Rivals and Roses (The Vaughns #1)

Chapter 22

“I have to admit, I was ready to despise the interloper,” said Diana. “But I think he is rather sweet on you.”

“More than ‘rather,’ if I were to guess,” added Felicity with an impish gleam in her eyes. To which Violet couldn’t help but respond with a scoff that was far louder than intended and drew a few curious looks in her direction.

“Don’t be ridiculous. What man would have the slightest interest in courting a lady with two and thirty years to her name?”

“My husband did,” said Felicity with an arched brow.

Violet’s expression didn’t soften as she shook her head. “Yes, but you are adorable and have many fine qualities that are bound to attract a gentleman—even if most of them are too dense to look past an imperfect complexion.”

“My complexion is a good deal worse than ‘imperfect,’” replied Felicity in a dry tone. “And I have my garishly red hair as well.”

Shaking her head, Violet said, “Men only see me as a sister. Or a friend at the very most. I am a spinster through and through with no hope of that changing. ”

Diana placed her hands on her hips. “None of your spinster talk—”

“An unmarried lady of more than thirty years is by all accounts a spinster, so I see no reason to fear the label. Why not embrace the truth of my status for what it is?” replied Violet with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“Might I point out that almost all the princesses are unwed, and the youngest is nearly your age if I recall correctly, and I doubt anyone would dare call them spinsters,” said Diana with a scowl.

Violet took a deep breath. There was no point in arguing further, for she knew it was a battle her friend would not surrender. For all that they had many aspects in common, it was impossible for Diana to fully understand the importance of that distinction. At seven and twenty, she was only a little beyond the average age that many ladies married and still some years from spinsterhood. To Diana, the possibility of matrimony still existed.

There was peace in embracing what was rather than focusing on what one wished her life to be. Spinster was just a word. Though others mocked it and shuddered at the sound, being unmarried was simply her lot, and accepting it caused far less pain than continuing to hope for something that would never be.

Yet explaining that to the pair would do no good. However, Violet couldn’t allow them to harbor fantasies regarding Dr. Vaughn.

“Diana, you have personally witnessed just how impossible it is that any gentleman—let alone someone like Dr. Vaughn—would wish to court me.”

“Don’t be a ninny. You speak as though he is far above your reach, and frankly, it is quite the opposite,” said Diana with a dismissive wave. “I cannot imagine any lady desiring a man who hasn’t even a sprig of hair atop his head.”

The lady cringed, her mouth pulled into an expression of utter disgust, and Violet gaped at her .

“Not that he doesn’t have a lovely soul,” Diana hurried to add. “Everything I’ve heard speaks well of the gentleman, and though his smile is a bit odd, his features are pleasant enough. But you must admit that any lady willing to accept his suit would do so despite his hair.”

“Just as Lewis married me despite my complexion and coloring?” asked Felicity with a raise of her brows.

Diana gaped. “Not at all! You are lovely.”

Violet met Felicity’s gaze, and the pair shared a silent sigh over the lady’s logic, which was as twisty as a hedge maze. But whether familial, platonic, or romantic, love wasn’t always logical.

“I think that anyone who values hair above character deserves the unhappy marriage they are bound to have, and it does you no justice to spout such nonsense, Diana,” said Violet with a frown. “But this has nothing to do with whether or not Dr. Vaughn is ‘above my reach’ or not. None of it alters the fact that in the eyes of men, I am not a viable prospect. You know my history. You witnessed much of it.”

“I know a thing or two about a bad history with men,” said Felicity with a frown. “Even if you run afoul of a few bounders, I assure you not all of them are.”

Violet gave a dry chuckle. “My troubles do not sprout from attracting the wrong men but from attracting none at all. I assure you that not a single man has ever regarded me as anything more than a friend or a sister.”

Diana gave a long-suffering sigh. “Now, Vi—”

“Mr. York,” said Violet in a monotone.

Her friend’s mouth snapped shut, and she drew in a sharp breath.

Turning an arched brow to Felicity, Violet explained, “When our vicar took up his post here, he was unmarried and drew quite a lot of female attention. To the astonishment of the entire parish, he spent his time in my company, forever spending his evenings with me until I was convinced that he harbored romantic intentions. Then one day, he gleefully declared his love—for a lady he’d been courting in Stoneford.”

Diana winced. “Yes, that was unfortunate, but—”

“Mr. Kempthorne,” added Violet.

That snapped her friend’s mouth shut once again.

“That gentleman acted so solicitous, being kind and generous to me as he was with no other lady. I was hesitant to expect anything, but my friends and family were certain he was going to ask Papa’s permission to court me.” Pausing, Violet gave the final sentence extra emphasis, “Until he announced his engagement to my friend, Miss Louisa Atwell.”

Glancing between the pair, Violet ticked off her fingers. “Then there was Mr. Wilson, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Bradford. All of whom acted so flirtatious and affectionate that it would’ve made them honor-bound to marry me for raising expectations—except that no one but me or my well-intentioned family and friends could imagine those gentlemen would court a mannish woman.”

“You are not mannish,” said Felicity with a frown.

