Her eyes widened; eyebrows raised high.
“Watching over you, I mean.Lucy asked me to keep an eye on you,” he fumbled to explain.He reached out and touched one of the mermaids.“Do you like mermaids?”he asked stupidly.
Violet tilted her head to one side.“It reminded me of the song you sang the other night.”
Rhys felt his cheeks heat.Blast it, he did not blush.He cleared his throat.“Actually, I wondered if you would like to come with me to see the owner of the Birdcage.Viola Rigby is a friend of mine, and she knows all sorts of things about all sorts of people.”
“The Birdcage?”
“It is a high-end brothel.I think you’ll find a marked difference between it and Minerva’s place.”
She nodded.“When shall we go?”
“After your shopping?There is no hurry.Viola will be abed until at least one.She is a creature of the night.”
“I was just browsing.I woke up this morning and felt the need to get out of the house.I am getting hungry, though.Can I interest you in a cup of coffee and joining me for something to eat?”
He nodded.“I know a place nearby.”They walked companionably down the rest of the row.Violet was tactile, touching items she liked.Pulling her hand from the warmth of her muff, she ran her fingers over a row of flannel swatches in an array of pink colors.Then, two stalls down, she reached out and pulled a satin ribbon in a sunny yellow color through two fingers.
Turning to the merchant, she said, “I’ll take two yards of this one.”Once her purchase had been made and stowed in a basket Jim carried, they moved on.
At the end of the row, he took her elbow and guided her to the left down Bond Street.The coffeehouse was bustling, but a table for two was open along the wall, and he pulled out a chair for her to sit.He sat across from her and glanced around the room, noting the exits and scanning the crowded dining room for possible troublemakers.But the din of conversation was cheerful, so he relaxed.
Violet also glanced around with interest.“I have never been to a coffeehouse before.But I have always wanted to.What shall we get?”
He raised his hand to gesture to the serving woman.“Do you like apple tarts?They serve an outstanding one.”
She nodded.Her eyes gleamed.“Yum.”
“A coffee for me and an apple tart for the lady,” he told the waitress.Turning back to Violet, he asked, “Coffee or tea?”
“Tea, please,” she said.“And a sugar bowl.”
Rhys leaned back in his chair and studied Violet.She definitely wore a layer of powder over her cheeks still.The bruise was barely discernible behind the blonde ringlets that framed her face.Furthermore, the wide brim of her velvet-lined bonnet kept the sides of her face from prying eyes.Her berry-pink lips were full and plump, and he wondered what they would taste like.Pulling his gaze from her face, he picked a point over her shoulder and focused instead on the gray sky out the window.
“I have so much more energy suddenly.And my appetite has returned.I can’t tell you what a difference the past couple of days have been like compared to this time last week.My maid said that it means I am through the first part of the pregnancy and am probably approaching the midpoint.Her mother is a midwife, so she is a very good source of information.”She wrinkled her nose.“Not that Sommerset will let me see her mother.He insists that Dr.Knightsbridge care for me.He has been the physician for the dukes of Lavensham for years.And you wouldn’t doubt it if you saw the decrepit old man.Oh dear, that’s so unkind.It is not his fault he is so old.”
Rhys chuckled.She certainly had plenty to say today.
“My mother has been absolutely no help.She remembers nothing about her pregnancies.Or perhaps it is just that she does not deem it a proper topic to discuss.Well, I will certainly tell my younger sisters all about my experience.I wish I could see Lucy more.She would tell me the truth.”
“Why haven’t you?”he asked.
Violet tugged at her scarf, unwinding the knot and setting it to the side next to her muff.“Honestly, I haven’t seen her because I am afraid she will immediately see my unhappiness.I am embarrassed for her to know what has been happening.Lucy is such a warrior, and I am…” Her words trailed off.
“You are what?Trapped?In need of friends?”Rhys watched her expression carefully.“None of what he does to you is your fault.”
Her eyes stayed downcast as she shook her head, a small movement of denial.“I foolishly thought I would manage him.The marriage was arranged by our fathers, but I have known Stuart since we were children.I feel betrayed.By what I thought our marriage would be like, by my father, by myself for being a coward.”
Rhys reached out to cover her hand, but she pulled it back.She lifted her gaze to him.“I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
He wished he could say something to erase the sadness from her eyes.Make her a promise that everything would be all right.But he knew a promise like that would be hollow.So he honored her request and changed the subject.“You said you had four sisters.Tell me about them.”
Her expression brightened.“Yes.I am the oldest.Mary is twenty and married at the end of last summer to a neighbor of ours in Kent.Jane is nineteen and having her season now.She is a bit featherbrained but has a good heart.Millie and Liza are fifteen and twelve, respectively.Millie is whip smart and no nonsense.While Liza is dreamy and loves to play the piano.She is quite talented.I also have a younger brother, David.He is at Eton.”
Their food and drink arrived.The waitress efficiently set everything out, including a small pot of honey.“We don’t have any sugar,” she said before bustling off to help another customer.
Rhys picked up his coffee and took a swallow of the rich, bitter brew.Violet poured her tea and then dumped in a generous amount of honey into the cup.She stirred delicately, took a sip, and then proceeded to spoon in another dollop of honey.Rhys lifted one eyebrow at the amount of sweetener.Growing up, he had never had the luxury of sweeteners of any type, except the occasional fresh fruit.He had no taste for sweet things.
