Chapter 28

The heap of sand nestled between the rows of headstones seemed like a great injustice to Violet. How could it be that someone she loved was there one moment and gone the next? It felt almost too strange to be real, as if the Dowager Countess of Montclair was hiding somewhere between the graves, just waiting for the most opportune moment to pop out and announce that it had all been a joke.

Violet's thick black dress felt too heavy for such a lovely day. The neat, little graveyard beside the stone chapel was empty, save for the solitary chirping of a few birds. She had chosen a simple black hat with a wire mesh to cover her face.

"I was wondering if you would make an appearance," Marie Webster spoke quietly as she stepped up beside her and looked down at the mound of fresh earth. The silk black dress she wore somehow seemed far too elegant for the occasion.

Sighing heavily, Violet lifted her gaze to the fields beyond. The chapel's was located on the outskirts of London, providing a serene view for those who wanted a moment alone with their lost loved ones.

"I thought it best if I hung back. I wanted to give Greyson the space he needed to mourn."

Violet could feel Marie's frown without looking up.

"I don't mean to be presumptuous, but I would have thought that he'd want you by his side. The two of you seemed almost inseparable even in a crowded room," Marie said, her voice laced in concern.

Violet shuffled her feet uncomfortably when a scoff that could have been misinterpreted as a lack of compassion escaped her lips. She and Greyson seemed to have put on such a good show that everyone, including the famous matchmaker, had been fooled.

"Did something happen?" Marie probed gently, before taking a step forward and placing a simple white rose on the mound of earth. The long black gloves she wore only accentuated her slender fingers.

"I may as well tell you, everyone will know before too long. You never know how these things get out. Greyson and I were only pretending to be in love. We wanted to keep our families at bay. In the end, it turned out that he and I were the fools. I fell in love with him, he wanted to ask me to marry him in what I can only assume was an attempt to prolong the ruse."

She bit back the sob that threatened to escape her lips.

Marie listened patiently, lifting her eyes to the bright blue sky that seemed to stand in stark contrast to the storm that had passed. "You know, in my short time as a matchmaker, I have seen many couples. Some didn't want to marry because of oaths made in vain. Some were afraid that if they allowed themselves to love, it would end in misery. Yet, they all had one thing in common."

"You worked your magic spells, and everything turned out fine in the end?" Violet couldn't help but roll her eyes at the stories she'd heard about Marie Webster's sublime powers. "Forgive me, I don't mean to come across as disrespectful," she hurriedly added when the corner of Marie's mouth quirked up.

Marie shook her head, laughing. "I have heard a few whispers amongst the ton. I'm afraid that I do not have a magic wand that can simply make a couple's problems go away. I do have a talent for realizing which couples will bring out the best in one another, but the rest is entirely up to them. I think it's just easier for people to believe in something magical than in themselves."

Violet frowned. "I don't understand, how have all the matches you've made been successful? Lady Oakhampton says you have yet to make an unsuccessful match." She lifted her eyes and studied the woman's perfect face.

Marie's complexion rivaled that of a peach, and Violet couldn't help but wonder why she had chosen the life that she had. A woman like Marie Webster would have made the perfect match for a handsome nobleman.

"At the risk of sounding too cliché, it was love, not me or any other kind of spell. When two people are meant to be together, love will always find a way of conquering all." Marie let out a deep sigh, causing her shoulders to rise and then fall in defeat. "I wouldn't go around bragging about my immaculate record just yet. I think I might have just matched the wrong people."

Violet's heart sank to the pit of her stomach, even though she knew everything was over with Greyson. They would go down in history as Marie Webster's very first unsuccessful match. The defeat and embarrassment somehow seemed worse, knowing that Marie had failed for the first time after such a long streak of successes.

"I didn't mean you and Greyson. Despite the challenges you may be facing, I still think the two of you have a fighting chance," Marie added quickly. "All is not lost."

Violet attempted to quash the hope that sparked in her chest. It didn't matter if Marie—or anyone else, for that matter—thought they belonged together. Greyson had made up his mind about their courtship.

But he was going to ask me to marry him.

"I know you've probably heard this a thousand times from everyone around you, but you and Greyson fit together like the pieces of a long-lost puzzle. I had my doubts at first, but when I saw the two of you at the first ball you attended together, I just knew that I had made the right decision." Marie's lips curled into a light smile. "The way his eyes searched for you when the room was filled with beautiful young ladies was just something else."

"I don't recall seeing you there." Violet frowned.

As far as she knew, Marie had always kept to herself and never attended Society events. One of the great mysteries of her success was the fact that she was never seen amongst the ton, but always knew what was going on.

Marie pursed her lips and averted her gaze, before smiling again. "I misspoke. I heard people talking about the way he couldn't keep his eyes off you. But that is beside the point. I do wholeheartedly believe that there is still a chance for the two of you. As for my other problem, I think I may have to throw in the towel." Her face fell.

Violet thought the slip of tongue was strange, but she decided to let it go. There was no point in quibbling over anything in the face of great loss. She could also see that the situation with the Duke of Wiltshire was far more taxing on Marie.

