Arabella smiled faintly, patting her hand. “You’ll know,” she said vaguely. “It’s something that happens naturally.”
Violet frowned, her mind spinning with more questions than before. “I see,” she said finally, though she didn’t see at all.
Arabella seemed relieved to let the matter drop, returning her attention to the flowers.
Violet, however, sat in silence, her thoughts a tangled mess. Her mother’s words had only deepened her confusion, and the thought of returning to Nicholas—of facing him again, knowing so little—left her feeling more flustered than ever.
Violet was making her way through the long hallway, still distracted by her rather confusing conversation with her mother, when she heard the sound of familiar footsteps.
She turned just in time to see Leopold coming in from the garden, his mallet balanced casually over his shoulder. He spotted her almost immediately and grinned.
“Well, well,” Leopold said, stopping in his tracks. “Look who it is.”
“What are you doing back inside?” Violet asked, immediately. “Has the game ended already? You are meant to be outside with the Duke.”
“How endearing that you seem so concerned about your duke.” He grinned in amusement. “But I should tell you to have some faith in me as well. It’s not as if I have abandoned him. Jasper’s taken over entertaining His Grace. They seem to be getting along rather well, so you can stop fretting.”
“I wasn’t fretting,” Violet insisted, crossing her arms.
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes,” Violet glared. “I was only asking for information. Besides, whywould I fret? Nicholas can handle himself perfectly well.”
Leopold raised an eyebrow. “Nicholas? My, sister. Not even a month to your marriage, and you’re on a first-name basis already.”
Violet knew better than to let her brother get to her—this was what he did. Hethrivedon making people feel awkward, and he was trying to do the same with her. “Yes, we are.”
“Isn’t that just so special? You must mean a lot to each other,” he continued his teasing. “I must say, you’ve made quite the impression on him.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Oh, I’m not,” Leopold said, his tone mock serious. “In fact, I think he might even be a little smitten. He didn’t seem particularly inclined to play Pall Mall at first, but the moment you joined in? Well, suddenly, the entire situation flipped.”
“Leopold, I swear, if you don’t stop?—”
“But it makes sense, really,” Leopold continued, undeterred. “As quiet as you are, you are not without charms of your own. It does not surprise me that you managed to compel the Duke in this manner so early on.”
Leopold’s suggestions made her heart flutter. He waswrongof course. There was not even a shred of romance between the two of them. But a small part of her wondered if he saw something that she didn’t.
The thought sent an emanating warmth through her at first, but it quickly transformed into shrill panic.
No.
“Enough,” Violet said, spinning back to face him. “You’re being absurd. It’s not like that. It’s a marriage of convenience, and that’s all it has ever been.”
“Yes, and how convenient that the two of you are falling in love.”
“You do not know what you’re talking about,” Violet scoffed. “I am not sure how you managed to conclude that over a game of Pall Mall.”
“It wasn’t just that, obviously. It was also the manner with which he spoke about you at the table. Are you trying to tell me there was nothing to it? I suspect the man is trying to win over your affections.”
“You are wrong,” Violet said sharply, brushing past him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, it is nearly time for us to leave.”
“Yes, yes. Hurry back to the Duke.”
Leopold’s laughter followed her down the hall, and Violet’s steps quickened, her heart pounding.
His teasing was ridiculous of course—just his usual way of poking fun at her. But as she made her way toward her room, her thoughts betrayed her once again.
