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He shrugged. “What am I to do? I am already seen as a monster because of my scar. I could not possibly prove them right by doing something drastic.”

Eveline could not help but agree. After all, he was a rather large man, and anything he did to ward off the unwarranted attention would be seen as threatening.

“You are right. However, it would not be so threatening if I did it now, would it?” she said, smiling, as she realized what she had to do.

“Oh, Eveline! What are you planning?” He stopped in his tracks as he regarded her, an amused smile forming at the corner of his mouth.

“I suppose you will not know until I do it,” she quipped.

Out of the corner of her eye, Eveline spotted a fountain nearby.

“Isn’t that just beautiful?” She pointed at it.

Her husband pulled at her hand. “Then let us go there.”

The foundation was built in the form of a swan, and the water spilled out of the swan’s beak.

“This must be a new structure,” Eveline noted. “I cannot remember seeing it last Season when my sisters and I promenaded.”

“Let us sit here for a while,” William suggested, pointing at a bench just beside the fountain.

Beside the bench was a bed of flowers, and they were not just any flowers, they were…

“My favorite!” Eveline squealed as she rushed towards them.

They were white tulips, and when she bent to inhale the fragrant scent, the smell of honey, greenery, and citrus wafted to her nose.

“Hmm!” she sighed.

“Evie, have you truly not changed? You are, after all, a duchess now,” a rather familiar voice said.

Eveline’s eyes flew open immediately, and she quickly jumped to her feet. “Lily!” she exclaimed.

Her friend stood a few feet away, regarding her with a smirk.

Eveline closed the distance between them in no time as she hugged her.

“Oh, Lily! How I have missed you,” she said when she finally released her friend from her fierce hug.

Lily was also beaming at her. “You nearly knocked the air out of me, but I am also happy to see you.”

Eveline smiled.

“I must say, marriage agrees with you,” Lily continued.

“How you flatter me, Lily!” Eveline said. “Come, let me introduce you to my husband.”

She led her dear friend towards her husband.

“Lily, this is my husband, the Duke of Mayfield. William, meet my dear friend, Lady Lily, daughter of the Earl of Brightwater.”

“It is great to finally meet you, Your Grace,” Lily said. “I have heard so much about the lucky Duke who was fortunate to make Evie his bride.”

Eveline laughed.

“I assure you, I know how lucky I am to have landed my darling wife,” William returned.

As if to further drive the point home, he pulled Eveline towards him and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.