Violet didn’t bother correcting her. That was another argument she wouldn’t win, for though she was not viewed in such a light by those who valued her, it didn’t erase her vast experience that told her otherwise. It would be impossible to list everyone who had treated her thusly but, sufficeth to say, Mr. Sprat’s and Mr. Timms’ behavior wasn’t the least bit out of character. For some reason she could not comprehend, men did not see Violet Templeton as a woman.

For goodness’ sake, the village called her Mr. Templeton for more reasons than her penchant for medicine.

Felicity opened her mouth again, and the moment she did, Violet knew what was going to come next. It was the same thing everyone always said during such discussions.

“Regardless of your low opinion of your outward attractions, you are talented and intelligent and would make any man a wonderful wife. He would be lucky to have you. ”

Forcing her expression to remain placid, Violet refused to let those well-meaning sentiments dampen her spirits or resolve. Her worthiness wasn’t in doubt, for it was immutable—regardless of anyone else’s opinion or how many gentlemen rejected her. However, no matter how high a regard she held herself in, it didn’t alter the fact that her experience taught her again and again that her “low opinion of her outward attractions” was no opinion. It was fact.

Gentlemen did not find her beautiful.

But that did not diminish Violet Templeton’s value or talents. Not everyone could be lovely.

Holding up her hands in placation, Violet shook her head. “I do not wish to argue, but my own experience is vast on the subject, and I find it impossible to imagine capturing Dr. Vaughn’s affection when I’ve never even secured a dance with a gentleman who was interested in pursuing me. In truth, I am merely honored that Dr. Vaughn views me as a friend. With everything that has happened, I am lucky to have gained that much—”

Violet’s mouth snapped shut, and she drew in a sharp breath as words she hadn’t meant to say nearly slipped out. They didn’t need to know what effort she’d made to rid Oakham of Dr. Vaughn. No one need ever know. It had hardly been anything. Entirely unworthy of noting.

“The truth is that he behaves no differently than your brother,” added Violet, nodding in the direction Osborn had taken. “And you would never claim he views me as a sweetheart.”

Diana drew in a deep breath and nodded, though Felicity didn’t look as convinced. But then, it was to be expected. The lady had only newly returned to the area and hadn’t witnessed Violet’s disastrous attempts at catching a beau. And now that she’d surrendered all hope of doing so, Felicity would never see Violet’s ridiculousness. Thankfully .

How many times had she taken a harmless compliment like that which Dr. Vaughn had offered and inferred far more meaning from it? His little bouquets were no more romantic tokens than Osborn’s or any of the other gentlemen whose intentions had been so entirely platonic that it never crossed their minds that she might interpret their actions as romantic. Never once had they considered Violet a possibility.

Twelve years later, Violet’s heart still sank at the memory of Mr. Bradford’s shock when someone had mentioned his marked attentions toward her. One moment, they’d been laughing and jesting as they always were; then, one innocent comment from an observer and he’d looked as stricken as if they’d said his mother had passed. Though he’d tried to hide his initial reaction, it had been clear for her to see, proclaiming to all and sundry how much he despised the prospect. As did the fact that he never spoke another word to her or even looked in her direction again.

Violet drew in a breath and forced herself to breathe. Such things didn’t matter any longer. Their opinions, though painful, didn’t define Violet Templeton. Her worth was far greater than any silly title. Spinster no longer frightened her, and she would not allow herself to devolve to the time when it had.

“Perhaps, but Dr. Vaughn seems too timid a gentleman to be so forward in addressing you,” said Felicity with a furrowed brow.

“Doesn’t that only serve to prove the point?” replied Violet. “Surely, if he had grand designs, he would be even more awkward in my presence. Not less. And I assure you that though he was slightly timid during our introduction, he seems at ease around me now. You recall how much he stammered and stuttered through his attempts to ask me to dance, yet now, he faltered not one bit when asking to sit beside me for the concert.”

Felicity opened her mouth once more, but Violet was saved from more lectures when Mrs. Birks appeared at her elbow and spoke softly to their hostess .

“Do excuse me, but I am needed elsewhere,” said Felicity, though her furrowed brow didn’t ease as she cast one more look at Violet. Her mouth opened as though to speak, but the lady seemed to dismiss it, following after Mrs. Birks without another word.

Thank the heavens.

“Say what you will, but I am not convinced,” said Diana, flicking open her fan.

Dash it all. Violet didn’t want to keep revisiting the subject.

“I hated the man on sight because of what he meant for your family, but the more I hear of him, the more I like him.” Diana’s significant tone fairly begged Violet to ask what she’d heard, but as it was quite likely that his movements and their time together had been remarked upon, it took little imagination to surmise what the lady had “heard.”

“Do not close your heart to the possibility, Vi. Whatever the past, this time may be different.”

But Violet was saved from more of a lecture when Miss Quinn appeared at Diana’s elbow with a bright smile.

Without preamble, the young lady burst into the conversation with, “I have it on good authority that your family is planning a trip to Bath in the autumn.”

Diana’s eyes darted to Violet and then back again. “We’ve visited a few times before, but Dr. Vaughn suggested Mama might benefit from taking the waters.”

“My aunt lives there and has invited me to spend a month or two with them.”

“Oh, that is delightful!”

And with that, Diana took the young lady by the arm and began waxing poetic about what she knew of the city and its society. Miss Quinn beamed, and the pair drifted away without noticing that Violet hadn’t followed.