Violet grinned.“Bernard, what a noble name.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck.“It’s my father’s name.”
“Well, thank you, Bernard.I will just drop these off.I plan to go to my rooms afterward, so you may go attend to other things.”
He nodded and headed out back through the garden.
Violet went inside.The kitchen buzzed with activity.Scullery maids stood shoulder to shoulder at a big sink, cleaning dishes.Two young boys fed wood into a large stove.And to her right, a buxom lady kneaded dough on a floured surface, her strong arms flexed as she pushed and pulled at it.Violet wasn’t sure who to speak to about her strawberries.
“What’cha got there, miss?”a voice said from over at the long table in the middle of the kitchen.
Violet looked over.An elderly woman sat shelling peas into a large bowl.Her white hair was braided neatly into an elaborate bun at her nape.She cocked her head to one side as she stared at Violet.Approaching the older woman, Violet said, “I gathered some strawberries.I thought I might leave them here to be added to supper tonight.”She laid her shawl on the table and untied it to show the woman her berries.
The woman didn’t even look at the berries.She continued to stare at Violet.“Lilly?It’s so good to see you.What have you brought back?”
Violet furrowed her brow.Lilly?“I’m not Lilly.I am Violet Sommerset.”
The woman waved a hand.“No, I never forget a face.You are Lilly.Look at you, ripe with child.She was so kind.Lovely girl, lovely girl.”The old woman’s voice became dreamy, her eyes unfocused.
“Lady Sommerset.What a surprise.”Mrs.Wells rushed across the room.“Is there something that you need?”
Violet smiled at the housekeeper.“Oh, I found strawberries growing down by the lake, and I couldn’t resist picking some.Do you think I could have some with my dinner tonight?Perhaps with cream?”
“Of course, my lady, whatever you wish.”
“Gertie, did you see?Lady Lilly has brought us some strawberries,” the older woman said.
“Mama, this is Lady Violet.”She glanced at Violet.“Sorry, my mother gets confused easily these days.”
“Nonsense.Don’t talk about me as though I have lost my faculties.I never forget a face.This is Lilly Sommerset.Look at her, ripe with the duke’s babe.She has returned from her walk with strawberries.”The woman’s brow furrowed.“No, that’s not right.Lady Lilly fled into the night.I helped her out of the back of the tower and into the carriage.”The old woman peered up at Violet.“Are you returned?”The woman reached out and gripped Violet’s hand.“You must be careful, though.It’s still not safe.”
“Mother!What nonsense.I am so sorry, Lady Sommerset.My mother’s thoughts are often muddled these past few years.She easily mixes up the past and present.”
But Violet paid little attention to the worried chatter of the housekeeper.She stared down at the older servant who gripped her hand.
The woman’s expression was urgent.“Lady Lilly, why have you returned?”
Violet pulled her hand away, a shiver racing down her spine.Who was Lady Lilly?Why had she fled?Why did the name seem so familiar?Stuart’s mother’s name had been Margaret.She had met a terrible end in the lake outside.Perhaps she had not been the only one?Had the duke been married previously?All these questions raced around in her mind.
“Lady Sommerset, perhaps you should go upstairs?I will ensure that your strawberries are used for dessert tonight,” Mrs.Wells said.
Violet turned to the housekeeper.“Thank you, Mrs.Wells.Yes, I will head up to my suite.”
The following morning, she joined the duke for services.The church on the estate was very old, at least three hundred years.It and the village had been here long before the Dukes of Lavensham were granted all the surrounding land by King James I.Violet thought it was one of the prettiest places on the estate.
The crumbling graveyard shaded by enormous ancient oak trees was a testament to the history of the area.They walked through dappled sunlight to enter the stone church.The tall arched ceiling of the sanctuary whispered of all the old secrets and timeless prayers it had kept safe for hundreds of years.The service was blessedly short.Violet spent much of it worrying that some terrible accident had befallen Rhys on the road.Accidents were common, and the roads were terrible.What if his horse had thrown a shoe?Or stepped into a hole and broken a leg?
She attempted to calm herself as increasingly terrible scenarios played through her mind.When the duke stood and looked down at her impatiently, her panic intensified.This was going to be her life now.She would forever be trapped under this cruel man’s thumb.If she had a boy, he would take the child and mold it into yet another selfish, entitled aristocrat.And if she had a girl…well, he had promised retribution.His threat that her life depended on the sex of the babe was still fresh in her mind.
“Violet, let’s go,” the duke bit out.
“I think I shall stay and spend some time in peaceful prayer,” she said.
“What an admirable choice, young lady.”The clergyman stopped at the end of their pew.“Good morning, Your Grace.Lady Sommerset.We are pleased at your return to Eastwell Park.”
“Good morning, Mr.Haddonfield,” the duke replied stiffly, then glared down at her.“Violet, I am ready to leave and—”
“Oh, do let her stay,” Mr.Haddonfield interrupted.“Time spent in prayer is always a noble pursuit.I will drive her back to the manse myself.”
