“Yes?”
“Thank you… for being nice.”
His lips tipped up slightly at the corners. “You’re welcome.”
Smiling to herself, she closed the door. Without bothering to take off her clothes, she stumbled to the bed and flopped onto the mattress. She gazed up at the canopy, her eyelids already heavy, and within minutes, she fell asleep... thinking of him.
Chapter Fifteen
“Violet, dear, it’s time to get dressed for supper.”
Vi ignored the soft, familiar voice and snuggled deeper into her dream. Cuddled against a hard chest and held by strong arms, she was riding into a glorious sunset with her prince. They were astride a majestic white horse, and she sat in front of him, relaxed and comfortable in her… trousers?
“Poor thing’s all done in.”
She disregarded the second voice, too, because she’d turned her head to look into her prince’s eyes: they were as dark and smoky as a smithy. He bent his head, his mouth slanting deliciously over hers…
“Violet never naps. I hope she’s all right…”
As the voices murmured on, the vestiges of the dream slipped away. Violet blinked groggily at the pink canopy; never a sound sleeper, she wasn’t used to the disorienting lethargy of waking from a deep slumber. Then it all came back to her.
Monique… Wick…Carlisle.
The stress of events and that crying jag must have worn her out. How long had she been asleep? Leaning up on her elbows, she saw two figures standing by the wardrobe. Emma… and Thea!
She threw back the covers. “Thea, when did you arrive?”
The second eldest Kent sister, now the Marchioness of Tremont, turned, her pretty, gentle face wreathed in smiles. She opened her arms, and Violet bounded into them.
“Just an hour ago.” Thea gave her a hug and stepped back, studying her with warm hazel eyes. “It’s only been a few weeks since we were last together, but I vow there’s something different about you.”
Vi squirmed. “I’m, um, just the same as I ever was. Same old Violet, that’s me.”
“Now that you mention it, Thea, I see it too.”Parsnips—now Em was scrutinizing her too. “Thereissomething different about you, Violet. A certain glow.”
Do not blush. Do not blush.
“I had a good nap, that’s all.” Running her fingers through her tangled tresses, she said, “How was your journey, Thea?”
“Not as eventful as what’s been going on here.” Thea shook her head, her gilded oak curls gleaming. “Emma told me everything. I can’t believe it. How dreadful for Madame Monique. And for you and Lord Carlisle to discover her.”
“It was a shocker,” Vi admitted.
“We’ll have to do our catching up whilst we get Violet dressed,” Emma interjected. “There’s only an hour before supper.”
Vi noticed then that her two sisters were already dressed for the evening. Emma’s cerise taffeta complemented her rich brunette coloring, a pink sapphire and diamond choker circling her neck. Thea’s celestial bluecrepe de chinewas trimmed with seed pearls and suited her ethereal beauty perfectly.
Violet scratched her ear. “I suppose I’d better get cleaned up, hadn’t I? Next to both of you, I look like something the cat dragged in.”
“Silly girl,” Thea said, smiling. “We’ll get you shipshape in no time.”
Back in Chudleigh Crest, the Kents had no servants. They’d done their own chores and helped each other dress. As her sisters fussed over her, Vi was reminded of those times, so simple and good. Now that Em and Thea had married, things had changed; these moments together were becoming more rare and precious. She could feel her own girlhood slipping away—torn away, in truth, by new experiences.
Mere days ago, all she’d desired was freedom. To carry on as she wanted, with no one to judge her or tell her what to do. Now she was tantalized by a different possibility, and she couldn’t deny that Carlisle had been the one to plant the seed. To awaken a dormant longing inside her.
Kents had a tradition of falling passionately in love. Although she couldn’t label her feelings toward Carlisle as love, precisely, she couldn’t deny that they were passionate. All her life, she’d adored physical activity for the way it made her feel: fully present in her own skin. Carlisle had the same effect on her… onlymoreso.
Being with him was more exhilarating than any sport. And it wasn’t just the lovemaking. Thinking about the unexpected gentleness beneath his gruff exterior made her pulse speed up.
