Page 28 of An Orphan for the Broken Duke

“You wish for the truth of it?” As he spoke, he watched Lucy; a reminder of why he did this. “Lucy reminds me of my sister, is why.”

“Oh.” Violet blinked. “I did not know that you have a sister.”

“I did, once,” he said, his shoulders slumping. “Sadly, she passed away a few years ago.”

“Oh, Rhys…” Pain passed across her face, the first time she ever looked at him with anything close to emotional understanding.

“It was my fault too,” he continued, still staring at Lucy as if he needed that to give him strength. “She fell in love with a man who I believed was beneath her. When I demanded that she leave him, they ran away together to spite me. It took months for me to track them down, by which point my sister… her name was Eleanor... had…” He smiled at that, an image of her face passing through his mind. “She died in childbirth.”

Violet gasped, and she reached out, resting her hand on his arm.

“Worse still, the husband vanished. Worse again…” He grimaced. “The child, who I was told had lived, was nowhere to be found. I searched for him, looking all over England, but he has disappeared like a ghost in the night.”

“So, the orphanage…”

“I thought I might find him at one,” Rhys admitted sadly. “I did not, but as I searched, I came to realize that there were so many children who were desperate for care… for a home. I could not help them all, but I could help some. And then I saw Lucy…” He smiled again, still watching the little girl. “I know that she is not my sister, and I know that I cannot bring her back. But that changes nothing. I want to give her a better life, Violet. You must believe that. I want to do something… anything that is right.”

Violet squeezed his arm, and it felt good; a small showing of comfort it might have been, but it meant more than Rhys could say.

“Thank you for sharing,” she said. “And thank you for trusting me.” She smiled sadly, tears in her eyes, and he returned that smile.

For a moment, nothing was said, but Rhys felt something pass between them. For so long now, she had been at his throat, distrusting, sure that he was in this for himself. But that single look that she held him in dismissed those concerns, and finally he was certain that she was at least willing to trust him.

It is a small step forward, but a needed one.

Violet returned to Lucy after that, taking the small girl’s hand and leading her away. Rhys watched them go, not feeling nearly as sad as he should have been, nor feeling alone.

This was a good thing… it was the right thing. For the first time in so many years, Rhys felt that he had a purpose again. If he stayed the course, and if he did right by Lucy, then maybe, just maybe, he could finally move on from his guilt and his grief and that haunting feeling that he was responsible for Eleanor’s death.

Maybe then, somehow, I might find it in myself to be happy.

Ten

Much to Violet’s delight, Rose arrived the following morning.

She did so early, well before it was time for Violet to break her fast, but not so early that Violet did not have time to ready herself and Lucy for her arrival.

“Is she really your sister?” Lucy asked nervously as they stood waiting in the foyer. Lucy clutched to Violet’s skirt, and Violet felt the girl trembling.

“She is,” Violet said. “But she is now your sister, too.”

Lucy looked confused. “I… what do you mean?”

Violet laughed as she stroked the little girl’s head. “You understand all that has happened, yes? That His Grace has adopted you, that as his wife, I am your mother.”

Her mother… just to say those words feels strange.

“I do.” Lucy smiled, a touch of excitement behind her eyes. They had discussed all this last evening, but it was clearly still something that she was coming to terms with.

“Well, as Rose is my sister, it makes her your aunt. However, I really do not think that we need to worry about technicalities. As far as I am concerned, she is your aunt, and I just know that she will love you.”

“My aunt…” The word sounded strange on Lucy’s tongue.

“Do you like that?” Violet asked.

Lucy considered the question. She was so young, still so afraid, and all of this was new to her. What was more, her entire life had been one of struggle, never having her own home, and certainly never having her own family. To suddenly have everything that she had always been denied was surely terrifying.

To Violet’s relief, Lucy slowly allowed a timid smile. She still trembled. She still clutched to Violet’s skirt. But there was life behind her eyes, even excitement.