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She glanced at him, her eyes searching his for any sign of insincerity. He found himself softening at how vulnerable she seemed.

“You’re the Duchess now,” he reminded her, his tone steady. “The only whispers that matter are the ones you choose to listen to.”

“I understand that,” she said after a long pause, her voice quiet. “But understanding doesn’t always make it easier to ignore.”

“You’d do well to give the ton less power over you, Violet. They thrive on rumors because they lack substance in their own lives. Their whispers are fleeting.”

She blinked, clearly startled by the bluntness of his words.

“But—”

“No ‘but,’” he interrupted, leaning forward. “I have left that life behind me, and I do not waste my time thinking about it. Any rumor that you have heard is hardly worth mentioning.”

Her lips pressed together in a tight line, as though she wanted to believe him but wasn’t quite sure. “But I assume that Lady Pennywise was important to you at some point. Surely, there must be some weight to the whispers.”

Nicholas looked back at her, astonished.

“Violet…”

“I am just making sure,” she defended herself immediately.

“Did you hear me say that from my own mouth?” he challenged. All she could do was shake her head. “If you believed everything the ton said, you’d think I was a pirate in my youth.”

That earned him a small, reluctant smile. “I already did assume you were a vampire.”

Nicholas chuckled at her reply. “My point is that you should not concern yourself with chatter like this. The truth is far less scandalous, I assure you. I’ve lived my life in the way that seemed best at the time. But none of that matters now.”

“Are you sure it doesn’t matter?” She knotted her hands in her lap. “I understand that our marriage might… well, it might leave something to be desired.”

“Leave something to be desired? What on earth are you talking about?”

She hesitated, her gaze dropping to her hands which were now twisting nervously in her lap. “It’s just…” she started, “I understand that this marriage was never about… about affection or compatibility. It was for convenience. And I thought perhaps, given your past, you might find it… lacking.”

Nicholas’ jaw tightened, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words.

Did she truly think so little of herself? Or worse, of what they had? Yes, their marriage had been forged out of necessity, but the idea that it was lacking— that she was lacking—stirred something hot and urgent in his chest.

But then it dawned on him, perhaps he had given her reason to think that way.

He had been distant with her without telling her his reasonings.

“Violet, you might be overthinking things,” he stated simply, feeling a ripple of guilt inside of him.

Violet’s gaze snapped to his, her brows knitting together. “Am I? Well, in any case, it seems to be worth thinking about.”

“There is no need,” he said. It would not do them any good to overthink the connection they had with each other.

“You dismiss it so easily, but perhaps that’s because it isn’t you who feels—” She cut herself off abruptly, biting her lip as though she had said too much.

He waited for her to continue, but she recoiled slightly. “In any case, I only came here to tell you about the progress of the ball.”

“And the guest list,” he reminded her teasingly, trying to lighten the mood.It was better off that way.

“Yes, that.” She folded her arms in front of her. “In any case, I suspect it is a good thing that I have decided to not invite Lady Pennywise any longer. I cannot imagine any good coming out of that.”

It caught him off guard to see her talking like that. There was a hint of possessiveness in her voice that stirred something inside of him as well.

Suddenly, he found himself unsure of how to respond.

He settled for a teasing smile though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Lady Pennywise will undoubtedly be devastated to find herself excluded from your guest list.”

“She will survive, I’m sure,” Violet replied, her tone clipped. But as she spoke, her gaze flicked to him, wary and searching, as though trying to gauge his reaction.

Nicholas didn’t press her further though he felt the tension in the room grow thicker with each passing moment. He wasn’t sure what unsettled him more—her sudden boldness or the emotion that it stirred in him.

The silence stretched between them, awkward and charged. Violet shifted in her seat, clearly searching for an escape. “Well,” she said finally, her voice brisk, “I believe I’ve taken up enough of your time tonight.”

It occurred to him then that perhaps he was not the only one running away from his feelings.

“It’s late, and I require rest. As should you,” she continued, getting up now.

He rose as well, more out of instinct than anything, and took a step closer. “Sleep well, then, Violet,” he said, his tone softer now though the teasing lilt remained. “Perhaps you’ll dream of more guests to uninvite.”

Violet narrowed her eyes at him. “Goodnight, Nicholas,” she said, turning on her heel.

As she made her way to the door, Nicholas watched her go, the faint sway of her skirts lingering in his mind long after she disappeared from view. He exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples, and his gaze dropped to the papers on his desk.

Boundaries, he reminded himself. He had drawn them for a reason, but it was clear that it was not possible to avoid her entirely.

They were married after all.

He was just going to have to learn to live with the fact that she had more of an effect on him than he had ever anticipated.