Chapter 10

"Apublic appearance has been made, and the courtship is in full swing, so any concerns you may have had can be put to rest," Greyson reassured his mother with a smile. She had been nagging him about the match, even though he'd confirmed to her over and over that he was officially courting Violet.

"That's wonderful, darling. I can't tell you how delighted I am to hear it. I heard that the two of you made quite a fetching couple at the ball." His mother clasped her hands together right below her chest, a bright smile on her lips.

She asked her spies.

Greyson smirked to himself as he realized that her friends had reported back to her on the match. He still wondered what had changed her mind after supporting his decision not to marry for many years, but as long as she was happy, he wasn't about to push the matter.

The late afternoon sun shone through the windows of the solarium. His mother loved her plants and collected a plethora of them, which now sat in the sunny room. The bright light accentuated the dark circles beneath her eyes, and he wondered if she had been losing sleep worrying about his match.

"When will I be meeting this delightful young woman?" she asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

So close…

Greyson had hoped that the arrangement could be carried out without his mother getting involved, yet he realized now that putting things off would only cause his mother to nag him even further.

"Must you meet her so soon, Mama? Can't we wait a little longer while she and I are courting?"

"I don't see why I can't meet her unless there is something you are hiding from me?" His mother eyed him curiously with a questioning look on her face.

Heaving a sigh, Greyson shook his head and relented. He may as well get it over with for the sake of peace. "Very well, if you insist, we can arrange a dinner for the day after tomorrow."

"Not then, make it tomorrow evening," his mother insisted.

Greyson frowned at her and the hurried way she had responded. The strange way she was acting was beginning to arouse his suspicions.

"I am taking my maid to see the doctor in London the day after tomorrow. I don't want to be rushed on the way back," she explained when Greyson held her gaze.

"This maid seems awfully sick these days. What is the matter with her?" He searched her face. If there was anything that she hadn't shared with him, then he would endeavor to discover it sooner than later.

Christina Stone cleared her throat and reached for her cup of tea, gingerly taking a sip. "It's Thompkins. She hasn't been well, and Dr. Stanley can't seem to get to the bottom of it. We need the opinion of a specialist."

"Thompkins… isn't she still young?" Greyson frowned at the idea of his mother's young maid being ill. She had seemed as fit as a fiddle the last time he had seen her.

"Illness doesn't discriminate by age, gender, or even class, Greyson. Life sometimes changes without a warning, and we need to roll with the punches. Don't ask me to explain what is wrong with her because you will get very uncomfortable. They are matters between ladies and doctors." Her voice held a note of bitterness that didn't sit well with him.

His mother had been fond of her maid since hiring her a few years prior. He could understand why she was anxious to get to the bottom of things if the maid wasn't well. Her hint at ladies' problems put him off entirely—it wasn't a topic he relished. Certain things were better left to the imagination when it came to those matters.

"Very well, tomorrow night it is. I will have to go and ask Violet if she is available. If she is, then we can invite Stuart as well." He decided to invite his friend so he could act as a barrier between him and Violet. The last thing he needed was to find himself alone with her again.

"That does sound lovely. I do enjoy your friend's company, he always makes me laugh. We need a little laughter in our lives at times." His mother seemed sad as she looked down at her lap, a far-off look in her eyes.

"Don't fret about your maid, Mama, I am sure that the doctor in London will be able to help her." He reached over and squeezed the hand that rested on her knee. Her fingers felt cold and a little too bony to his liking. "I'm going to make sure that you have an extra helping of dessert tomorrow night. You've been so worried that you're losing a bit of weight."

"You fret too much about me. Now, hurry along and go ask my future daughter-in-law if she's available. If she says she isn't, tell her that your dear old mama will be very upset if she makes her wait." His mother winked at him and then gave a warm smile.

"I don't think that blackmail is the right way to go, Mama—not just yet, anyway."

Greyson then stood up and gave his mother a peck on the cheek before leaving. He needed to go and tell Violet the happy news of their impending dinner.

* * *

Greyson knocked on the front door of Blackwood House. He knew very well that sending a note would have sufficed, yet he wanted to see Violet. He wasn't sure why he felt such a strong compulsion to be close to her. He reassured himself that it was only because of how entertaining she was.

The butler who greeted him looked far too young for his job, but his helpful and polite mannerisms were without fault.

"Good evening, My Lord. If you would like to come this way, I shall announce your arrival to Lady Blackwood and Lady Violet. They are in the drawing room as we speak." The butler bowed after accepting Greyson's cloak and hat.

Blackwood House was far more modest than the country manor that Greyson had grown up in, but he preferred his more humble lodgings. His quarters were just large enough for himself and his valet. He had never seen the need to live beyond what was necessary, especially since his father had abandoned them for a simpler life in Scotland.

He was shown into the drawing room, where Violet and her mother were waiting to greet him.

"This is such a wonderful surprise! May I send for an extra cup of tea?" Lady Blackwood was first to greet him as she pushed to her feet, enthusiasm radiating from her every pore.

Violet greeted him but seemed a little uncomfortable with his sudden appearance. Her reaction made him wonder if he wasn't breaking another rule by showing up instead of sending a note.

"I won't be staying long, Lady Blackwood. I have just come to invite Violet over for dinner with my mother tomorrow evening." He turned to Violet with a charming smile that he hoped would smooth over any irregularities.

Lady Blackwood sunk back onto the sofa. "He calls her Violet instead of Lady Violet," she muttered to herself as she retrieved her fan.

Her reaction brought Greyson a great deal of joy as he watched her fan blur in motion.

Violet rolled her eyes with an almost inaudible sigh. "Thank you for coming all this way, My Lord. I do think that a note would have sufficed." She gave him a look that said he was indeed breaking another rule.

