Chapter Twelve

“Violet! I must speak with you.”

Violet blinked in surprise as her father strode into the room, swiftly followed by her mother. She set her book down, having been attempting to read though every time she did try, her thoughts returned to the Duke of Lancaster and their dinner the previous evening.

“Father?” She watched as her mother sat down but her father made his way to the fireplace and stood in front of it, his arms behind his back and his chest puffed out. “Is there something the matter?”

“No, there is nothing the matter,” her father beamed, his face a little flushed and his eyes bright with clear excitement. “Might you tell me what the Duke and you of Lancaster were speaking of last evening?”

Immediately, Violet’s heart began to quicken. “The Duke of Lancaster?”

“Yes, the Duke,” her father stated, clearly. “He came to your aid last evening at the dinner table, did he not? He spoke up when Lord Stepstone was about to say something quite improper and changed the subject at hand so that you were not subject to any sort of embarrassment.”

Violet, a little surprised that her father had been aware of that, said nothing though her mother nodded fervently.

“Thereafter, I did see you and he speaking, though that was only for a short while.” The gleam in her father’s eye increased as he lifted an eyebrow in Violet’s direction. “What was it you were speaking of?”

“It was only a brief conversation, as you are aware,” Violet said hastily, a little concerned as to what her father meant by speaking of such a thing. “We spoke of Lord Stepstone and the dinner table conversation, that was all.”

“I see.” Lord Craighall looked to his wife and then smiled all the brighter, giving her a nod as though they were both in silent agreement as to what was to be said next. “Well, Violet, your mother and I have decided that there could be another connection between the Duke of Lancaster and yourself.”

Fear wrapped around Violet’s heart. “What do you mean?”

“It is just as I have said,” her father answered, the smile fading from his face. “I think there could be a connection between the Duke of Lancaster and yourself. After all, you were previously engaged to him and it is clear that he cared for you a great deal at the time. From what I can see, there is no connection between another young lady and himself and he is not married, engaged or even courting, so why should you not attempt to encourage his attentions again?”

Violet’s mouth dropped open, a coldness wrapping around her heart. She could not quite believe what she was being asked to do, horrified that her father would think that such a thing would be appropriate.

“I do not think that it will be particularly difficult, Violet.” Lady Craighall sat forward in her chair, her hands spread either side in what appeared to be a slightly beseeching manner. “You will be able to draw yourself close to him again without any real trouble. I am sure that –”

“I cannot!”

Violet rose to her feet, the air sliced with her hands as she shook her head fervently. “No, no! I certainly cannot do such a thing; I will not do such a thing!”

“Yes, you will.” Lord Craighall’s tone had dropped low and Violet, though she trembled from head to foot – not only with what was being asked of her but also with what emotions now rifled through her – continued to shake her head. “If I had known that the gentleman you were engaged to would soon become the Duke of Lancaster, I would never have ended the engagement. I would have let you marry him without delay, glad to know that I would then be connected to a gentleman of great wealth and standing! My regret in that regard is severe, though I am sure that you can understand my joy now that a second opportunity has presented itself.”

“You cannot ask me to do this.” Violet lifted her chin and looked back at her father. “I injured that gentleman with such a severe wound, I do not think that it has ever truly healed. I cannot bring myself back towards him again, not when there is that pain, that injury there.”

“Ah, but you are the only one who can heal that injury, I am sure,” Lord Craighall stated, a grin beginning to spread across his face. “Can you not see the sense in this, Violet? You have opportunity to be a Duchess, do you not? A chance to be connected to the gentleman with such a high title, only the King himself is above him!”

Recalling how sharply the Duke had turned her away from him, the words he had spoken to her, Violet shook her head again but slowly sank down into her chair rather than remaining standing. “Father, no. I cannot.”

“You must. It is required of you.”

She looked at him then, her eyes a little damp. “And what if I do not?”

“Then you will force us all to return home.” Lord Craighall’s grin turned into a dark smile. “Your actions will force Marianne to be taken back to the estate long before the Season is at its end. What then? She will be left without opportunity to find a husband! The gentlemen who are interested in her at present will be left without her company and will, no doubt, find someone else to pursue instead.”

