Chapter 8

The trembles racking Violet's body began to subside as Greyson held her close, gently swaying her back and forth in his arms as he comforted her. She had thought that the past was about to repeat itself, but Greyson had come just in the nick of time.

The warmth of his chest seeped into her as her tears stopped falling. She had never been in a situation where a man had come to her aid, especially not one as dashing as the Earl.

"What were you thinking, coming out here with a man like McCormack?" Greyson gently pushed her away and looked into her eyes with concern.

Feeling as if she were able to talk again, Violet took a deep breath. "I felt a little faint after you went to talk to the other gentlemen. The Duke said that he would take me outside to get some fresh air and you would join us shortly." Her heart rate slowed as he rubbed his hands up and down her arms.

Greyson swore under his breath. "You can't be that na?ve, Violet. Men are dogs, they will say anything to get you to trust them." The look in his eyes was somber as he searched her face. "I will keep you safe for as long as I can, but you can't trust anyone."

"Does not trusting men extend to you?" She attempted a half-hearted smile and glanced up at him.

"Well, every man except me. I am the only one who is betrothed to you." He returned her smile.

"For now, you are." She retrieved a handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed at her cheeks and eyes.

Concern flickered in Greyson's eyes once again as his smile faded. "Are you sure you weren't hurt?" His eyes bored into her soul as if he were trying to find any injuries.

"You came just in time. I'm not sure what I would have done if you hadn't found me." She closed her eyes against the painful memory. "He said he would try me out before you and let you know if I was worth the effort."

Anger filled her chest as she recalled the Duke's words and the repulsing, hungry look in his eyes.

"I'll kill him if I ever get my hands on him again," Greyson swore a little louder this time and shook his head while letting go of her arms.

Taking a deep breath, Violet regained her senses and realized that she was still in a very precarious situation as an unmarried woman without a chaperone. "We had better return to the ball. Whether you decide to kill the Duke or not, our plan is in jeopardy."

Seeming as if he had come to his senses as well, Greyson straightened the sleeves of his jacket and looked around the dark shrubbery. "You're right, we have to act sensibly now so that things don't get any worse. You go on ahead, I will be right behind you until you reach the doors. Act as if you were taking the air on your own and disappear into the crowd. I will find another way around and follow a few moments later."

His carefully thought-out plan impressed her as she examined his features in the dim light of the full moon. Her heart beat more steadily in his presence, as if nothing could touch her when he was around. She felt so inexplicably safe that she thought of telling him about her past and the experience that made her lose all hope in love.

"And if you run into McCormack in there…" Greyson clenched his jaw in anger once again.

"If I see him, I will kick him swiftly between the legs and call him out for being the cowardly bastard that I now know him to be." Violet lifted her chin defiantly. Rage filled her now that she'd had a moment to process what had happened.

Greyson's eyebrows rose as the corner of his mouth quirked up. "You know, the more time I spend with you, the more I find myself utterly impressed with you."

His praise made her blush. Her visceral reaction to his smile made her turn away from him and take a deep breath. The moment in the ballroom had come dangerously close to making her lose her good sense, she needed the security of other people's presence before anything else happened.

Picking her way through the maze, Violet retraced the steps she wished she had never taken in the first place and hurried back into the warmth of the ballroom.

Her parents were happily chattering away and didn't seem to have noticed their absence.

They trust Greyson as much as I do.

She found herself wondering what it was about his character that made him so trustworthy despite his rakish ways. It couldn't have been just his charm. There was underlying honesty there that he tried to hide from the rest of the world.

Relief filled her body as she looked around the room. Wherever the Duke was, she hoped that the shame of what he had done drove him away.

* * *

Greyson watched as Violet walked away from him. His blood still boiled from the encounter with the Duke. No man, no matter what his title or social standing was, had the right to force himself on a woman. He followed Violet until he was certain that she was safe, before taking a detour.

He wanted to make sure that the Duke had learned a lesson before he had a chance to take advantage of anyone else. Weaving his way through the elaborate shrubbery and rose bushes, Greyson spotted him laughing with another gentleman. He instantly recognized Stuart Whitworth, one of his oldest friends. The tall blonde figure was unmistakable next to the Duke's smug face.

Greyson instantly saw red as he neared the two men and cocked his arm back for a punch.

