took charge, so keeping her safe in that literal sense was never a worry. It was always about making sure that she was clothed, that she had food to eat, a place to sleep. With Lucy, things could not be more different.

What kept Violet from hurrying towards the little girl and saving her from Rose was how much fun Lucy seemed to be having.

They were in the back garden of the townhouse. It was a sprawling landscape that stretched for over two hundred feet, and another fifty or so wide. In that space were rows of hedges, colorful flowerbeds, patches of verdant grass, tall standing trees, and a large pond at the very center. And where day one had been spent exploring the inside of the townhouse, day two was dedicated to exploring the garden.

Just then, Rose and Lucy reached the largest of the trees. There, Rose scooped Lucy up as if she meant to place her on one of the lower-hanging branches.

Violet sucked through her teeth…

“They are certainly getting along.” Standing beside her was Rhys, and he watched the scene unfold with a sense of curiosity, as if he did not fully understand what he was seeing.

“A little too well,” Violet said as she watched her sister and Lucy playing. Thankfully, Rose did not try and put Lucy onto the branch, she was only teasing the young girl.

And Lucy, so shy, so reserved and constantly worried, was enjoying herself. Really enjoying herself. She had seen how much Rose meant to Violet, had taken that as permission to think the same of her, and was treating Rose as if she had known her for her whole life.

It warmed Violet’s heart. However, just as she loved to see her sister and Lucy getting along, she sensed Rhys’ unease… as well as his jealousy.

“Rose is good with children,” she explained to him as he watched them together. “And it is often easier for young girls to bond with other women.”

“I know it,” Rhys said, pushing his lips together as if forcing himself to accept the fact. “I am just glad to see that Lucy is growing used to her new home… that she seems to like it.”

“Me too,” Violet said with a warm and assured smile.

She was just as pleased to see that Rhys had not given up.

Better still, he was doing exactly as she had instructed. Violet was a little worried that he might ignore her advice, and that he would again try to prove himself to Lucy. That was, after all, the way that men typically behaved.

At least it is in my experience.

She need not have worried.

From the moment that he joined them outside, he stayed back, he did not approach Lucy and was happy just to watch. As she told him, Lucy needed to see him as someone she could trust before she did, and the best way for that to happen was to be seen with Violet.

“You do not have to be so nervous either,” Violet said to Rhys, sure to smile as she did. He stood back a little, even from her, hands folded behind his back, looking like a man who might turn and flee at any moment.

“I am not nervous,” he said a little too quickly.

She raised a questioning eyebrow at him. “I have seen you confident, I have seen you dismissive, and I have seen you on the verge of throwing a tantrum.”

“I have never thrown a tantrum⁠—”

“But what I see here is obvious nerves,” she spoke over him, rather enjoying the way he fumed. “There is no need to worry so much about Lucy. You do not have to avoid her entirely.”

“You told me that I should,” he argued. “Is that not the entire point? That I ought to stay back and not impose myself?”

“Correct,” she agreed. “But not imposing yourself is not the same as avoiding being near her. She still needs to see you. As she needs to know that you are here for her.”

He clicked his tongue with obvious frustration. “Have you heard the expression, mixed messaging? You could not make things any more confusing if you tried. Just tell me what I need to do for her to trust me.”

Violet certainly found it amusing to see how frustrated Rhys was. It made her feel in control in ways that she rather liked, a further reminder that she was needed and still had purpose. However, she also found it endearing.

He wanted to do better. He wanted to prove himself. And most importantly, he wanted to do right by Lucy.

He really is different from what I expected, and certainly not like other men I have known.