"Do you mean Dominic Harding? I saw the way the two of you arguing." She left out the part where it seemed as if Marie and the Duke had wanted to undress each other right then and there.

"I don't know what I will do with that man. He honestly drives me crazy at times. We fight worse than any other couple I have ever encountered." Marie seemed vexed as she folded her arms over her chest and looked out over the fields beyond. Her perfectly thin eyebrows knit together. "I swear I'll throw something at him the next time I see him—if he doesn't stop being so rude."

Violet wondered if she had been mistaken, yet there was a hint of a blush on Marie's cheeks. The tension she had witnessed between them made her wonder if the two of them weren't secretly attracted to one another. If she hadn't known who Marie was, she would have sworn that the two were lovers.

"Let's not talk about that now. The question is, what are you going to do about Lord Montclair?" Marie changed the subject, but Violet could see in her eyes that the question about the Duke bothered her immensely.

"I don't think there is anything more to be done. I think I need to convince my mother and father that I need to visit France or Scotland before the wedding. There must be some great aunt or long-lost family member who will be willing to take me in. I can tell everyone that we called off the engagement once I return."

There was every chance that Greyson would meet someone new or even go back to one of his former lovers in her absence. It would be hard for her to see him with someone else, but at least then she could begin to deal with reality. They both needed time to process the loss of his mother.

She still hadn't read the letter yet, but she couldn't bring herself to open the envelope. She just knew that it would be filled with hope created by the lies that she had Greyson had told. The thought made her uncomfortable as she looked down at the grave.

Panic filled Marie's eyes. "I honestly don't think you should leave the country. Lord Montclair needs you. Please go and see him before you make any rash decisions. He harbors a deep sense of abandonment. If you leave now, it will only confirm his belief that everyone will always leave him in the end." She turned to Violet and reached for her hands, biting her lower lip as if she wanted to say more but knew that she shouldn't.

Violet's stomach twisted in knots at the serious expression on Marie's face. Nobody seemed to understand that things had come to an end between her and Greyson.

"I know that everyone wants us to be together, but that doesn't change the fact that Greyson doesn't want this. I'm leaving in a few days if all goes as planned. It's up to him if he wants to come and see me or not."

"But how will he know if you don't tell him that you are leaving?" Marie argued, shaking her head in disbelief.

Violet bit her cheek as she considered her words. "If what you say is true and love conquers all, then I will leave it up to fate. If Greyson truly loves me, then he will recognize his feelings for me and stop me from leaving."

Marie's face suddenly fell.

Violet almost felt sorry that she had spoken so harshly. "I wish you all the best, Miss Webster. I'm not sure why you haven't found true love yourself, but I truly believe that you deserve to find love after all your efforts." She held Marie's gaze for a moment, before turning to leave.

Fate would decide for her if she and Greyson were meant to be together. If things didn't pan out, then she would continue her life as a spinster.

* * *

Marie pulled her shawl a little tighter around her shoulders despite the warm weather. Why did everyone always feel the need to point out the fact that she didn't have anyone special in her life? It was hard enough that she worried about the happiness of others without thinking of herself.

Her thoughts drifted to Dominic Harding and the many arguments they had had in her office. The man's insisting that she had been wrong with every single match she found was driving her crazy.

Perhaps the situation with him was throwing her off. She turned to Violet, who was quietly making her way out of the graveyard. She had always known what to do in the past, but now she wondered if meddling was the right course of action.

Why can she and Lord Montclair not see how perfect they are for each other?

Sighing heavily, she turned away from Violet and began to make her way toward the graves of her parents. They were located in a corner that provided her with enough privacy even if anyone ventured her way. The giant stone angel smiled down at her without a care in the world.

"I wish you were both here to help me through this. Why did you have to leave me so soon?" She looked up at the sky and allowed the sun to kiss her cheeks as tears streamed down her face.

The loss of her parents had forced her to make a life of her own, yet she wondered now if they would have been proud of what she had become. Being a matchmaker in London wasn't always seen as an honorable or even noble profession.

Everything seemed so hopeless in life when she couldn't find a way to help others find true love. She had dedicated her life to matching others, yet she had somehow forgotten all about herself. Did she even want to be a spinster? The thought of loving someone scared her more than anything else.

She let out a breath and stared down at the graves that were covered in grass. It had been a few years since her parents had passed—enough time for her to have dealt with her grief.

But why does it still hurt?

Sobs of longing and confusion racked her body as she wrapped her arms around her waist and cried.

"Why did you have to leave so soon? There is still so much that I need to ask you both. I don't know how to fix things with anyone."

A gentle breeze suddenly picked up, bringing with it the whispers from the past.

Websters never give up. True love will always find a way of conquering all, even when it needs a little nudge in the right direction.

Her sobs turned into a gentle smile when her parents' words rang in her mind. They had always encouraged her to see the light at the end of the tunnel rather than giving up.

"Thank you, I know what to do now."

She wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked back at the gate of the graveyard. Things just needed a little nudge in the right direction.