“Leaving already?” Leopold called out when he noticed her sneaking away back inside the manor. “Afraid you’ll lose if you stay?”
Violet straightened, her hand tightening around her mallet as she tried to maintain her composure. “Not at all. I just think the three of you should take this opportunity to play without distractions. Consider it a gift.”
Leopold snorted, clearly unconvinced, while Jasper raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Nicholas, however, simply watched her. She could feel the weight of his gaze even as she refused to meet it.
“And where are you off to, then?” Leopold pressed, grinning.
“I thought I’d check on Mother,” Violet said, lifting her chin. “It has been so long since the two of us had a proper conversation.”
“All I hear is that there’s an opportunity to take your place andbeatHis Grace in the game,” Leopold replied, jokingly.
She smiled faintly. “Enjoy your game, then. Try not to let His Grace trounce you too thoroughly.”
Violet handed off her mallet to one of the servants before walking briskly back toward the Manor. She kept her pace steady, but her thoughts were all over the place.
Every moment she had spent in the garden had felt heightened—every glance from Nicholas. It was as though he had taken up residence in her mind.
I just need a moment to breathe,she told herself as she finally entered the house.
Violet eventually found her mother in the sitting room, arranging fresh flowers in a vase. Arabella looked up as Violet entered.
“There you are, darling,” she said. “I thought you’d still be outside with your brothers.”
“I needed a break,” Violet admitted, sinking into one of the chairs. “They’re… rather competitive.”
Arabella chuckled softly. “And what of the Duke? How is he getting on with them?”
Violet hesitated, the question catching her off guard. “He’s… holding his own,” she said finally, her tone neutral. “Leopold seems to enjoy teasing him, but Nicholas doesn’t seem to mind.”
Arabella’s smile widened. “It’s important that he gets along with them.”
“Yes,” Violet murmured, glancing down at her hands. “He seems to have a knack for getting along with just about anyone.”
There was a small silence between them, and then she decided to question her mother on a topic that had been swirling inside her mind for a while now.
“Mother,” she began slowly, her voice quieter now, “what do you think… makes a successful marriage?”
“Well, it is really simpler than you’d imagine. Trust, understanding, respect,” she said after a moment. “Those are the foundations of any strong partnership.”
Violet fidgeted with the folds of her skirt. “I’ve just been thinking… about expectations. What people expect from a marriage.”
Arabella tilted her head, studying her daughter. “Expectations can vary, my dear. What are you trying to say?”
Violet hesitated, her cheeks warming. “It’s just… I wonder how one knows if they’re meeting those expectations.”
Arabella’s eyes softened, but there was a flicker of discomfort there as well.
“Are you speaking about… your duties as a wife?”
Violet’s blush deepened, and she looked away. “Perhaps.”
There was a long pause, and Violet could feel her mother’s hesitation. Arabella sat down beside her, reaching out to take her hand.
“Darling,” she said gently, “these things… they’re not easy to discuss. But I can tell you this—these matters come with time. You’ll find your way.”
Violet glanced at her, her confusion growing. “But how will I know if I’m doing it right?”
