“No.” Vivian rolled her shoulders back. “I will not apologize to him. Nor will I apologize to you for my conduct.”
“It is the least you can do after everything your father and I have done for you.” Her mother folded her arms across her chest, tapping a foot on the floor.
“You did the bare minimum. All children should be given food and shelter by their parents. That is hardly something for me to be grateful for!” Vivian cried out, her voice cracking with emotion. “You never cared about me; you still do not care about me. If you had, you would never have promised me to a snake like Lord Brixten.” Vivian gestured to the door. “I think it is high time you left, Mother.”
“Not until you apologize.”
“I believe my wife asked you to leave.” Thomas’s voice was so icy that it made a mid-winter frost seem warm. “I would not wish to see her ask you again.”
Vivian turned to see Thomas standing in the doorway. Every muscle in his body was tense; fury rolled off him in waves as he took one slow step toward them.
“My lord, with respect, this is a conversation between a mother and her daughter. It is a family matter and—” Her mother began, her tone honeyed, but Thomas cut her off.
“You gave up the right to call yourself her family when you promised her to that weasel.”
“Now, you can either leave the house of your own volition, or I will have the footmen escort you out. It is your choice; it matters little to me.” He shrugged and flashed a smile that was all calculated violence.
Her mother bristled, looked at Vivian, then Thomas, and left the room without another word. Vivian stared after her, still shaking. In another moment, Thomas had crossed the room and pulled her close to him.
She buried her face in his chest, breathing in his familiar amber scent.
“I have you. You are safe. It is all right.” Thomas cradled her head in his arms.
Vivian looked up at him and let out a long, shaky breath. “I know. But I am not upset. Well, I am, but… Not as much as I thought.”
“That is good. That woman is not worth your tears.” Thomas glared after her mother. “You are shaking. Come, let us sit down.”
“No, really, I am all right. I promise.” She looked up at him. “In a strange way, I am actually glad she came. It has given me clarity.”
Thomas’s brow furrowed, and he shifted, loosening his arms around her. “What do you mean?”
“All my life, she has made me feel small and ugly and powerless. Like I had no other options, and she was not wrong. If it were not for you, I am not sure what I would have done. I do not want any other woman ever to experience that. Not if I can help it.” Vivian slipped out of his arms, her mind racing.
She pictured her life. The way she had been swept along in someone else’s plan. How lost she had felt.I am not the only one. How many other girls have had this happen to them? How many have mothers like her? Or no mother at all?
Thomas tilted his head toward her. “What do you want to do?”
“I think I know what I want to do. I am going to set up boarding schools for girls so that they might be properly educated and go on to become governesses or perhaps even apprentices and learn a type of trade.” Vivian shifted out of Thomas’s eyes, picturing them in her mind. “They will be warm and spacious. A safe place for the girls to come to. Somewhere that will make them feel valued and seen.”
She turned to find Thomas looking at her, with a small smile on his face. It was as though he had never seen anything quite like her, and it made her heart swell. “What do you need?”
She took a deep breath. “I think it is high time I threw my first ball as marchioness. We could do it next Saturday.”
It was the day before she was due to leave. And her blood ran cold at the thought. Her eyes searched Thomas’s face, wanting to see some sign that he understood.
He smiled at her and nodded. “I think that is a perfect time to do it. It will be the perfect way to start the next chapter.”
Who would choose you?
Her mother’s words echoed in her mind, but she pushed them away. She wanted to ask him if things had changed between them, to see if he felt the way she did. But even as she opened her mouth, the words stuck in her throat.
“I suppose I should get to planning then.” It was all she could say.
There was a beat of silence, his blue eyes locked onto hers. For a wild, desperate moment, she thought he was going to ask her to stay.
“I have some work to do, but if you need me, I will be in the study.” He walked to the door, stopped, and then looked at her once more. “For what it is worth, I am proud of you. And I cannot wait to see what you do.”
He left, leaving only the smell of amber and the vaguest kernel of hope.
