Page 57 of A Wicked Duke's Redemption
Chapter 28
Leo frowned at the sight of the unfamiliar carriage before the townhouse. He crossed the gardens and entered the foyer, only to find himself unexpectedly facing Lord Leaflet. The man’s presence was so unexpected that for a moment Leo simply stared at him. He did not know Lord Leaflet especially well. The two of them often appeared at the same ton functions, but that was true of most of the aristocracy.
“Your Grace,” Lord Leaflet said, his gray eyes hard and defiant.
Leo nodded curtly. “Were you waiting for me? If I had known of your arrival, I would have hurried to meet you.”
“My arrival was unexpected,” the lord replied, looking cross. “You should be ashamed of yourself for what you are doing to your wife.”
Leo crossed his arms and stared hard at Lord Leaflet, silently reminding the man that he was the Duke of Farnham and would not be disrespected in his own townhouse. “I have no idea what you are implying,” Leo said. “My wife is happy, and I treat her with the utmost respect.”
“Do you?” Lord Leaflet asked. “Because it appears to me as if you have tired of Her Grace and are already trying to devise a means to escape your marriage to her.”
Leo stared at him, and heat rose to his face. Anger rose within him, hot and fierce. “I have done no such thing, and I cannot imagine what has happened to give you such a delusion.”
“Two carriage accidents are not a delusion.”
Leo felt his blood run cold. “Two?” he asked, his pulse racing. “What happened to Violet?”
Lord Leaflet narrowed his eyes. “Someonepushed Her Grace into the path of my carriage, and I do not think it takes an uncommonly clever man to determine precisely who—”
Someone had pushed Violet into the path of a carriage. Leo heard nothing after those words, as he pushed past Lord Leaflet and quickly climbed the stairs. After such an ordeal, Violet would surely be in her bedroom. He burst into the room, startling Emma, who sat on the settee before Violet’s vanity. “Where is she?” Leo asked. “Is Her Grace well?”
“Leo!” Violet’s voice came from her bedchamber, like a balm on his raging anger.
He hurried to her bedside. Violet set upright, buried beneath her counterpane. She gave him a small smile. Leo dropped to his knees beside her and clasped her hand between his own. He noted that her hands were injured—the palms scraped a little. His eyes searched Violet’s face—her violet eyes, her gentle expression, and her cheeks pinkened. She seemed unharmed again. He released a breath he was unaware of holding. “Lord Leaflet told me what happened.”
“Is he still here?” Violet asked, her face growing pale. “I told him that he could leave.”
“He wished to make certain that I was aware that my behavior towards you is cruel and inappropriate,” Leo said.
“He believes you are trying to kill me,” Violet replied. “I tried to persuade him otherwise, but I could see that no amount of convincing would work with him. I was unsure what to do.”
“I know,” Leo said. “The ton would suspect me.”
“And I have no idea who itis,” Violet said. “Lord Leaflet is right. Someone is trying to hurt or kill me, but I have no idea who would even do that. Who could possibly dislike me that much?”
Leo shook his head. He climbed to his feet and crossed his arms, resisting the impulse to pace restlessly about the floor. “I have no better idea than you do. I am not even certainwhothis person is trying to harm. Clearly, you. But does our assailant have some special hatred of you? Or are they hurting you to cause me harm? I do not know who could hate either of us this much!”
Violet brought her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them. “If we do not know who might hate us so much, how are we supposed to keep them from trying to hurt me again? Or you?”
Leo shook his head. “I have no idea. The best idea I have is returning to the country. You were safe there, or at least. There were no attempts on your life.”
But Lydia died in Groveswood, Leo thought.
He still did not know if the three events were related, but it seemed unbelievable that he might lose one wife unexpectedly only to have another wife’s life threatened twice now.
“We were planning on returning to the country anyway,” Violet said quietly. “Maybe that is for the best.”
“Indeed,” Leo said, running a hand through his hair. “Until we do leave, I want you to remain in the townhouse as much as possible. Thus far, the attempts on your life have happened when you were in the city without me. Hopefully, that indicates this villain is unable to approach you in the townhouse.”
“Hopefully.”
If the villaincouldreach Violet in the townhouse, Leo did not know what he would do then.
***
Leo and Violet left London that same week. Essex greeted them with snow-covered banks and peace. As Violet stepped from the carriage, Leo felt the tension leave his body. This was Groveswood. There were fewer carriages and fewer people. There were no scheming members of the ton, who might whisper that he was a monster and seek to harm his wife.
