Nicholas shifted his attention to Arabella, who had been quietly observing the conversation. He could tell she was just as protective of Violet as her sons were—if not more so.
So then, he thought, it would be wise to win favour with her. “I must commend you. You’ve raised a daughter who has been nothing short of remarkable in her new role.”
Arabella blinked, her gaze sharpening slightly as though trying to discern whether his words were sincere or merely flattery.
“That is kind of you to say, Your Grace,” she replied with a faint smile. “But I imagine Violet’s adjustment has been no small task.”
“No, she has taken to the role very well,” Nicholas affirmed. From the corner of his eye, Nicholas caught Violet’s startled glance. Her cheeks flushed faintly, and she quickly busied herself with her glass of water as though pretending she hadn’t heard.
For the rest of the meal, Nicholas made sure to pepper the conversation with the occasional compliment towards his wife. He wanted her family to get the sense that she had been settling in well, and that she had exceeded expectations in her role as a duchess.
That was important to him.Whyexactly, he was not yet sure.
After dinner, the group moved to the garden, where a Pall Mall set had been laid out in preparation. Jasper began to hand out the mallets.
“Do you play, Your Grace?” Leopold asked.
Nicholas accepted a mallet with a faint smile. “I’ve played a few times.”
“Well, you’re in for a treat,” Leopold said with a laugh. “Violet is surprisingly ruthless when it comes to Pall Mall.”
Nicholas’ brow arched slightly as he glanced at Violet. She was standing a few paces away, her mallet resting lightly against her shoulder, a competitive smile on her lips. It was a side of her he hadn’t seen before—carefree, confident, and entirely at ease.
“Is that so?”
Leopold chuckled, leaning casually on his mallet as he watched Violet line up her shot. “Oh, absolutely. Don’t let that sweet facefool you, Your Grace. She’s been ruthless at this game since she was a child.”
“When she was little, she used to beg to play with us. We tried to put her off, you know, told her it was too rough for her or that the mallets were too heavy,” he continued.
“I’d imagine that didn’t work for long,” Nicholas remarked, his gaze flickering to Violet, intrigued.
“Not even a little,” Leopold said, laughing. “She wouldn’t take no for an answer. Eventually, we gave in, thinking she’d lose interest after a round or two. But she was quite persistent. She trounced us regularly after the first week.”
Nicholas looked at Violet. This was unexpected information. A new side of her that he was not aware of.So, she is a strategist.
“She even started reading books about the game to get better,” Leopold chuckled.
“Someone who doesn’t like to lose,” Nicholas said, the smallest trace of admiration in his voice. He turned to Violet, his gaze holding hers. “I see I’ll have to be on my guard.”
“You should,” Violet said playfully.
The game began, and Nicholas quickly realized Leopold hadn’t been exaggerating.
Violet played with a determination that bordered on ferocity. She laughed freely when Leopold missed a shot, and she rolled her eyes at Jasper’s approach to setting up his strikes.
Nicholas found himself watching her more than the game. Her guarded demeanor was completely absent here.
She moved with a certain sense of ease and confidence. It was a side of her that he had never seen before.
And frankly, helikedit.
“She’s different, isn’t she?” Jasper’s voice broke through Nicholas’ thoughts. The older brother stood beside him, his gaze fixed on Violet as she lined up her next shot.
“She seems… comfortable,” Nicholas replied, carefully picking his choice of words.
“She is. With us, at least. Violet has always been shy with new people. I am sure that you have noticed that already though.”
Nicholas nodded slowly, his eyes lingering on Violet. “It’s good to see her like this.”
