Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

" N o," she whispered, her shock and fear so strong that she took an involuntary step backward. "No!" she repeated more loudly.

"Yes," the former Lord Carfield said, an ugly smile creasing his face. "It's me."

Violet took another step back, all her instincts yelling at her to get as far away from this man as possible.

You should scream. Scream bloody murder. Scream until the housekeeper sends for the Bow Street Runners and Rosalie runs from here as far away as she can.

Except, if Violet screamed, Rosalie wouldn't run away. She would run into the drawing room, and then both of them would be trapped with their father.

It was better to remain silent and keep her father here, away from Rosalie. Maybe that way, her sister might be able to find a way to escape.

"I would remain silent if I were you," her father warned, as if reading her mind. "You've always been a sensible girl—the most sensible of all my children—so I think you know what will happen if you try to scream for help."

His hand drifted to the inside of his jacket, where she knew there was a pocket, and she swallowed. She was almost certain that he was concealing a gun there.

Even if he wasn't, he still had the ability to kill her. Jebediah Crampton was tall and strong. Although he was less muscular than the last time she'd seen him—prison, and then a life on the run, had surely taken its toll—he was still a formidable force, and she knew that he could leap across the room and wring her neck or bash her head in easily and quickly enough. Probably before she even had a chance to scream.

"I won't scream," she muttered, her voice distant. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Good girl," he purred, then gestured to the door. "Now, first things first—where is the key to this door?"

"The housekeeper has it," Violet replied.

Jebediah frowned, but then he grabbed a chair, dragged it over to the door, and shoved it underneath the handle at 45 degrees.

"Close the curtains," he barked at her.

She reluctantly went to the windows and pulled the curtains. As she did, she stared out at the square, hoping someone she knew would pass by and she could wave at them for help. But no one appeared, and she was forced to draw the curtains, concealing her and her father from the outside world and bathing them in eerie darkness.

"Now we won't be interrupted," Jebediah said as she came to stand near the bouquet of violets again. He gave her a smile, but it was so cold that it sent a chill down her spine.

"W-what are you doing here?" she forced herself to ask.

Her palms and the back of her neck had begun to sweat profusely, and her legs started to shake.

"You wound me." Jebediah tutted, taking a menacing step towards her. "Do I really need a reason to come to visit my newly married daughter? After all, I wasn't even invited to the wedding! If anything, this visit is overdue."

"You are on the run," she whispered. "It's dangerous for you to be here. If anyone sees you?—"

"No one will see me. And if they do, I have men stationed outside who will warn me and delay anyone who tries to enter and arrest me."

Violet swallowed.

So he came prepared.

"If you're looking for Rosalie, she isn't here," she said wildly. "She's with Iris."

Jebediah raised an eyebrow. "Don't try to lie to me, Violet. I know Rosalie is here. I planned this little visit carefully so that you would both be present. Mr. Cain was very eager to earn my forgiveness—after all, his family owes me a lot of money. It was easy enough for him to flirt with Rosalie and win her affection, then arrange an impromptu visit with so many flowers that he needed men to help him carry them."

Violet's brain felt fuzzy, and she closed her eyes briefly as the horror of this explanation washed over her.

Mr. Cain was in on it! I was right when I was paranoid and thought he might be working with my father!

When she opened her eyes, her father had begun to pace. "Leave it to Rosalie to be foolish enough to fall for the first man who bats his eyelashes at her. She is too silly and romantic for her own sake. I hope, at least, that this little adventure will teach her a lesson when she discovers the truth of what Mr. Cain did." He smiled again. "Of course, I cannot fault her entirely for falling for the act. Mr. Cain truly played his part par excellence. He is ingenious! I dare even say he is my natural successor."

Jebediah looked momentarily amused, and Violet felt anger bloom in her chest. It was one thing for him to come here and scare her, but Rosalie had done nothing to him. He had no reason to harm her.

"He is upstairs as we speak," her father continued, "hiding in her closet until you and I are done speaking. And if we do not come to an understanding… let's just say Rosalie's first romance will end tragically."

