He stepped further into the room, keeping his gaze on their unwanted guest. He didn’t bow or greet. Instead, he stood there with utter coldness. He saw Lady Grisham flinch, but he could be imagining things.
The woman was too shameless. Too cruel.
“Lady Grisham,” Richard said, his tone low and firm, leaving no room for interruption, “you have entered our home without invitation. My wife forbade this visit, and I will not tolerate your defiance. Were your intentions honorable, you would have come to offer congratulations. But it is clear you sought only to unsettle her. And that willnothappen under my roof.”
Lady Grisham pursed her lips tightly, straightening her back and looking at Richard.
“Your Grace, I am merely here to provide Victoria guidance regarding the presence of a mysterious child in your home. Certainly, you agree on the need to address this with care.”
“We have already addressed this situation our way,” Richard interjected, his voice deep and firm. “I do recall that my wife has asked you to leave. I don’t need a bell pull to call the footmen in.”
His voice would be loud enough to have the servants scrambling, especially since most of them were aware that Lady Grisham had come uninvited.
Richard walked toward Victoria, hoping to comfort her with his proximity. He checked on the fussing Melody and glared at Lady Grisham.
“You have precisely one minute to walk out that door,” he announced without any change in his tone. He wanted this woman out. She had done enough damage to Victoria’s psyche. Children needed to be loved, and not be discarded and picked up at a whim. “You may be Victoria’s mother, but you have not acted as one. In this house, I am the law, and you would do best to remember that.”
Lady Grisham opened her mouth. Then, she closed it again, as Richard continued to glare at her.
He had spent his life trying to protect his family from the feud. Now, he needed to protect this new family that destiny had provided him. And no one would stop him from doing it. Especially not Lady Grisham.
The Dowager Marchioness looked at Victoria one more time, then at Melody, and finally at the Duke.
“You will regret this, Victoria!” she yelled, as her body trembled with what looked like pure rage. “When scandal comes home with you, do not come to me for any help!”
With that, she turned on her heel and left the room, making certain that she stomped hard enough to make noise.
“I suppose it’s her turn to throw a tantrum now that I am married,” Victoria mused, to which Richard only chuckled and shook his head in disbelief.
As soon as Lady Grisham left, Melody fell silent. Victoria sighed in relief and rested on the sofa, still holding the baby tightly against her, while the little one babbled. Both seemed happier.
“She’s gone,” Richard whispered as he stood over his wife and ward. “She is no longer here.”
“I—I know,” she replied, as she fussed with the fabric of her skirt. “But I know her. She will create situations that will put her near us. She might also be right about the ton. If she’d heard rumors that had her rush over here?—”
“We did not do anything wrong,” Richard interrupted, his voice deep and low. He walked toward her until his shadow fell over her, laying claim to her space. “You need to remember that.We should not let your mother and the ton’s gossip destroy our peace.”
“And I can’t imagine giving Melody back.”
When Victoria looked up at him, he had to hold his breath, or he’d reveal too much. The firelight caught the slope of her cheekbones and made her eyes sparkle like fathomless pools of a universe about to break through.
“You don’t have to,” he whispered, his voice breaking.
“Thank you,” she whispered back, as if he’d already granted all her wishes. “For everything.”
“There is no need for such depth of gratitude,” Richard replied, his eyes locked onto hers. “It is my duty to protect you and Melody. I will shield those who belong to me.”
Richard held his breath for her response. She was a woman who valued her freedom and intelligence.
How would she react to such a claim as the word “belong” hung in the air?
His eyes could not help but be drawn by her rosebud lips, the tint pale and unaffected. A natural beauty, Victoria was every man’s dream come true. The only reason he managed to marry her was that few men would want to debate with the sharp-tongued beauty.
He was fortunate. Very much so.
His heart hammered in his chest. Melody whimpered, and he was able to hold on to the last thread of his self-control before it snapped.
“We will survive these trials,” he said firmly, and then with a softer voice, “but first, we must survive the night.”