A lump formed in Violet’s throat, tears forming behind her eyes. “You do not understand, Father. The Duke of Lancaster will not even speak to me.”

“That is a lie!” Lady Craighall exclaimed, as Violet pulled out a tissue to wipe her eyes. “We saw you speaking with him yesterday! That is not a gentleman who refuses to speak with you!”

“His words were harsh and painful,” Violet protested, weakly. “Can you not understand, Mama? It is much too deep a wound, still.”

“That is nonsense.” Lord Craighall’s tone was firm, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Violet. “You will do as I have asked, Violet. You will spend every social occasion seeking him out and doing whatever you have to in order to insert yourself back into his life again. You will speak with him, smile at him and do all you can to encourage his attentions towards you again. If you fail, that is one thing but if you have attempted to draw him back towards you, then that is quite another.”

The tears in Violet’s eyes grew all the heavier and she dropped her gaze, wiping at her eyes again though her father nor her mother relented.

“I want you to do all that you can to draw him back towards you, whether you think you will be successful or not,” Lord Craighall said, his tone and his gaze unflinching. “If you do not, then we will be forced to return home and Marianne will lose all of her connections and her hopes for a happy future.”

“But why?” Violet asked, her voice wobbling. “What is it about the Duke of Lancaster’s connection that you need?” Her tears began to drip to her cheeks but Violet did not wipe them away, letting them fall. “Why do you need the connection, Father? What is about the Duke of Lancaster – or any other gentleman with a high title and great fortune – that you require?”

Lord Craighall frowned and folded his arms over his chest. “That is not something that you need to know, Violet.”

“But I am asking it all the same,” Violet cried, her voice shaking all the more. “Please, Father. What is it that you require from this connection? What is it about a great fortune that requires you to push me towards such gentlemen?”

Lord Craighall lifted his chin. “My financial matters are entirely my own, Violet,” he replied, his voice filled with anger now. “Do not think that you can ask me such things! You are much too bold and much too improper! What sort of daughter do you think you are that you can demand such things of me?”

Violet wanted to say that she had no intention but to find out the truth, wanting to understand, needing to understand, but the anger in her father’s voice and the fury in his expression prevented her from saying anything further. Instead, she dropped her head and closed her eyes, all too aware of the tears which continued to fall. Neither her father nor her mother were moved, however, for her father reiterated what was required of her and thereafter, made to quit the room. When Violet lifted her gaze, not only had her father left the room but her mother had also stepped away, leaving her entirely alone.

Violet began to sob then in earnest, feeling nothing but utterly alone as she took in all that her father was asking her to do. It was beyond dreadful, for how was she to go to speak with a gentleman who did not desire her company? How was she meant to find a way to even approach him when he clearly did not want to exchange even a single word with her?

And how am I meant to draw near him again when my heart still yearns for him?

That truth made her heart burn with such a sadness and such a regret, she broke down into tears all over again. Seeing the Duke of Lancaster last evening had been difficult but what had caused her even more trouble was his rejection of her company when she had gone to share just a few words of thanks. He had been harsh, telling her that he had not been thinking of her but of himself, though at the very end, he had offered her a brief word that was not particularly hard, but it had not been pleasant either. Her heart had broken all over again. It had been as though in approaching him, he had rejected her, just as she had been forced to reject him all those years ago. He was making it quite clear that there was to be no reconciliation between them. There was not to be even the smallest acquaintance, the smallest hint of friendship – and yet somehow, her father expected her to speak into that, to force herself close to him again. However was she to do that? And just how much more pain was she to endure because of it?

***

“You could not refuse?”

Violet shook her head as she and Miss Chesterton stood near Miss Chesterton’s mother and sister, with Violet’s own mother, father and sister already disappeared into the crowd. Hyde Park was filled with people, both gentlemen and ladies as they fought to find a place where they might be seen by others. Carriages were at a standstill, with people waving from their open doors and hoping that their presence would be noted. Violet did not particularly enjoy the fashionable hour but was grateful that she had found Miss Chesterton. The news her father had delivered to her earlier that day had immediately spilled out, and Miss Chesterton had been just as astonished as she.

