The sound she made hit him like a jolt. It wasn’t loud, but it filled the silence between them, amplifying the tension that now felt thick. He lingered for a moment too long, and his own breath became shallow, brushing against the delicate skin of her neck.
Nicholas froze, realizing too late that the playful gesture had crossed an invisible line. He pulled back quickly, his expression unreadable as he cleared his throat.
He shouldnothave crossed that line.
“It was in jest,” he explained quickly, trying to sound calmer than how he felt in the moment. “I couldn’t resist when you had that look on your face.”
Violet’s cheeks burned furiously as she pressed her hand lightly against her neck, the place where his teeth had grazed her skin still tingling. Her thoughts were chaotic, and she couldn’t seem to decide whether to laugh or—well, she wasn’t sure what the alternative was.
Nicholas, for his part, appeared just as unsettled though he masked it far better.
“I did not wish to startle you like this,” he said. “Though it appears it is quite easy to do. I might have to remember that.”
Violet tried to muster a response, something equally lighthearted to diffuse the tension, but all she managed was a soft, awkward laugh. “Well, you…certainly succeeded.”
Was that his intention?The thought nearly drove her mad.
Nicholas continued to study her face. “You’re blushing,” he said, the words teasing but not unkind.
“I am not,” she said quickly. It was a lie that she was getting used to saying out loud and perhaps one that he was getting used to hearing.
It fooled no one.
“I should…” she began, searching desperately for an escape. “I should let you get back to your painting. I didn’t mean to keep you from it for so long.”
Nicholas tilted his head, his brow furrowing faintly. “You’re not keeping me from anything, Violet. We were just?—”
“Just joking,” she interrupted quickly, forcing a smile as she gathered her composure. “Yes, of course. It was just in jest.”
Something flickered across his face—an emotion she couldn’t quite place—but it was gone as quickly as it came. He nodded, “Precisely. Nothing to be taken too seriously.”
The words stung more than they should have, and Violet wasn’t entirely sure why. She forced herself to straighten, smoothing her gown one last time. “Well, then. Goodnight, Nicholas.”
Before he could reply, she turned on her heel and left the room, her steps quick but measured. The moment she was out of sight, she let out a shaky breath, pressing a hand to her chest in a vain attempt to steady her racing heart.
“Maria?”
Violet sat at her vanity, her fingers absently tracing the carvings on its edge as Maria, her most trusted maid, carefully pinned up her hair. Violet’s thoughts kept circling back to the night before,to the charged moment in the study and the way Nicholas had dismissed it with a single word.
It was just in jest.
“Yes, Your Grace?” the maid replied, meeting her gaze in the mirror.
“Why…” Violet paused, searching for the right words. “Why would you say something in… jest?”
Maria’s hands stilled for a moment, her brow furrowing in confusion. “In jest, Your Grace?”
“Yes,” Violet said, realizing how absurd the question must sound. She fumbled to clarify. “I mean, when someone says something is in jest… what do they mean by it?”
Maria blinked, clearly caught off guard. “Well, I suppose it’s something said to make someone laugh or… perhaps to lighten the mood? Something not meant to be taken seriously.”
“Not meant to be taken seriously,” Violet echoed quietly, her gaze dropping to her lap.
Right.That was all it was.
Maria studied her for a moment, clearly curious but too polite to pry. “Did someone say something to upset you, Your Grace?”
“No,” Violet said quickly, shaking her head. “No, it’s nothing. I was just… thinking aloud.”
