by Fiona Miers
“We wouldn’t allow anything to happen to you or the child,” Lizzie promised with an encouraging smile.
“Thank you. I am truly grateful for you both.” The duchess smiled through her tears and glanced at Lizzie. “And I am deeply sorry that I made you feel anything but welcome in your own home.”
“There is no need to apologise, Your Grace,” Lizzie said. “Admittedly, I was not the best guest in the world and my behaviour was clearly not what it should have been.”
“We adore you just the way you are,” the duchess stated with a smile. “The mere fact that you are acknowledging your wrongdoings and striving to better yourself are wonderful and admirable.”
“Thank you,” Lizzie smiled.
The light-hearted atmosphere in the parlour was truly delightful from that moment onward, and it allowed Lizzie to feel at ease and forget about her woes.
And about Carson.
Even if it was only for a short while.
Chapter Fourteen
The moment Carson’s coach came to a standstill, he climbed out and stepped onto the dusty cobblestone path that led to the lavish townhouse across the street. He straightened his shoulders as he stepped onto the wooden steps leading to the front door. He banged the copper knocker loudly and with force against the door and waited for a few moments.
When the door opened, a young maidservant greeted him with a polite smile.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Wallace.”
“Good afternoon,” he reciprocated with a nod. “Is Miss Violet home? I wish to speak to her.”
“Certainly, Mr. Wallace. I shall escort you to the parlour while I inform Miss Violet of your arrival—”
“There is no need. I can find it myself.” Carson interjected as he stepped inside and walked straight to the parlour.
The young maidservant nodded and made her way along the long hallway and disappeared into one of the rooms.
Carson ran his fingers through his hair and drew in a deep breath before slowly exhaling. Miss Violet’s footsteps sounded in the hallway and as he turned around, she appeared in the doorway.
“Carson,” Miss Violet smiled happily. “How good of you to come to visit me. I am terribly sorry that you must see me in such a state, but I was not aware you would be calling.”
Carson glanced at her, knowing well enough that she always wore the best dresses to be had, and she would not dream of being anything less than perfectly turned out. False modesty was not attractive.
As Miss Violet approached, she reached out her hand to touch him. He stepped back, his jaw clenched.
“Is something the matter?” Miss Violet asked with a furrowed brow.
“There is something I wish to speak with you about.”
“Is everything all right? You seem upset.”
“I am upset,” Carson answered. “I had an interesting conversation with my sister, and it disturbed me very much.”
“What did she say?” Miss Violet inquired.
“First she rambled on about a patient at the hospital, and then she told me of an incident that occurred at the tearoom.”
Miss Violet’s eyebrows fluttered upwards and her eyes widened with surprise. “What incident might that be?”
“The incident where you threatened Lady Emma and the duchess and badmouthed Lady Seymour,” Carson answered and crossed his arms. “Is it true?”
“Of course not. Why on earth would I ever threaten anyone?” Miss Violet pouted innocently, fluttering her lashes at Carson.
“I do not believe you,” Carson stated.
Miss Violet narrowed her eyes and stepped away as well. “I would not lie to you, Carson.”
“Then you are accusing everyone else who was in the tearoom to be liars?” Carson asked.
“I didn’t say that,” she contended. “Those women despise me for some inexplicable reason, and they are targeting me.”
“Such nonsense you speak, as much of the words which come from your mouth are.”
Miss Violet gasped and pressed her hand theatrically against her chest. “How dare you speak to me in such a manner!”
“And how dare you threaten the wives of the Seymour brothers. Are you not aware of the difference in your stations? Your father may be chief magistrate, but it does not make you any better than anyone else. Nor does it give you the right or the leniency to threaten people with the law. That same law that your father does not even uphold himself,” Carson growled.
“There is no need to insult my father, Carson.”
“And there was no need to establish your dominance towards Lady Emma, or the duchess.”