That seemed to snap Lady Blackwood out of her daze. "Violet," she chided, "a lady does not address her suitor in such a manner. It speaks to Lord Montclair's character that he came all this way to invite you in person."

Sensing that a quarrel was about to ensue, Greyson decided to provide a distraction. "You know, I think I'd love to have a cup of tea, Lady Blackwood," he interjected, folding his hands behind his back.

Jumping to her feet, Lady Blackwood looked around the room in a panic. "Of course. Where has that bell gotten to?" she asked no one in particular, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Taking a step toward her, Greyson took her hand in his and looked into her eyes. "Please, do not fret if it is too much trouble. I only wanted to take you up on your generous offer, I didn't mean to cause you any distress."

The corner of his mouth quirked up into the charming smile that he reserved for mothers. He'd never been in a situation where he needed to charm the mother of a woman he was seriously courting, but the gesture seemed to yield the same results.

"I will go at once and ask for another cup to be brought up. You can never be a bother, My Lord." She held her head high and instantly marched out of the room with a determined glint in her eyes.

"Does your charm work on all women like that?" Violet rolled her eyes and pursed her lips in disgust once her mother had left the room.

"Most of the time. I am still trying to make it work on you, though." He chose a seat opposite her and sat down. "I thought a moment alone would be a good opportunity to explain. My mother has been nagging me for a meeting. I know we said we would keep things as simple as possible, but I don't see any way around it that will convince her."

Violet seemed to consider his words, glancing down at his lips as he spoke. He wondered if she had enjoyed the kiss they had shared. The sensual way that her breathing deepened suggested that she had, but there was no telling with a woman as complicated as Violet.

"Very well, one dinner won't hurt," she relented. "You know my mother will fall in love with you if you keep on charming her like that."

Greyson turned up the charm. Her beauty in the dim lighting of the drawing room hadn't gone unnoticed. "Is that a hint of jealousy I am detecting?"

"Over my mother? I hardly think you would last a minute with her." She rolled her eyes and suppressed a laugh.

Greyson could sense that something had changed between them. The carefree banter had pattered out into a more formal, stiff teasing. Her body language also suggested that she wasn't entirely comfortable with being alone.

Did I hurt her by leaving so abruptly?

He examined the way she avoided his gaze and fidgeted with the hem of her dress. "I wanted to apologize for the way I left things at the ball. I overstepped the mark, when we'd spent a wonderful evening together."

Violet's lips parted in surprise as she looked him directly in the eye for the first time. "You thought it was a lovely evening?" Her voice was soft and melodious, taking him off guard.

"I did enjoy our banter up until the unfortunate incident with McCormack. Didn't you?"

His heart raced unexpectedly as he waited for her answer. He hadn't considered the fact that she hadn't enjoyed their time together as much as he had.

"I did enjoy it, very much. I felt at ease speaking to you as a friend." Her eyes flashed with an indecipherable emotion that made him wonder if she was hiding something else.

Friend?

He wasn't sure why that word didn't sit well with him. They were, after all, only pretending to court.

"Good, I was afraid that I had offended you by leaving so abruptly. I just didn't think that it would be a good idea to go any further."

"No, it wouldn't have. I am glad you stopped." Her smile was still just as stiff as before.

"You know, I can kiss you again if it's that difficult for you," he suddenly blurted out before he could stop himself. The awkwardness between them was driving him crazy.

Violet looked at him in shock, tilting her head to the side. "I beg your pardon?"

"I only meant that this difficulty between us is unnecessary. You are a beautiful woman, and I am a reasonably attractive guy—or so I have been told. The point is that a certain level of attraction is to be expected. We just need to power through and ignore anything that draws us even remotely closer to each other's lips."

He felt his confidence wane slightly as he waited for her response. Perhaps a direct approach wasn't the best option.

A giggle escaped her throat, but then she bit her lower lip and turned her head away. Relief flooded his body as he watched her struggle to hide her amusement.

She's laughing again.

"I'm just saying we are alone," he added as she shook her head.

"Reasonably attractive?" She finally looked at him with a smile on her lips.

"Do you think handsome is more accurate?" He felt the tightness in his chest ease every time she laughed.

"You are something else entirely, Greyson Stone. I relent, it was a little awkward, given our arrangement, but I'll be glad to carry on as things were." Her smile was light and airy, bringing a breath of fresh air that he'd never experienced before.

He'd never imagined himself being friends with a woman, but now that he knew how entertaining she was, he couldn't imagine never having met her at all.

"At least I stand out from the rest." He placed his hands on his knees and stood up. "Please tell your mother that I had to leave on a matter of great urgency. I wouldn't want her to come back and swoon now that I'm back in her daughter's good books."

Rolling her eyes more playfully this time, Violet stood up to accompany him to the door, pausing just as she reached his side. "Will you send the address so that I know where to go? I am afraid that I don't know where your home is."

"I'll send a carriage to fetch you. I reside in rooms nearby while my mother lives in our country manor on the outskirts of London."

The scent of lavender suddenly filled his nostrils. He was overcome by a sudden urge to lean in and kiss her again. The breathtaking blue hues in her eyes drew him in like a siren's song.

Her breathing quickened as she swallowed hard and looked into his eyes. Her hand lingered at her side, barely brushing his thigh as she swayed a little.

"I'll be right there!" Lady Blackwood called from down the hall.

Coming to his senses, Greyson drew back. "I guess that is my cue to leave." He attempted a smile as he caught his breath.

Showing him to the door, Violet said her goodbyes.

She's going to be the death of me.

He shook his head once he'd rounded the corner down the street. He'd come dangerously close to kissing her again.