All at once, fear like she had never felt before flooded her. She thought it might make her sick. Drawing herself up, she glared at her father as a voice in her head screamed, Do whatever it takes to protect Rose! Whatever it takes!

"What do you want?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"I want you, my dear," Jebediah intoned. "Or rather, I want your marriage."

"What?"

"It is time your farce of a marriage with the Duke of Attorton came to an end. I brought with me papers for an annulment. You will sign them, and then you will come with me."

"Annulment?" Violet stared at her father, her mind whirring.

He can't know. How could he?

"My marriage can't be annulled! The Duke and I are married in the eyes of men and God."

"Don't give me that dribble," her father snorted. "I know that you two do not live as husband and wife. Mr. Cain overheard your argument on the terrace. He knows that the Duke refuses to have children and that you remain a maiden."

A myriad of terrible emotions surged through Violet. She couldn't believe her father knew this about her marriage, and the shame of it was overwhelming. At the same time, she also felt furious at her father, at Mr. Cain, and even, irrationally, at Rosalie for falling for Mr. Cain's lies.

Worst of all, she felt a blinding rage at James.

If he had just acted like a normal husband, this wouldn't be happening.

But she had to lie—anything to stop this from happening. "That may have been true then," she forced herself to say, "but it is no longer true. The Duke and I have… consummated our marriage."

Her father let out a cold, harsh laugh. "I believe that as much as I believe Mr. Cain actually loves Rosalie. You can't fool me, Violet. You and I are cut from the same cloth. Everyone has always known it—we look the same, we have the same mannerisms, and we have the same ability to get what we want. Isn't that how you ended up being married to the Duke in the first place? You, a girl without any special skills or even looks to recommend her? But you wouldn't take no for an answer, and you found a way to get what you wanted so that you could protect yourself and your sister from me."

He scoffed. "I applaud you for your effort, but while we might be similar, I have one thing you don't have—I am a man, and you are only a woman. So I will always be able to outsmart you. Which is how I was able to get to you today, and how I know that you are lying."

Violet wasn't sure how her father knew, but she also knew that there was no point in lying. His cruel gray eyes were staring deep into her soul. He knew.

"You will speak to your husband today and demand an annulment," he continued when she didn't try to argue. "And after he signs this document, you will remove yourself from this house. I will be waiting for you outside in a carriage, and you will join me there."

"Why?" Violet's heart began to pound. It wasn't just an annulment her father wanted, she was sure. There was something else behind it. "Why do you want me to annul my marriage, and why do you want me to go with you?"

Her father looked her over carefully as if assessing how much information she needed to know. "There is a man in Wales who can forge papers that will allow me to leave these shores. He is an expert at smuggling persons of interest out of England, and he has promised to help me. But his price is steep, my dear. And now that I no longer have access to the estate's funds, well… as you can see, I have had to make do."

He gestured to his clothes, and only then did Violet realize how threadbare they were. It was unusual for the former Viscount Carfield to dress so poorly. The jacket he wore was worn at the elbows, the color was faded, and it seemed to be missing a few buttons. His cravat was wrinkled and stained, and even his hat looked worn.

"Being on the run is difficult," he sighed. "But not only will this gentleman provide documents that will allow me to cross the ocean, but he will also give me a small sum of money. It should be enough to get me started in America, or wherever I go. Once there, I'll start a business."

"Why would this gentleman give you money?" Violet asked, her mouth very dry. "And what's his price?"

But she already knew. It was obvious.

Her father's eyes glittered. "Your hand in marriage."

"No…" Violet's blood ran cold. She had to sit down on the sofa, for her legs were shaking so badly. "No, Father, not again…"

Just earlier this year, he had tried to marry her off to Lord Redfield, a horrible old man known far and wide for his cruelty. Now he was trying to do it again. Just when she thought she was safe from him, he had come back into her life and revived her darkest nightmare.

"Well, if you don't want it to be you, then it could always be Rosalie," he suggested, shrugging. "It doesn't matter to me which of my ungrateful daughters he marries. Nor does it matter to him. But he did specifically request you."

