The Reverend's Daughter (Book 2 after The Duke's Daughter)

Thirty Three Part Four

Betsy sat at the vanity repairing her hair, as Violet, in his haste, had knocked it all askew. Betsy had been telling Violet what he had missed while he was gone. About the day spent in the country with the King and the crew. She told him of the uncanny work of Miss Merry, how Betsy now had several sketches of the boys that resembled them exactly. She shared how the King had enjoyed his gift, and that he looked forward to taking his falcon out hunting one day soon again. Finally coming to the end of her chatter, Betsy raised her eyes and asked about his journey. "Did you happen to meet Will before you left Marlborough?"

Looking in the glass at Violet's reflection, Elizabeth's gaze roamed over him from head to toe.

Violet lay upon the bed nude, a sheet covering his lower half, one long, muscular leg exposed.

Vi watched her lazily, as she tied her hair up. She was trying to arrange it as it had previously been, before he had tossed her upon the bed and had his way with her.

Violet reposed back against the pillows, his hands behind his head, revealing only certain parts of his manly attributes to her gaze, enjoying that she looked upon him warmly.

"Yes, I did meet Will," Violet adopted a look of pure innocence, "A lovely fellow, to be sure."

Elizabeth knew her husband, and Will, well enough to know there was something else there, something Violet was not telling her.

"I am not sure I agree with you, husband. As I find Will to be a bit ornery, and most oftentimes high handed." She watched Violet's reflection closely in the glass.

Violet's eyes shot to Betsy's, and he grinned swarthily at her, "He had not changed much, then."

He then inspected his fingernails upon one of his hands, "However, once one becomes used to him, he is a right, fine chap."

Something shined in his eyes that made Betsy even more curious, a feral gleam, a satisfaction of sorts that perplexed her, "Violet... What did you do?"

Betsy narrowed her eyes at him, as he raised his hands, resuming his look of innocence, "I did nothing but defend your honour, my lady."

Vi chuckled, as he pictured graphically in his mind, Lord Ravenwood, flat on his ass in the dirt.

"But.... What did you do?" Elizabeth asked again, swivelling around to pin him with her narrowed eyes.

"I hit him." Violet admitted, unconsciously rubbing his knuckles, as he still thought upon how quickly the man had gone down.

Violet may have been remorseful, he may have even prayed for a longer fuse, but that did not mean he did not have a man's pride in defending his lady's honour so effectively.

"You. Hit. Will?" She sat back in dismay, stunned that he would have done such a thing, "Whatever did Will do to warrant that?"

She asked this bewilderedly, until thinking back upon all the times that she, herself, had smacked the young lord.

Yet, to actually hit him.....

"He called you a sweet morsel." Violet glared at her, as her eyes widened in amused surprise, then she began laughing.

"'Twas not funny." Violet said petulantly, feigning hurt, and injury to his pride.

"Oh Violet, 'tis hilarious, I beg to differ...." Elizabeth chuckled, as she rose and went to sit beside Violet on the edge of the bed. "You got him good, did you?"

"I did, I clocked him one, and he went right down." Vi crowed, as he jabbed his arm, showing her how he had hit him. He then nodded at her, "It was fabulous!"