“But especially not towards Elizabeth Seymour, you mean?” Miss Violet retorted and crossed her arms. “Why do you continue to defend her, Carson? She was the one who insulted me in front of my group of ladies. She was disrespectful towards me, and frankly, I am not surprised. I was surprised however, that she had the audacity to even visit the tearoom. A woman such as she should not be allowed in refined places where proper women gather.”
Carson’s jaw clenched as he stared at Miss Violet in shock and disbelief.
“Do not look at me in such a manner, Carson. You are well aware of the stories that circulate about the things she had done, and with married men as well. Clearly, she doesn’t care which homes she rips apart as long as she gets what she wants,” Miss Violet muttered angrily.
“I cannot believe that you have the audacity to utter such nonsense in my presence. You are clearly under the illusion that Lizzie is a terrible person.”
“Is she not?” Violet asked, her eyes wide and innocent-looking.
Carson barely contained the growl that rose in his throat. “Not in the least. I have known her for a very long time and the tales of her are the furthest from the truth.”
“You cannot know such things for sure, Carson. People have the tendency to hide who they truly are from the people closest to them,” Miss Violet said.
“Or those people whom they wish to fool into marrying them.”
Miss Violet narrowed her dark eyes and glared accusingly at Carson. “And what, precisely, are you insinuating?”
“Violet, you have made it no secret that you are the daughter of Chief Magistrate Saunders, and you ensure people are constantly reminded of it. I didn’t mind it in the beginning, although admittedly, it did annoy me thoroughly.”
Miss Violet glared at Carson in disgust and annoyance, but waited for him to continue. Perhaps she was stunned to silence by his words, but Carson didn’t believe such a miracle would ever occur in his lifetime.
“You come across as a lovely and delightful young woman, but underneath the surface, you are vile, uncouth and insensitive. You do not see the good in people, and other women only entertain your company as they wish to be associated with the Saunders name. Which has, in all fairness, lost its appeal ever since your mother passed, bless her soul.”
Miss Violet’s jaw dropped, and her face began to change colour, her cheeks and neck reddened by the anger that pulsated through her veins. Carson, however, was completely and utterly unaffected by it.
“You are rude, and you gossip. You spread lies that are both hurtful and inappropriate, and you possess no conscience with regards to your wrongdoings. You blame others for your mistakes and cannot bear the thought of seeing others happier than you are.”
Miss Violet stared wordlessly at Carson, her breathing ragged and her mouth turned into a scowl. “You are a mean man, Carson. How dare you speak to me in such a manner?”
“I have remained silent for long enough. I have allowed people to make my choices for me, thinking they know what is best for me. I permitted them to do it, as I didn’t wish to insult them or seem ungrateful. My sister was the one who arranged our meeting, but I agreed, as I believed my sister would not introduce me to someone whom I could not stand. After all, she knew me.” Carson shrugged and dropped his hands to his sides. “But I made the mistake of trusting her. I trusted her with an important decision regardin
g my future that I should not have.”
“I am a mistake to you?” she asked, her eyebrows flying up.
“The biggest, but I am to blame for it, as I allowed it to drag on for much too long,” Carson muttered. “I cannot marry you, Violet. In fact, I had no intention of marrying you in the first place.”
“It is because of Lizzie, is it not?” Miss Violet asked bitterly.
“I will certainly not answer that.”
“You don’t need to. It is written all over your face,” Miss Violet pointed out. “You wish to hear an honest word come from my mouth, yet you stand there and not only lie to me but lie to yourself as well. You are in love with Lizzie, a whore, and you—”
“You will not use that derogatory term in my presence!” Carson warned her, raising his hand in the air. “You do not have the right to stand in front of me and justify yourself by diminishing Lizzie as you see fit.”
“Leave, Carson,” Miss Violet whispered, her face paler than usual. “Leave right now.”
“With pleasure,” Carson said with a satisfied smile and bowed. “Good day.”