“If I refuse, then Marianne will suffer,” Violet said softly, aware of the ache in her heart which continued to build and build and build as she spoke. “I cannot do that to my sister. She is doing so well and there are so many gentlemen who are coming to call on her. To force my own decision upon my father, mother and sister would mean that Marianne would be dragged back to our father’s estate and her Season and her situation would be quite ruined.”

Miss Chesterton frowned. “Do you think that your father would really do such a thing?”

“Yes.” Violet closed her eyes briefly. “Yes, that is what I believe. My father has forced his hand upon this family many times and I am quite certain that he will do so again.”

“He is saying this then, in order to make certain that you do what he asks.”

Violet nodded. “Yes. It is a threat, so that I do what he asks without complaint or question.”

“And what if the Duke of Lancaster does not want you to draw near him?”

Passing one hand over her eyes, Violet let out a long, slow breath as she fought fresh tears. “It is not success that my father requires,” Violet answered, eventually. “It is evidence that I am doing what it is that he wants me to do.”

“Goodness.” Miss Chesterton put one hand on Violet’s arm. “I am sorry for that. It is very difficult indeed for me even to hear that, and I cannot imagine what it is to know that you must do such a thing.”

Violet swallowed hard. “The Duke of Lancaster does not want to speak with me.” Briefly, she told Miss Chesterton about the dinner, about what he had done and the conversation she had attempted to have thereafter. “You can imagine my embarrassment when I spoke with him,” she finished, sadly. “I thought that he had said such a thing that was in order to help me, to bring an end to the embarrassment Lord Stepstone might have brought. Instead, however, he stated that it was solely for himself. It was not that he had said something in order to assist me. It was so that Lord Stepstone would not say anything that would bring the Duke himself any sort of mortification.”

Miss Chesterton tilted her head, considering, her gaze flicking behind Violet rather than looking into her face. “Do you think that he can be trusted? That his words are genuine?”

A little surprised, Violet nodded. “Of course I do. Why would I not?”

“Because he is injured, as you yourself have said,” Miss Chesterton replied, softly. “He does not want to look at you or speak with you, you believe, but yet he said something which salvaged your reputation and stopped your own embarrassment, did it not?”

“But he said it was for himself.”

“And I will say to you again, you do not necessarily need to believe him,” Miss Chesterton said, quietly. “He could be hiding a great deal from you. Why should he have any reason for honesty?”

Violet tried to find an answer but instead, she could give nothing. Pressing her lips together, she shook her head and thereafter, managed a small smile.

“I suppose that is true.” It was the only thing she could say, the only thing she could offer to her friend and yet, within that, there came a little hope.

“What are you going to do as regards the Duke?”

Violet lifted her shoulders and then let them fall. “I think I will have to attempt to do what my father asks of me and, thereafter, I am going to show him that I have made no progress. I must hope that it will be enough to have him release me from this requirement.”

Miss Chesterton tapped her chin with one finger. “What if something unexpected occurs?”

“Unexpected?” Violet frowned heavily, not understanding what her friend meant. “What unexpected situation could happen to me?”

Her friend smiled. “What if the Duke of Lancaster agrees to continue on with you? What if you find him more open to your company and the like than you expect?”

A laugh broke out from Violet’s lips before she could prevent it, shaking her head when her friend looked at her sharply. “I cannot help it, though I must apologise for it. The thought that the Duke of Lancaster would be willing to speak with me, would be open to even looking at me is not something that I would ever permit myself to dream of.”

“I see.” Miss Chesterton smiled gently. “Perhaps it may come to pass, however, despite your doubts.”

Violet indulged her friend with a smile but said nothing more. She did not want to upset Miss Chesterton and certainly would never permit herself to laugh aloud at her friend for what had been said but all the same, Violet was silently convinced that what Miss Chesterton had suggested would never come to pass. The Duke of Lancaster would never permit her to grow close to him again. Of that, she was absolutely convinced.