Chapter 8
“Well!” exclaimed Mrs. Blayne, placing her napkin on the table, “I think you had better enlighten us, Cecilia. Victor, wake your father up, he should probably hear this.”
Victor did as he was asked, patting his father on the shoulder until he awoke with a start.
“Is the pudding ready?” he asked, looking expectantly at the table, only to find his plate empty.
He looked about and five disconcerted faces stared back at him.
“What has happened? Where are the young Thompsons? Is dinner finished already? Is it time for bed?”
“No, dear,” said Mrs. Blayne, “but there has been a bit of an upset. Cecilia is about to explain it all to us now, and I thought you should be aware of what is happening under your roof.”
“Ah, yes, well, certainly,” said Mr. Blayne, sitting up straight and tugging at his dinner jacket before straightening its sleeves. “I am ready to observe. You may proceed, Cecilia.”
“To put a very quick point to it,” said Cece, “Pearl has been tormenting Violet with wicked schemes ever since Christmas. Her intention was to draw Victor’s eye from Violet and focus his attention on herself.
It was she who placed the fish in Violet’s cupboard to prevent her from going riding with us, an outing she knew Victor and Violet would bond over.
It was Pearl who rubbed poison ivy onto the trim of the dress which she then offered to Violet to wear, causing Violet to once again be pulled from Victor’s company. ”
“Wait a second,” interrupted Victor. “These are terrible accusations against a good friend of ours. Do you have any proof?”
“Not for the fish incident, no,” his cousin admitted, “although it is clear she was the only one who had anything to gain from such a mean trick. When you left her in the company of Donovan and did not ride with her, she tried again, hoping to incapacitate Violet with the poison ivy, which worked rather well until everyone, feeling concern for Violet, returned home to check on her and then withdrew to their rooms.”
“And you have proof of this second incident being her doing?” asked Mrs. Blayne.
“I must say, it would need to be very convincing. Miss Thompson is such a dignified and genteel sort of person. I find it difficult to conjure an image of her sinking to such depths simply to catch my son’s eye.
Besides, there would have been no reason to consider Miss Hughes a rival.
She and Victor have been friends for a lifetime without any romantic developments.
Surely Miss Thompson had a clear path to Victor’s heart without resorting to such extremes? ”
Violet and Victor glanced at each other and quickly looked away.
“I think,” said Cecilia, “that Pearl sensed something you have not, Aunt. But Victor can tell you more later. To answer your question, we spoke to Finch, Pearl’s lady’s maid.
She had handled Pearl’s gloves and was rewarded with the same rash that afflicted Violet.
That means Pearl touched poison ivy with her gloves, and very recently.
The fact that Pearl tried to throw them away meant she knew she had touched the sap.
There was nothing else wrong with her gloves to cause her to dispose of them.
But she did not tell Finch. She would only be secretive if she had touched the ivy on purpose, then wanted to dispose of the evidence.
Unfortunately, that is not the worst of it. ”
“You are saying that Pearl purposely affected Violet with poison ivy and that this was not the end of her plotting?” Victor shook his head. “I don’t understand. She has given no indication that she is capable of such terrible things.”
“I thought the same,” said Violet. “So, Cee and I created a trap for her, to show once and for all that she would stoop as low as was necessary to achieve her goal.”
“That’s right,” said Cece. “We had Williams mention to her that Violet was mildly allergic to almonds.”
“But you’re not,” said Victor. “That was a ruse.”
“Certainly,” replied his cousin. “We couldn’t exactly accuse her of anything until we were absolutely sure she would use any opportunity to remove Violet from what she perceived as a competition for your affection.”
“We asked Mrs. Cartwright to keep an eye out for anyone that might interfere with the food,” added Violet. “It wasn’t long before she spotted Pearl meddling with the cake.”
“Are you saying Pearl added almonds, believing it would make you sick?” asked Mrs. Blayne, her hand cupping her mouth, her eyes wide, her brows furrowed. “By all the saints, that is a very wicked thing to do!”
“You pretended to be choking!” said Victor. “Do you have any idea how you frightened us? You drove Pearl to tears!”
“Victor!” Cecilia scolded her cousin. “You are not going to take that woman’s side! If she had had her way, Violet would now be covered in hives. All so that Pearl could get her scheming hands on you!”
