“What happened to Stuart?”Adeline asked.“Nobody is speaking about the details of his death.”
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation.The maid pushed the tea cart into the room.She put out a tray of petite sandwiches and another with biscuits, then set out the tea service.
“Thank you, Harriet,” Violet said.When the woman left, she poured tea for her friends.The fragrant scent of orange blossom and bergamot wafted up, calming her senses.She spooned in sugar from the bowl and then took a sip of the sweetened tea, letting it fortify her for the next part of the story.“He and I argued at dinner.I was done placating his moods.I walked out of the room, thinking he would leave me alone.But he followed me out to the hall, yelling that I shouldn’t walk away from him.He slapped me hard across the cheek.”
Adeline gasped.
“I knew that I had to get away.My only thought was to flee upstairs and lock myself in my room.But he chased me, and we struggled.At the top of the stairs, he lost his balance.He reached out to grab me, but I took a step back.”She sucked in a deep breath to steady her voice, the horror of that night still so fresh.Had it only been a fortnight that had passed?“He fell backward down the stairs.”She laid a hand on her stomach.“I had to step back.I had to protect my baby.”
“Wait, you are pregnant?”Adeline’s eyes widened.
Violet smiled and smoothed her voluminous skirts flat over her bump.“Yes, about five months now.”
“Good Lord!”Lucy exclaimed.“And he was still hurting you?Despicable man.Of course, you let him fall.Your instincts kicked in to protect your child.I can see the conflict in your eyes.Vi, you did the right thing.He would have pulled you down the stairs with him.”
“That’s just what Rhys said,” Violet murmured.
Lucy’s blue eyes narrowed.“What is between you two?How did he know to send us over here?”
Violet took a biscuit and bit into the soft, buttery center.What was between her and Rhys?She didn’t have an answer to that question, it would seem.Last night, she would have said he was most certainly brushing her off.But then he had gone out of his way to send her friends over to her house.He had clearly listened to her when she spoke about her regrets.That man was such a blasted enigma.
“After the disastrous meeting with my father and the Duke of Lavensham, where the duke essentially told me to go home and stop making trouble, I saw clearly that if I wanted to protect my baby, I needed to force Stuart to stay away from me.The only person who could control my husband was his father.My plan was to discover something about the duke that I could use to blackmail him in exchange for sending me off to one of his many estates and keeping Stuart away from me.”
Lucy nodded.“A solid plan.But still, I could have helped.We could have sent you to one of Hartwick’s estates.We would have protected you.”
“You couldn’t have hidden me forever.I still belonged to Stuart; legally, he could have taken me back at any time.”
“He could have tried,” Lucy grumbled.
Violet and Adeline both chuckled.Adeline took a sip of tea.“Continue, please.”
“Rhys and I met in the duke’s study during a party.We both were there snooping around.Actually, we met again.I had met him once previously at your house, Lucy.Anyway, we agreed to help each other, and well, so much has happened.But I like to think we have become friends.”
“Friends?”Lucy asked.
“Yes, friends.”Violet took a sip of tea.There was no way she was going to tell them that she had been sitting in his lap last night, learning how wonderful kissing could be.Or that she had slept in his arms the night her husband died.It was all too scandalous, but even more than that, it felt far too personal.And she certainly had no idea how to define their relationship, so for now, she would stick with friends.“I can’t tell you how good it is to see you both, to sit here and talk with you.I have missed our friendship so much over this horrible year.”Violet sniffled and tried to hold back the tears that threatened.She had cried enough for one day.
“Don’t start or you’ll make me cry too.And you know I hate to cry,” Lucy said.
Violet gave her friend a watery smile.“I can’t seem to help it these days.”
“I know.I have cried more tears during this pregnancy than in my whole life.Happy tears, mad tears, sentimental tears…”
“I have missed you too.”Adeline leaned in and hugged her.“I’m going to cry because we live so far away.And I am not even with child.”She laughed and wiped a tear that had slipped down her cheek.
“What a bunch of ninnies we are.I love you both.Thank you for coming.”
Lucy let out a grunt.When Violet looked over at her friend, Lucy was grimacing.“What’s wrong?Baby kick you?”
Lucy shook her head.“No, I have been feeling these little spasms all day.Some indigestion, no doubt.That one was painful, though.”
Adeline and Violet exchanged a look of surprise.Lucy was not one to complain about indigestion.“Darling, when is your baby due?”
“The midwife said anytime now.Oof…” She scrunched her nose.“Perhaps it would be best if I went home to lie down for a bit.”Lucy stood and had taken only two steps forward when she froze in place.“Oh dear.”
Violet rushed over.“What is it?”
“I think I have just peed on your carpet.”Lucy’s cheeks flamed red.
