Loving.The word felt so foreign and pressed a particular nerve with Violet. There was no love in this union—it was nothing but a marriage of convenience. For all she knew, she would be an ornamental bride while he continued on with his rakish ways.
“That’s so unfair,” she burst out, her voice trembling. “I did not wish to marry someone like this.”
“Marriage is rarely fair, my dear. But it is what life has asked of you. It is your responsibility to ensure that you do what is needed,” Arabella replied. She had a talent for delivering the harshest of words in the softest of tones. “And I believe you can do it. You are strong.”
Violet looked away, her vision blurring with unshed tears. She didn’t feel strong. She felt trapped, a pawn in a game she hadn’t agreed to play.
Arabella gently cupped her daughter’s face, forcing Violet to meet her gaze. “Listen to me, Violet,” she said firmly. “You are stepping into a new chapter of your life, one that will shape you in ways you can’t yet imagine. It is daunting, yes, but you are capable of facing it.”
“But I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do.”
“You will learn. And His Grace, for all his reputation, is not a cruel man. He will teach you what you need to know.”
The mention of the Duke sent a fresh wave of nerves through Violet, and she shook her head. “I barely know him, Mother. How am I supposed to … to be a wife to someone I hardly know?”
“Marriage often begins that way,” Arabella said with a small sigh. “But understanding comes with time. You must be patient.”
Violet bit her lip, her heart heavy with unanswered questions and unspoken fears. Her mother’s words offered no clarity, noreal guidance, only a vague sense of inevitability. She felt like a ship adrift in a storm, her course set by forces beyond her control.
Arabella leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Violet’s forehead. “You’re stronger than you think, my darling. And you are not alone in this. We’re all here for you.”
Before Violet could respond, the door creaked open, and one of the maids peeked inside. “It is nearly time.”
The walk down the aisle felt both endless and fleeting. It still felt surreal of course. It was a small ceremony with only a handful of guests.
At the aisle of the aisle, the Duke stood tall, his dark hair neatly combed, his expression carefully composed. His hands were clasped behind his back.
Her brother, Jasper, had been the one to walk her down the aisle. With a squeeze of her hand, he placed it into the Duke’s.
It was the first time she had touched him.
The moment their hands met, a jolt of awareness shot through her. His hand was warm and enveloping. She was not prepared for the way her skin seemed to ignite at the contact. Her chest tightened, her breath catching slightly.
The Duke’s fingers curled around hers, holding her hand in his larger one. His grip was steady, almost reassuring, but his eyes… his eyes were something else entirely. A dark, piercing gaze. His touch may have been steady, but his gaze was not indifferent—it lingered, searching, as though he were seeing more of her than she intended to reveal.
For a brief, unguarded moment, Violet wondered if he felt it too. The heat and… the peculiar tension that simmered between them.
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as they turned toward the priest. Even without looking at him, she was keenly aware of every shift, every movement he made.
The Duke, for his part, kept his gaze forward, his jaw set in a way that betrayed none of his thoughts. But there was a tension in his posture that hadn’t been there before, as though he were restraining himself from something.
Perhaps it would do me good to act the same.
And accordingly, it all became a giant blur after that.
All that she knew that the priest had announced their union and that her life had now been forever changed.
If it was for the better… or worse… that much she did not know yet.
CHAPTER 6
“Careful with your step there, Duchess.”
Violet glanced back at the Duke, who seemed to be watching her every step as she made her way up the estate’s staircase. The wedding gown was heavy, and it was not lost on him that she was having some trouble carrying it.
It was hardly the gown of her dreams, but she was lucky to even have one, considering how short notice everything had been.
“Need a helping hand?” The Duke was by her side in a flash. Violet shook her head, adamant to do this on her own. He did not offer again, and the new couple continued to walk up the stairs together—but never once interacting.