Carson walked past Miss Violet without another word and quietly left the townhouse, a happy feeling inside his heart – a feeling he had not felt in a very long time.
Chapter Fifteen
Emma and Lizzie sat on either end of the chess table in the drawing room, quietly playing a casual game. Lizzie cocked her head as she watched Emma shift her rook forward and purse her lips.
“I cannot believe it took us so long to play a game of chess together,” Emma expressed, and glanced at Lizzie.
“You are much more skilled than I initially imagined,” Lizzie admitted.
“I will graciously accept that compliment.” Emma grinned. “William taught me one evening while we spent a rainy night in the hull of the ship on our way to Denmark. It was a terrifying storm and William tried to distract me. I was growing rather hysterical.”
“I can only imagine,” Lizzie answered. “But Will always had a gift of making one feel at ease in even the worst situation. James as well. That is why I love them.”
Emma smiled and as she was about to respond, the door opened, and Will appeared in the doorway.
“Good afternoon, William. We were just talking about you,” Lizzie greeted him.
“All good things, I assume.” Will approached the two women and bent down to kiss his wife. “My love.”
“I was merely telling Lizzie about when you taught me the rules of chess,” Emma smiled.
“Ah, I remember that night as though it were yesterday,” Will sighed dreamily. “Of course, she clung to me as though her life depended on it, and gentleman I am, I simply provided her the means to distract her from her turmoil.”
“And thus, creating an even larger turmoil,” Lizzie muttered with a cringe.
“A true gentleman does not speak such intimate details,” Will said with a wink.
“Since when has that ever stopped you?” Lizzie chuckled, and the others joined in her laughter.
“Luckily I am in too happy a mood to take any offense,” Will grinned.
“Why are you in such a happy mood, my love?” Emma inquired.
“I heard some delightful news that is sure to place a smile on your face,” Will answered and pointed at Lizzie.
“What could you possibly have to tell me, William?” Lizzie inquired with a furrowed brow.
“I heard,” Will spoke slowly and crouched down beside Emma, “that Carson ended his engagement with Miss Violet.”
Lizzie’s gaze shifted directly to his and she scoffed. “That is not amusing, William.”
“I do not jest,” Will muttered defensively and held up his hands.
“Where did you hear this?” Emma inquired.
“I heard it from Edward.” Will pronounced.
Lizzie’s throat became thick and she swallowed hard.
“The gardener?” Emma asked, sounding confused.
“He has much more knowledge of the happenings inside Ferngrove Manor than anyone, and I trust him. He is no liar.”
Lizzie knew this to be true. Edward was a valued employee, and a gentleman in the true sense of the word.
Lizzie leaned forward. “Tell me exactly what he told you.”
“He overheard Carson speaking to Adrienne, telling her that he had broken the engagement and he never wished to see Violet again. Adrienne was livid, but Carson didn’t care. Apparently, he was tired of her controlling the direction in which his life should go, and he even told her to stay out of his affairs or he would have her sent to Aberystwyth.”
Lizzie fell back in her chair. Could it really be?
“Aberystwyth?” Emma asked with a furrowed brow.
Lizzie nodded. “His mother is there.”
Will glanced at her in disbelief and stuttered a reply, “How on earth do you know that?”
“I know everything about Carson and his family. He is my best friend, after all,” Lizzie shrugged nonchalantly.
“Wait a moment. Is Carson aware of you knowing? Will asked.
Lizzie shook her head. “No, of course not. Don’t be daft, brother. He wouldn’t speak to me again if he knew.”
“Why is that, dear sister?” Will asked with a smug grin.
“Ah... I didn’t precisely find out the information by Carson telling me himself,” Lizzie answered with a cringe.
Will’s mouth dropped open, then he got to his feet once again. “I cannot believe you, Lizzie! You were going through his father’s things?”