“But I would never have given her a second glance,” said Victor, amazed.
“All this plotting was in vain. I could have spared you so much suffering.” He reached across and collected Violet’s hand between both his own, like a sacred flower.
“Violet, my love, if I had known, I would have asked for your hand sooner. Made it clear there was no one else for me but you.” He swallowed hard, his eyes growing moist. “I thought I was going to lose you. I have never felt so powerless.”
Mrs. Blayne stared at her son. “You love her? And she knows this? How is it there have been so many secrets in my house? And at Christmastime, no less.”
“I have tried to propose,” said Victor, looking a little embarrassed.
“More than once, in fact. But both attempts were bungled. I had hoped Violet might say ‘yes,’ but, to be fair, circumstances have made it difficult for her to answer.” He looked at his beloved now, his feelings pouring forth in almost tangible waves.
“I am so sorry, Victor,” answered Violet.
Her unfortunate choice of words made him shrink back, pulling his hands from hers.
Had he thought she was rejecting him? Violet hastened to set the record straight.
“I am sorry that we had to leave you in the dark. I wish I could have told you what we had planned tonight. But we had to catch Pearl in the act, so to speak. Like you, we had thought her a lady in every good sense of the word. It was a shock to realize what she was capable of. How could we expect you to partake in exposing her when she was so seemingly innocent?”
Mrs. Blayne, apparently having had no difficulty at all accepting Pearl’s guilt under the circumstances, was far more interested in a different matter. “My son has proposed to you twice?” she asked. “Since your arrival?”
Violet nodded shyly.
“And you have yet to answer him?”
“Mother,” Victor interceded, “Violet is not to blame. I asked her the first time while she was in the throes of the poison ivy’s effects.”
“Well, that was rather unwise of you, Victor,” his mother replied pertly.
“He didn’t know,” explained Violet. “He thought I was just disinterested.”
“And you’re not?” asked Mrs. Blayne. “Disinterested, I mean.”
Violet could feel the deep blush rising up into her cheeks.
“You are putting Violet on the spot, Mother.”
“And what are you going to do about this unresolved matter, Victor?” Mrs. Blayne demanded.
Now it was Victor’s turn to grow pink about the ears.
“She has a point, my boy,” said Mr. Blayne, entering the conversation out of the blue.
Victor, apparently quite clear on the course of action needed, slid smoothly from the chair to his knee.
“Violet Hughes,” he said, causing Violet to grow weak with anticipation, and making her very grateful indeed that she was currently sitting down.
“You hold within you everything I value: beauty without vanity, a sense of joy without being too giddy, an excellent seat on a horse, and indomitable integrity. If it is not too great a sacrifice, would you agree to marry me?”
A wave of emotion washed over Violet, her heart buoyant on its tide. “Yes! Oh, yes!” she said, slipping her hand back into his. “You are the best gift I have ever received. You,” she added, smiling at Donovan and Cecilia in turn, “and the love of those whose loyalty have brought me safely to you.”
“A toast!” called Mr. Blayne, who was once again in high spirits and ready to make a feast of it. He lifted his glass. “To Violet, a very welcome addition to our family. And to Victor, who has finally acted upon the feelings some of us have known were there all along.”
But the couple did not join in the toast. They were locked in each other’s gaze, their smiles only for each other.
Every nerve in Violet’s body cried for more of Victor’s touch.
His hand was warm, almost glowing within her palm.
But she wanted to hold him fully, have him rain his kisses down upon her skin.
She imagined the softness of his lips against hers, a current passing through her at the thought of his mouth exploring her body.
“We should call the banns at once,” said Victor abruptly. His voice was rough, as if he, too, had pictured Violet in his arms, the wait for which felt suddenly all too long. He cleared his throat. “That is, if your parents approve.”
“My parents would consider themselves blessed to have you as their son-in-law,” insisted Violet. “But I shall write to them first thing and tell them our good news.”
“Perhaps now they will see fit to join us at Hamptonlea House,” said Mrs. Blayne. “We could extend your stay until the wedding. That is, if your brother does not have to return to London on matters of business.”
Donovan bowed his head. “I am at your disposal. After all, it isn’t every day one’s favorite sister marries one’s best friend.”
“I am your only sister,” laughed Violet. “But thank you all the same.”