Chapter 16

After obtaining a special license for their wedding, the day seemed to come around far too quickly.

William had not really had the time to wrap his head around what was happening, and he was sure that Violet felt the same way.

Perhaps once all of this was over, they would be able to talk about it. But for now, they just had to plough through the day.

"Very smart," Frederick said with a laugh as he saw his friend. "At least you have been traditional in the way of wearing your finest suit."

William bristled and stiffened his spine. "Just because the wedding is of little circumstance, does not mean I should look messy."

Only Frederick and Catherine, William"s sister, were in attendance for the small ceremony. No one really knew about it, but that did not stop William from worrying that Paul might show up to cause a scene.

Neither William nor Violet had seen Paul ever since he left Eagleton Manor, but that did not stop him from panicking.

"Are you looking forward to being married?" Frederick asked, his tone laced with worry for his friend. "What with things being a little… tense, shall we say, with your bride to be."

"You know the rules I have set out," William reminded his friend. "There will be no tension. It will be on paper only."

Frederick raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "We shall see."

William sighed, his eyes reflecting a mix of uncertainty and determination. "I cannot afford complications. This is the way it has to be. Now, it is time to get those papers signed. Let us go."

The church was small and quaint, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of busy London life.

Since this was going to be a contract only wedding, there was no need for romance and flowers. But they were going to have to have a small affair to make this official.

Inside the room, in front of the officiant, Violet stood beside him, and while her expression was unreadable, the gravity of their decision loomed over them.

As the officiant began, a wave of nerves washed over William. This was it, the moment he stuck to the plan he had forged for Violet"s sake.

It was only now he was worrying that there were no benefits for him in all of this. Well, aside from an heir one day…

William took a steadying breath, glancing at Violet, who looked composed but harbored an undeniable vulnerability in her eyes. A look that remained in her eyes

"I, William Danton, take you, Violet Lambourne, to be my lawful wedded wife. In times of plenty and times of want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health," he recited, the words feeling like a script from a play rather than a heartfelt declaration. "I promise to honor and cherish you, to be your partner in all aspects of life, as long as this arrangement endures."

Violet, her voice clear and unwavering, echoed her commitment too. "I, Violet Lambourne, take you, William Danton, to be my lawful wedded husband. In the union we embark upon today, I pledge to respect and support you always."

The exchange of rings marked the culmination of their vows, a tangible symbol of the commitment they were making to one another. It felt surreal, almost detached, as if William were observing the scene from a distance rather than living it.

As the officiant pronounced them husband and wife, a mix of emotions stirred within William—uncertainty, relief, and a twinge of regret. The weight of the decision settled on his shoulders, and he could not help but wonder how this pragmatic choice would shape their lives.

After the ceremony, as they walked back down the aisle, the reality of the situation sank in. The looks of congratulation from Frederick and Catherine felt hollow, a facade concealing the uncharted territory they had entered.

"There is a carriage waiting for us," William told Violet, although the words felt a little stiff and strained as he spoke them. The easy comradery that he had occasionally felt before was long gone. "To take us to Hoskins Estate, which is just outside London."

"My new home," Violet murmured, but more to herself than him.

"I am sure you will be very happy there."

It was almost as large as Eagleton Manor, but kept in much better condition. William was certain that as soon as Violet saw the place, she would fall in love with it, just as he had done over the years.

It had to be better than Mr. Cook"s home anyway.

Even without seeing it, William was sure that it would not suit a woman like Violet.

But that did not make the carriage ride any less awkward.

William could sense that Violet had a lot to say to him, he was sure that she still had many questions with regards to his boundaries in this marriage, but she did not ask them.

Her lips were tightly shut, so much so that her whole face was turning a little pink. It seemed like it was not easy for Violet to keep her opinion to herself, but she was doing it. As much as she could anyway.

William was not sure it would last forever. Eventually, she would burst.

As long as she understood that the boundaries would remain in place no matter what, then everything would be fine. They could live their quiet, separate lives.

William could feel good that he had taken Violet out of a difficult situation, and she could find joy in the knowledge that she did not have to live with the strange Mr. Cook every single day of her life.

At least in his home she would have books and art, she could express her creative side and spend her days enjoying herself. And when the time came that they had to create an heir…

Well, they would face that challenge when the time came…

* * *

It had been a long day.