"Me?" Violet's stomach churned. "Why would he request me?"

"Because he was eager to marry you before. It is Lord Redfield."

If Violet had felt nauseous before, it was nothing compared to how she felt now. Lord Redfield. The man she had narrowly avoided marrying all those months ago. And now it was happening all over again, except this time it was even worse.

Back then, she hadn't tasted the joy of being married to a man she longed for. But ever since her kiss with James, she realized what her life could be like.

And now, to know that she would have to live without him forever…

It was unbearable.

"The irony hasn't escaped me either," her father was saying. "Since the last time you were engaged to the man, he has fallen from grace and most people believe that he has left the country. But the truth is, Lord Redfield is engaged in a very profitable business of helping persons of interest leave the country quickly, as I said before. He faked his escape in order to stay here, but he hopes to marry before cleaning up his illegal enterprises and staging his return to the country. Marry and produce an heir, that is, so that whatever happens to him, his estate will remain within the family."

"So he wants to use me as a broodmare?" Violet asked, enraged.

"What else is a woman, really?" her father sneered.

Violet could have slapped him if she had any strength left. But she didn't. All she could do was stare up at him, her face flushed with hatred.

"And if I refuse to marry him?" she whispered.

"Then Rosalie will be obliged to take your place. Don't forget, Cain is upstairs right now, waiting for my signal. If I tell him to, he will grab your sister and drag her down the stairs to my waiting carriage. It would be easier, in fact, than waiting for your annulment to go through. But because Redfield requested you, I must honor that."

Violet couldn't speak. The horror that her father was describing had robbed her of her words. But he had misread her silence.

"Are you actually considering letting your sister marry him in your stead?" He sounded amused. "Well, well, Violet, I admit that it surprises and pleases me to see you behave so selfishly. I said we are alike, didn't I?"

"We are nothing alike!" Violet spat, finding her words in her fury. "I would never threaten or harm others like you do! I would never treat my own family with such cruelty and contempt! And unlike you, I know how to love. That is something you will never, ever experience!"

His lips twitched, and she could tell that he didn't like what she was saying one bit. But she didn't care. She needed him to know the truth. She stood up, a surge of energy rushing through her.

"And for your information, women are much more than just broodmares. Which you would have realized if you had ever tried to get to know your daughters or shown any interest in our lives, or even put us before your interests. Perhaps it might have even saved you from becoming the despicable creature you are today."

"Do not speak to me like that!" Jebediah snarled, a vein throbbing in his temple. "You are my daughter, and you will show me respect!"

"I will never show you any respect as long as I live! But instead, I will show you what it means to love and to put others first." She drew herself up, still glaring at him. "I will go with you in lieu of my sister. You will tell Cain that I am complying and that he is not to touch a hair on her head."

"Very good."

"I'm not done!"

Jebediah stilled, his eyes cold as they stared at her.

"I will go with you on one condition. The moment you hand me over to Redfield, you will collect your documents and leave the country. And if you ever return, if you ever try to contact or harm me, Rosalie, Iris, or Mother, or if you allow Cain or any of your associates to come near them, I will go straight to the Bow Street Runners and tell them everything you've told me. Even if it means you'll send men to kill me, I will do it."

Her father stood very still, saying nothing, and she couldn't read the look in his eyes.

"Because I refuse to live in fear after this," Violet added. "Even if it means my death."

Which I may welcome when I marry Redfield.

She closed her eyes briefly as her tears threatened to fall. When she opened them again, her father nodded.

"Very well. I agree to your terms," he said. Then he took out a document from his briefcase and set it down on the table closest to him. "These are the annulment papers. You will have the Duke sign them today, and then you will go to the carriage across the street. I will not be in it, of course, but it will take you to me."

Violet nodded.

Her father's eyes narrowed slightly, and then he turned, pushed aside the chair under the door handle, and pulled the door open. He turned back to her one last time before leaving.

"I will see you tonight, Daughter, with the signed documents."

And then he swept out of the room as quickly and silently as he had entered it.