It wasn’t her intention to fall—it had just happened. Perhaps her riding skills weren’t the best, but she had handled herself adequately in the past. And yet, nothing could have prepared her for the intensity of Nicholas’ reaction.
And then—the kiss—oh, the kiss.It had been unexpected, but it had left her feeling breathless.
For something that she had thought about so much since it had happened, she found it a bit cruel that they had not even talked about it once. If anything, both of them avoided it as though it had not even happened.
Maria chuckled softly as she secured the fresh bandage. “I would not say that he was angry at you, Your Grace. He was only concerned for your well-being.”
“Well, it was not my fault…”Violet argued, albeit feebly. She wondered for a moment if she should share the story about the kiss with Maria but quickly decided against it.
“You’ve nothing to blame yourself for, Your Grace. Horses are unpredictable creatures.”
Violet nodded absentmindedly. “I could think of another unpredictable creature,” she muttered under her breath.
“I did not quite catch that, Your Grace,” Maria said, snapping Violet out of her haze.
“Oh nothing,” she clarified, her thoughts circling back to the moment he had appeared.
Tosave her.
Nicholas’ reaction had been so immediate, so forceful. He had swept her into his arms without hesitation.He was so willing to protect her, so unlike his usually guarded self. And while that should be a comforting thought for her—of course, why wouldn’t it be? Her husband was looking out for her—instead it only raised more questions than answers for her.
How had he known? The question hovered in her mind, refusing to be ignored. Unless someone had run ahead to alert him—which seemed unlikely given the timing—he must have been nearby. Watching.
The thought sent an unbidden shiver down her spine, her fingers tightening slightly on the edge of the blanket.
Had he been watching me?
Perhaps he had been on the grounds, observing from a distance. Her cheeks flushed at the notion, and she quickly dismissed it. Surely not. Why would he?
“Besides, I would take His Grace’s reaction as a positive thing,” Maria said gently, interrupting her thoughts. “If I may say so, it’s a sign of care.”
Violet’s gaze flicked to her maid, startled by the simplicity of the statement. “Care?” she echoed.
The word felt foreign when paired with Nicholas.
Maria offered a small smile as she smoothed her apron.
“Yes, and might I say, it appears that he cares a lot.”
“I—well, I suppose he was worried. But why would he—” she paused, her cheeks warming.
“His Grace doesn’t seem the sort to show his concern openly, Your Grace, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel it,” Maria continued.
Violet did not know how to respond. The thought of Nicholascaringfor her made something flip in her stomach.
Did he kiss her back because he cared for her, too? Why did he not opt to stay with her longer? Was he thinking about her the same way that she was about him?
Constantly, obsessively, nervously.
“And you say that with certainty?” she questioned Maria, who blinked once in response.
“It was only an observation I had, Your Grace,” she replied, a bit nervously now. Presumably her reaction from being questioned in the manner Violet had done. “Why else would he go through all the trouble of ensuring that you were fine?”
In anormalmarriage—or perhaps even in a normal world—that would have made perfect sense. But in her marriage, she could still not know for certain if that was the case.
Heavens.She had kissed him, and he had kissed her back. Yet she did not know whether or not she should interpret it as a sign of affection.
“I suppose you have a point there, Maria,” Violet sighed, inwardly.But with the Duke, you never do know. Do you?