“Again, don’t be daft,” Lizzie muttered and rolled her eyes. “Carson asked me to assist him in sorting through the items in his father’s study after he passed away. I came across a box with letters addressed to the late Mr. Wallace, Carson’s father. They were from his mother.”
“What did they say?” Emma asked, her eyes sparkling with intrigue.
Lizzie sat up a little straighter, her stomach tugging at discomfort at revealing the intimate knowledge. But since Will had already obtained some of the facts, she had to assume she could trust her family with the information.
“Carson’s mother was the daughter of the late King of Wales. She left Somerset after her father had been taken ill as he had left the title of Princess of Wales to her if she wanted it. Carson’s father was upset and gave her an ultimatum, to choose between him or her old family. But she left anyway. She had to fulfill her family legacy. The letters were to Carson’s father, informing him that she would be staying in Aberystwyth permanently and she wished for Carson, Adrienne and Mr. Wallace to join her, but his father refused. He didn’t wish to uproot his children.”
“His mother is a Welsh princess?” Emma gasped with wide eyes. “Is he aware?”
“I doubt it. I didn’t utter a word. I removed the box from the study and buried it in our garden, near the hole in the wall,” Lizzie answered, though she still wondered today if she’d done the right thing.
“What does that make him?” Emma asked, her eyes wide.
“A duke, or a prince, I am not too sure. He has never been given a formal title, as his father didn’t possess a title,” Will explained.
“An influential businessman who married a princess and hid the knowledge from his children in order to protect them,” Emma summarised. “It sounds as if it belongs between the pages of a novel in the library.”
“Indeed, but it is his life.”
“Perhaps I ought to speak to him,” Lizzie suggested.
“And say what? Are you aware you are the son of a Welsh Princess?” Emma muttered.
“Not with regards to that, Emma. Regarding the engagement he ended,” Lizzie pointed out.
“Perhaps that is not a good plan, Lizzie,” Will warned.
“I will not gloat that I was right about Miss Violet and that he should have listened to me. It is not my intention to shame him. I merely wish to know whether he is fine.”
Will and Emma glanced at one another and sighed.
“Sister
, you must remember that Carson is now in a powerful place in his life. He stood up for himself against his sister and his entire family for that matter. He decided what was best, and perhaps he decided that it was time to let go of his past feelings,” Will said.
“What do you mean, his past feelings?” Lizzie asked.
“Perhaps it is time you told her, my love,” Emma suggested to Will.
“Tell me what?” Lizzie insisted and glanced at Will. “What is going on?”
Will drew in a slow breath and gazed at Lizzie. “Carson has been in love with you for many years.”
Lizzie’s brow rose and she felt her heart break free from its cage. The metal bars sprung open and her voice came out in a high-pitched squeak. “He told you that?”
How could her brother have withheld the information for so long?
“He didn’t admit it, but he didn’t deny it either. It was clear in the way he gazed upon you when you weren’t aware of it. He simply didn’t possess the courage to make his feelings for you known. He didn’t consider himself worthy of you, as you are the daughter of a duke and he was a simple man without a title,” Will explained.
“But it doesn’t matter to me if he was born with or without a title, wealth or any of those superficial and material things. He has always been enough for me, perfect the way he is. And that hasn’t changed,” Lizzie breathed, her pulse fluttering in her throat. “I cannot believe I have been so blind.”
“He did have the ability to hide it very well,” Will stated. “But I have known him for as long as you have, and he spoke of you constantly.”
Lizzie’s eyes filled with tears and a smile formed on her lips. She stood from the chair and drew in a breath. “Perhaps it is time for me to finally be honest with Carson, and myself.”
LIZZIE RUSHED TO THE wall in their garden as thick clouds formed overhead but smiled happily as she climbed through the hole. Not even the dark skies or an impending storm could deter her from her mission.
The vines and ivy had been entirely cleared, which made it easier to climb through. So, she made her way across the lawn and stepped onto the cobblestone path. Her heart pounded in her chest, but there was a peaceful feeling inside her as well.