Violet smiled—a small smile, but one full of wisdom. “You’d never abandon your children. Like you never abandoned us.”
Iris looked deep into her sister’s eyes. They were so full of trust that Iris felt a renewed sense of purpose. She flipped her hand over and squeezed her sisters’ hands.
“You’re right,” she said. “I never would. And even though I’ll be leaving tomorrow to live with the Duke, I don’t want either of you to think you’re being abandoned. The Duke has promised to protect both of you. It was one of the conditions of our marriage. So, I need you to tell me if Father does anything to harm you, or if he makes threats of marrying you off. If he does, tell me at once, and the Duke and I will intervene. Do you promise?”
Both her sisters nodded, and Iris relaxed a little. She felt less nervous, knowing that at least her sisters would be protected by the Duke of Eavestone.
“And I want you both to visit me as often as you can,” she continued. “My new home will be your home.”
“It won’t be the same without you,” Rosalie said, flinging her arms around Iris. “I’ll miss you so much.”
“I’ll miss you too,” Iris choked out, swallowing her tears. She had to be strong now. “But if everything goes according to plan, then we will be reunited soon enough.”
And if the Duke is as trustworthy as he says he is.
“Phineas Thorne—a bridegroom. Now those are words I never thought I’d say!”
James was grinning from ear to ear as he surveyed Phineas, who was standing in front of the mirror in his bedchamber, fidgeting with the silk cravat at his throat.
Phineas glowered at his friend through the mirror. He did not like the smug look on James’s face one bit.
“Stop grinning like a fool and get over here and help me with this,” he snapped, gesturing toward the cravat. “My valet tied it too tight. I think he’s trying to do me in on my wedding day.”
James rolled his eyes, but he did as he was told. Coming over to Phineas, he examined the cravat with narrowed eyes.
“Having trouble breathing?” he asked, more soberly.
“I feel… constricted,” Phineas admitted.
James couldn’t keep from smirking. “That’s the marriage vows, Eavestone, not the cravat.”
Phineas scowled more deeply and turned back to the mirror. He looked the part of the bridegroom, it was true. He was in a black velvet coat, an elaborately embroidered royal blue waistcoat, a starched white shirt, and black breeches. To top it all off, he was wearing a top hat. He wasn’t used to being this formally dressed so early in the morning, and he felt slightly uncomfortable.
But maybe it was as James had said: it wasn’t the clothes so much as his nerves. After all, he was going to be married in a few short minutes.
The guests had already arrived, the chapel was full, and now all it needed was Iris and himself. It had all happened so quickly that Phineas could barely get his mind around it, and truthfully, his stomach was in knots.
Not that he would admit that to James.
“Of all the men,” his old friend admitted, shaking his head as he began to re-tie his cravat, “you were the one I was sure would never marry. I even had a bet on it going at White’s. You owe me ten pounds.”
“I owe you nothing,” Phineas said, more sternly than he meant to. “I didn’t ask you to bet on the likelihood of my marrying.”
James made a tutting sound. “So on edge that you can’t take a joke, I see. What, are you nervous?”
“Of course not,” Phineas huffed, too quickly.
For a moment, James looked as if he was about to make a ribald joke, probably something akin to,If you need advice on the wedding night…but then he caught sight of Phineas’s expression and seemed to change tact.
“I’m sure married life won’t be as unpleasant as one hears,” he offered instead. “Perhaps you’ll even grow to like your wife.”
Phineas nodded but didn’t quite meet his friend’s eyes.
James smirked again. “Oh, is that the problem? You like her too much already?”
“What do you mean?” Phineas asked sharply. His heart had begun to pound, although he wasn’t sure why. “I barely know the lady.”
“Still… there is certainly something intriguing about a woman who barges into your home and demands you marry her.”