The wedding ceremony had been emotionally taxing, and the ride home was not easy either. As soon as they arrived at the Hoskins Estate, William had to undertake all the duties that he had neglected while at Eagleton Manor, so he had been incredibly busy.

He was looking forward to getting some rest…

"Violet?"

Which was why he was surprised to find a visitor in his bed chambers. He had shown her the room she would be sleeping in the moment they arrived.

There was no way that this was a mistake.

"Ah, finally you are here, husband," she replied in a slightly awkward, teasing tone. "I have been waiting for you."

William narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why have you been waiting for me?"

"You know…?"

He had a vague idea, but since he had set down the boundary, he could not believe that she was simply ignoring it like this.

"I do not have any idea what you are doing here," he said firmly.

"Well, it is our wedding night, and…"

"A wedding that is only on paper."

She frowned. "But it does not have to be this way. I thought you were only joking when you said that. I did not think you would stick to it."

William clucked his tongue and shook his head. "I would not have laid it down as a boundary if I did not mean it."

Frustration clearly bubbled in Violet. "That is ridiculous. You are being silly. Rules are only made to be broken, are they not?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Is that how you feel? I did not know that you could disregard the rules so easily. Does that mean I should be wary taking you out in public as my wife? Because you absolutely refuse to play by the rules? I do not know how to feel about that…"

"That is not what I mean, and you know it."

"Then please explain to me, Violet, what do you mean?"

She blushed brightly as she tried to explain in a sweet, stammering voice. "Well, the rules with us. That is what I am talking about. The no touching rule. As husband and wife who have certain feelings towards one another…"

"Certain feelings?" he teased. It was too easy and too much fun to wind her up.

"You know what I am talking about. Desires." She whispered that last word, flaming brighter with embarrassment. "I do not see why we should ignore those feelings. Why we should not have fun with one another when we are fully permitted to do so."

"But I thought you wanted to break the rules."

"Your rules, William. Those are the only ones I wish to break, because they are completely unnecessary."

She was irresistible, he could not deny that, but he had made his rules, and he was going to have to stick to them.

"You are so sweet when you are angry," William laughed. "It is lovely to see that intense pinkness in your cheeks."

This only wound Violet up further. She folded her arms protectively over her chest and took a step back from William.

That only inspired him to try and rile her up further. He could not help himself.

"But I think you know how things are going to go, Violet," he said in a low murmur, inadvertently drawing him closer to him."I am sure you already understand that I will not be touching you again now that you are my wife. I already told you as much."

But Violet"s eyes shone with determination.

He had spent so much time teasing her and toying with her, but now she was the one doing it to him.

William did not like the tables being turned.

He grabbed her wrists and pulled her away from him. "Violet, you know I do not want that sort of relationship with my wife."

Violet bristled. "That seems ridiculous. I still do not understand your reasoning. There is no reason for this."

William shook his head and pursed his lips. There was no way that he was getting mixed up in this conversation again.

"I have made my decision. It was part of the agreement, Violet. That is something that we agreed before the ceremony happened. So we should both respect the boundaries that have been set down."

Violet bristled, edging closer to him, possibly without even meaning to. Her lips were somehow so close to William"s that he could feel her breath tickling his lips.

All of a sudden, a dizziness overcame him.

William almost forgot all about his rules and closed the gap between them. The urge to kiss her was damn near overwhelming, he could not resist. Her warmth spread through his body, even more so when her eyes hooded a little.

The scent of desire flooding her nearly knocked William off my feet.

He still yearned to see her unhinged and unraveled.

The temptation was stronger than his will power.

Almost.

But then because he knew he had to, William took a step back, shattering the magic of the moment before it could sweep through them both and ruin this.

Anger fired up in Violet"s eyes as the chasm of distance grew between them.

Irritation burned all the way through her, William could sense it. He feared it a little because he did not know what way she would take this.

She muttered something under her breath which William did not quite catch, but he got the gist of it. She was not happy. Not one bit.

Then she turned on her heels and stormed out of the room, leaving a trail of anger in her wake.

William tried to laugh about it, to make himself feel better, but nothing could shake off the blue sadness ricocheting through him.

This was a mistake.

He just knew it.

The only problem was now that he did not know how he was supposed to make it work.

This was messy.