"Greyson, what are you…?" Stuart began to ask with a frown, but it was too late.

Greyson's fist flew through the air, connecting with the Duke's nose.

The Duke stumbled back, landing once again on his backside in the dirt. "What the devil is wrong with you?" he sputtered as a trail of blood trickled down his chin.

"Easy." Stuart stepped in and held Greyson back when it looked as if he were about to throw another punch.

"I will kill you if I ever see you so much as look at Violet or another woman in a manner thatagain. She is less than gentlemanlymine," Greyson hissed through clenched teeth and glared down at the Duke, who was trying to stop the bleeding by pinching the bridge of his nose.

Stuart wrapped his arms around Greyson's middle from behind and dragged him back, trying his best to keep him far enough away so that he wasn't even able to kick the Duke.

"I'm sure whatever happened can be settled more reasonably," Stuart reasoned as the Duke came to his feet, stumbling slightly from the aftermath of the blow.

Yanking free from his friend's grip, Greyson tried to slow his breathing. "Men who force themselves on ladies when they said no do not deserve a reasonable settlement," he snapped. He wished that Stuart had let him beat the man to a pulp.

Raising his eyebrows in shock, Stuart turned back to the Duke.

"I wasn't going to do anything more with her. I was just having a bit of fun. You and I have always competed for women. I don't see why that little piece is any different," the Duke ventured while tilting his head back slightly and blinking.

"I have never once pursued a woman beyond the first no. It's not a game if she isn't willing," Greyson growled and lunged at the man who was no better than a bastardly coward to him now.

No man worth his salt would ever force himself on a woman. The thought alone was enough to push Greyson over the edge.

Acting quickly, Stuart stepped between them and placed his hand on Greyson's chest, holding him back as he whispered, "While I agree with you that man should be beaten senseless, we have garnered an audience."

Greyson looked up to see a small group of men and women who had gathered to witness the altercation. The guests whispered to one another from the balcony above, looking down on the spectacle with keen interest.

"Let him go, you've already shown him that you don't stand for this kind of thing," Stuart cautioned again, with a glance at the onlookers.

The Duke straightened his jacket and sniffed, looking at Greyson as if to ask if he wanted to finish what he'd started.

Every fiber of Greyson's being wanted to rip into the man and show him just how vile his actions had been, but one glance at the ever-growing crowd on the balcony convinced him otherwise.

"Go, and don't ever let me catch you in a position like that ever again." He nodded toward the exit at the other end of the garden.

Sniffing back the blood, the Duke flinched when Greyson took one step forward, before walking off toward the garden exit. Greyson had half expected him to put up a fight, but it seemed as if he had realized the precariousness of their situation. Making a scene would require an explanation, and explaining that Greyson had caught him in the midst of less-than-honorable acts wasn't ideal.

Some of the guests grumbled in displeasure at having missed all the excitement, and everyone turned to leave.

Stuart took a step back and allowed Greyson to fix his appearance before speaking. "I can understand that you got all bent out of shape about what he did, but did your reaction have anything to do with the beautiful blonde I saw you speaking with all evening?" He lifted an eyebrow in question.

"I didn't know you were paying such close attention. You might have come and greeted us like a decent individual." Greyson attempted to make a joke as he ran his fingers through his mop of hair, but the anger boiling in his veins had yet to subside.

"I didn't think it would be very gentlemanly to interrupt, not when you were huddled in a corner. I am intrigued to hear who this lady is and where she comes from. It isn't every day that Greyson Stone is seen devoting all his attention to one lady at a time." Stuart smirked and leaned against the stone pillar that supported the balcony above their heads.

"Explanations will have to wait for another time, for Lady Violet is waiting for me inside the ballroom." Greyson pulled his jacket down at the waist so that he would look presentable when he stepped into the ballroom again. It was more than likely that most of the guests had already begun to spread the story, but there was no need to add fuel to the fire.

Stuart chuckled and shook his head. "Well, well, well, I'll be damned."

"What do you mean?" Greyson snapped, feeling a growing sense of irritation.

"Nothing, nothing, it's just that I can't wait to meet Lady Violet. If she has you acting like this, she must be quite an interesting young lady." Stuart threw his hands up in surrender.

Greyson's mind wandered to the ballroom and Violet. Was he really acting chivalrous? Or was there something else that had fanned the flames of his anger?