Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

A fter another intolerable supper where Basil was congenial and exceedingly well-mannered, Violet retreated to her bedchamber. It’d been over a week since she and Isabelle had returned, and she was no closer to convincing him that she would never be his wife.

She paced from the window to the bed and back again. There was a part of her—a very small part—that wished she’d never seen Basil with his sweetheart. If she hadn’t, she would have married him, and she’d be able to exist in ignorant bliss. She wouldn’t have this constant ache in her chest that nothing seemed to alleviate.

Nothing except the day she’d spent with Edward.

She groaned. Edward.

He was on her mind when she laid down at night and when her thoughts wandered during the day. She was consumed by memories of the way his body felt against hers, the way he’d devoured her, and the way she’d surrendered to him.

It might have been possible to ignore those thoughts if they weren’t mixed with the way he’d sheltered her from the rain, the stories he’d told about his family, and the way he’d seemed determined to save her. The memories of him were both too much and not enough. How was it that a man she’d only known for such a short time could evoke such a lasting impression?

* * *

The next morning, before she could talk herself out of it, Violet bundled Isabelle into a hack and set off across town.

“Where are we off to in such a hurry?” Isabelle asked, a frown on her face as she brushed the dampness off her cloak.

“To call on Lady Greydon,” Violet replied. She’d been as vague as she could when she had told her sister they were going out, but she couldn’t hide the truth any longer.

Isabelle’s mouth dropped open.

Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, Violet had decided that calling on Edward’s sister by marriage was the surest way forward. A young woman could call on a lady without causing too much of a stir, and while she was there, Violet could poke around and learn a bit more about Edward.

Isabelle finally closed her mouth, but she didn’t say anything, so Violet added, “The only thing we know about Lord Greydon is derived from gossip. The only thing we know about Edward is from the man himself. I need to…uh…discover more if I’m going to?—”

Isabelle interrupted, “You’re considering marrying him, then?”

Violet had only slept for short periods during the night. During one of the countless stretches where she was awake, she’d reluctantly concluded that she had overreacted when she fled from Edward without a word. Sexual chemistry was not a flaw in marriage. In fact, most would probably consider it a boon. “You’re not wrong about Basil, so it seems wise to explore Edward’s offer further.”

“What if he has changed his mind?”

It was a sensible question—one that Violet didn’t particularly want to consider.

It had only been a fortnight since they’d been with Edward at the cottage, so she hoped that his offer hadn’t expired.

And that he’d returned to London.

If he were still gone, she wouldn’t be able to discern whether marriage was still an option, but she wouldn’t be worse off than she already was.

“Then I’ll locate someone else willing to marry me. I seem to be able to attract a certain sort of man well enough.”

Isabelle’s eyes narrowed. “Whatever do you mean by that?”

“Handsome men with ulterior motives, of course. I’ve had two proposals. Both from men who don’t love me but offered to marry me anyway.”

“Tis not a reflection upon you. Edward wanted to help. And Basil…”

“Loves someone else,” Violet finished softly.

She abhorred that acknowledging it still caused a pang in her chest. What if it always did? Being used and lied to was bound to cause damage, but she desperately wanted to reach the point where it didn’t hurt. Regrettably, wanting something didn’t make it so.

The hack came to an abrupt stop, and Violet had to brace herself to avoid ending up in a heap on the floor. She paid the driver and climbed out as quickly as possible.

The townhouse in front of them was quite a bit larger than Violet had expected, but it wasn’t overly ostentatious, and while it did rise from the street in a daunting fashion, she refused to be intimidated by it. Scanning the dark windows, she couldn’t help wondering if Edward was behind any of them.

Not knowing made her palms sweat.

Standing in the street was not conducive to her plans, so she marched up the stairs with her sister by her side and presented her card to the butler with a blinding smile.

It was probably not the thing to arrive unexpectedly and without an introduction, but he took the card and asked them to wait. She hoped Lady Greydon was as kind and generous as Edward had led her to believe.

