Page 41 of Untaming Lady Violet
Tristan closedthe door and sat in a chair closer to the fireplace.
His father had not yet arrived, although, to be fair, it was a few minutes before the designated time. With a sigh, he considered making himself a drink but decided against it for the moment.
At five after four, his father entered the study. He appeared almost surprised at the sight of his son already seated by the fire. However, he quickly recovered and made his way to a small bar set up in the corner.
“Will you have a brandy, son?”
“Certainly.” Tristan stood up, respectfully waiting for his father to approach with the drinks before he retook his seat.
Handing over a brandy snifter, Lord Darby sat in a chair opposite of Tristan with a heavy sigh.
Tristan studied the earl, noting the pallor of his skin and his heavy breath. Concern once again caused his own chest to tighten. “You don’t seem well this afternoon, sir.”
Father waved a hand in dismissal. “It’s just the dampness of the spring mornings catching up to me.” Taking a sip of brandy, he fixed Tristan with a steely eye. “Now, what’s this business between you and Violet Everstone?”
Tristan shrugged. “Nothing other than the customary interest one would expect for a Darby Meadows guest.”
The earl gave a sharp bark of laughter. “Customary? Your mother and I have witnessed your interest. Regardless of the potential alliance her father has arranged, Violet could be an excellent addition to the list we’ve assembled. We’ve not added her due to the arrangement we’ve had over the years with Everstone. It would require a bit of negotiation on my part, but if she is the one you want—”
“I’ve stated as forcibly as I dare, Father, that I’ve no interest in marriage to anyone. Besides, I regard Lady Violet as nothing more than a friend.”A friend I’ve discovered has the most delectable, ripest, peach-flavored lips. Lips I cannot get enough of. Would a rational person kiss a friend in such a manner? As if one’s own life depended on tasting the sweetness of another’s essence?
“I can’t understand your reluctance to pursue the possibility of finding a wife. After your experience with Grace, one would think you’d be willing to find someone you could call your own,” Lord Darby scoffed. “And of the two, Violet is far more suitable in temperament and nature. You and Grace were too much alike, but not in the areas where it mattered most. It is why I did not encourage a match.”
“While you are correct in your assessment of my lack of compatibility with Grace, the decision to remain a bachelor has nothing to do with the new duchess and everything to do with myself.”
“Would you ever consider the Everstone girl?” his father pressed, leaning forward in his chair and fixing Tristan with an intent stare. “Even with the complete lack of gain she might bring to a marriage? It is my understanding that, at the moment, only her name is worth any value.”
“My decision to marry, if and when it ever occurs, shall have nothing to do with a woman’s monetary value. Nor her social standing, for that matter,” Tristan said firmly. “I shall wed her because she wishes to marry me as much as I wish to marry her.”
Darby regarded Tristan over the rim of the brandy snifter. “Admirable. Although that did not seem to be the sentiment during your pursuit of Grace.”
Tristan stiffened. “I’ve changed much since then, sir.”
And he had. Seeing the deep, unwavering love Grace and Nicholas shared certainly proved he was wrong in forcing his attentions on an uninterested party. It was a mistake he would never make again.
“It is not my intention to meddle in my friend’s affairs, nor my son’s, for that matter, but it has not escaped notice that the man Everstone selected for his daughter meets only the requirement of having a sufficient amount of funds.” Darby sighed. “And Gadley is willing to exchange those funds for a blue-blooded name. Your mother, bless her gentle soul, is greatly disturbed by this. She carries a deep fondness for Violet. And Celia, well, your sister is beside herself. She’s convinced, if a marriage takes place, it will destroy the girl.”
“I don’t see how you can do anything about it, sir.” Tristan stood from the chair and rested an arm on the fireplace mantle. He felt claustrophobic all of a sudden. As if a trap were being set and he’d walked willingly into the teeth of it.
“I cannot,” Darby said in a low voice behind him. “But you can.”
“What the devil does that mean?”
“Perhaps, if you are thought to be a serious candidate for her hand, Gadley will withdraw his suit. A more appropriate gentleman may then be vetted for the poor girl. Lord Bowman, for example. He’s a decent sort, and I’ve noticed his interest in her. I could endorse him to Everstone.”
Tristan gritted his teeth at the thought of Bowman laying claim to Violet every night as her lawful husband.
“Really, Father,” he snorted in disdain. “How did Mother and Celia coerce you into endorsing such a hare-brained scheme? God’s teeth. I’ve no interest in being a part of whatever fate Everstone has in store for his daughter, and very little faith our actions would make a difference to the good or the bad. That man is ruthless. He has been that way since you were both boys at Eaton. Had he not saved you from drowning that one day, you two would barely be acquaintances. If he stands to make a shilling off the sale of his daughter, who are we to stand in his way?”
Tristan’s words proclaimed his disinterest, but a merciless stab of possessiveness gutted him. The thought of Violet bartered off was almost more than he could bear. Could his father see the lie on his face?
“That’s all true, but Gadley is perhaps even more heartless. You’ve heard rumors of his dealings with the fairer sex, Tristan.” Darby set a hand on Tristan’s shoulder. “Think upon it, won’t you, son? Our interference could mean a vastly different life for her.”
Chapter 17
Celia managed it so that one of the numerous Buchanan cousins occupied the dinner seat beside Violet. Just out of the university and overflowing with tales of his escapades, Lawrence kept her entertained.
Violet did not mind the young man’s steady stream of conversation. It spared her the task of appearing engaged. More importantly, it saved her from William’s odious presence.