The butler disappeared from view and then shortly thereafter returned and gestured for them to follow him. He escorted them down the hall and through an open door. Violet attempted to keep her steps measured so as not to expose her nerves, but it was not easy.

The room they entered was less formal than she expected, with comfortable-looking furniture and a pianoforte in the corner. A stunningly beautiful woman with eyes nearly the same color as Edward’s and a scowl upon her face watched them impassively as they entered.

“Lady Belinda, allow me to present Miss Violet Shaw and Miss Isabelle Shaw,” the butler said before he turned and departed.

Where was Lady Greydon, and why was Edward’s sister taking callers alone?

“How pleasant of you to call.” Belinda welcomed them with an expressionless look on her face.

Violet wasn’t sure how to react. It was too late to retreat, so she had no choice but to keep her smile firmly intact as she glided across the room. “I apologize for bursting in uninvited.”

“You may be uninvited, but you’re not unwelcome.” Belinda looked her up and down as she gestured at the two-person settee and the chairs that flanked it. “Please take a seat.”

“Thank you.” She lowered herself onto the edge of the settee. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

Isabelle echoed Violet and sank onto the settee next to her.

Violet had intended to engage in casual small talk before informally mentioning Edward, but Lady Belinda spoke again as soon as they were settled. “The season has not started yet, and other than Emmeline’s family, we rarely receive callers. Are you a distant relation of Emmeline?”

“Not precisely.”

“You’re friends, then?”

“I’m afraid I do not know Emmeline,” she admitted.

She had not prepared for an interrogation. Although obviously she should have. Why had she assumed she could waltz in and not be questioned about her identity?

“What about Jane or Louisa?”

“Also no.” Why did it suddenly seem stuffy in the room?

“Perhaps you know Edward?”

Belinda’s eyes glittered as if she already knew the answer, and Violet struggled to keep her expression placid. “Edward?”

“My brother.” Belinda leaned forward and arched her eyebrow. “You aren’t…are you…in trouble?”

“Heavens, no. We did not—” Violet’s hand flew to her chest as she nearly lost control of her words and her composure. Her flustered reaction revealed far more than she’d intended, and she scrambled to explain. “I do know Edward. He offered to marry me, but we did not…did he tell you that we did?” It would be just her luck to have a man lie about coupling with her. She’d be ruined and—she stopped. If she were ruined…no…it was too risky. Basil would probably still insist on marrying her even then.

Belinda leaned back, a slight smile lighting her face. “He did not. However, men can be reckless when it comes to women. On occasion even Edward has made a poor decision or two. My brother is one of the best men that I know, but after his scandalous liaison with Lady Hayden, there is reason to question his judgment. If he offered marriage to you after such a shockingly short acquaintance, then you can hardly fault me for leaping to assumptions about the nature of your liaison.”

“What did he tell you?” Violet asked, cursing herself for not being better prepared, while at the same time feeling a measure of relief that his sister believed him a good man.

She had not assumed that Belinda would know who she was. Although the fact that Edward had spoken of his family fondly probably meant she should have expected he’d tell them about her.

As usual, she’d miscalculated.

“We inquired about his trip as soon as he returned, and he provided some of the pertinent details. I have to admit, I appreciate the trickery involved in residing in the empty residence more than I can say. Unfortunately, Edward either doesn’t know or refused to share exactly why you were trespassing. He was also not terribly forthcoming about why he felt compelled to save you, so I have been forced to make my own conclusions.” Belinda paused and then added, “He doesn’t seem to know as much about you as he ought.”

“I explained what he needed to know.”

“That’s fair. I wouldn’t share my personal business with a man either,” Belinda responded dryly, and Violet wanted to squirm under her piercing gaze. “I can’t figure out why he’s willing to marry you though.”

“Because he likes her,” Isabelle interjected.

Violet shook her head. Edward had not looked into her eyes and fallen madly in love.

But surely, Belinda already knew that.

“Ignore my sister,” Violet said. “She can be fanciful when it suits her.”

Isabelle huffed and rolled her eyes.

“Actually, the reason he offered marriage is because he wanted to help,” Violet clarified.

“Edward does fancy being useful. However, if he only wanted to help, I wonder why he’s been out of sorts since he returned. Even more so than before he left.”

Belinda seemed to be aligned with Isabelle in relation to Edward’s motive, but—“I have to say, I’m having a hard time telling if you’re encouraging me or suggesting that I should leave well enough alone. If it’s the latter, we won’t take any more of your time, but if it’s the former, allow me to apologize for whatever effect I’ve had on his mood. Now that we’re back in London, I had hoped to revisit Edward’s offer and…”

She bit her lip and waited to see if Belinda would finish the sentence. When Belinda stayed silent, Violet started to stand, but Belinda’s hand darted out to stop her.

“Don’t leave,” Belinda said. “I didn’t mean to suggest you were to blame. It’s just, I’m having a hard time understanding—why did you reject him in the first place?”

“It wasn’t a rejection. I politely declined what was nothing more than an impulsive offer. It seemed foolish to accept, but unfortunately, my situation is unchanged, and I…” She trailed off, embarrassed that she had convinced herself that she could come here and charm Emmeline into revealing whether Edward was trustworthy without answering any questions of her own.

Belinda’s lips turned up. “Believed he would still be willing?”

“Not at all.” She sighed. “I don’t know. Perhaps it was wishful thinking.”

“He’s still willing.” Belinda smiled fully, and Violet was shocked by the sudden change in the other woman’s demeanor. “He hired someone to locate you, and even though he claims he isn’t going to use that information, I can’t imagine he would have managed to resist approaching you for long.” She paused. “I should warn you that Sebastian is not in favor of the match. Edward isn’t nearly as eager to please our elder brother as he once was, but Sebastian is not without sway.”

Belinda had revealed far too many things Violet wanted to ask about, but one stood out amongst the others. “Are you saying that Edward might withdraw his offer if Sebastian does not approve?

“Not at all.” Belinda chuckled. “Sebastian wouldn’t stand in the way of Edward’s happiness, but he’s sensitive about your motives, and he has encouraged Edward to proceed with caution.”

“You’ve only just met me. And he hasn’t met me at all. It’d be suspect if your family wasn’t wary.”

“That’s true, but we would be less wary if you explained your situation.”

There was a part of Violet that wanted to explain. If anyone could empathize, she suspected Belinda might. The words, though, refused to leave her lips. She couldn’t force herself to reveal the depth of her folly, even if it meant she lost Belinda’s support. “My situation is that I require a husband, and Edward asked for my hand.”

Belinda said nothing, just continued staring at Violet as if she could see straight into her soul. It took everything Violet possessed not to fidget under the scrutiny.

“Do you like him?” Belinda asked suddenly.

Violet blinked. “What kind of question is that?”

“Our father died, and then Sebastian abandoned us. Edward felt the loss of our brother down to his bones, but he did not allow himself to wallow. He took care of us—Jane, Louisa and me—when no one else could be bothered to do so. If not for him, we’d be untamed and uncivilized.” Her lips turned down a little. “Edward can’t turn his back on a person in need. Even though Sebastian left him behind, he didn’t hesitate to help our eldest brother when he required it. There is not a soul in London who cares more for his family than Edward does, and we owe him more than we will ever be able to repay, so I’ll ask you again, do you like him?”

“I do.” Violet swallowed. “If his offer stands, I should like to accept; if it doesn’t, you will never lay eyes on me again.”

“I believe it stands.” She leaned forward and spoke softly. “I would never interfere in Edward’s life, but if you’re toying with him, I will protect him with everything I have.”

“I’m not toying with him.”

“But you’re using him.”

It was hard to argue with that. “I will be a devoted wife.”

Belinda nodded. “Fair enough. But if you hurt him, I’ll make sure you regret it.”