The Possessive Lord's Contract Wife

Come morning, Victoria arrived at Rosalie’s home for small talk.

Victoria looked up at the mansion, once again weighing whether she had made the right decision to come.

Until Victoria found a husband, it didn’t feel right to walk through Rosalie’s home whilst Rosalie remained unaware of what had occurred. It was cruel to do to anyone, and even worse to do to someone who trusted her.

Victoria took a deep breath, gathering what courage she had left, before stepping inside.

’It can all go away,’ Victoria thought, not wanting to dwell on her mistakes.

Victoria entered the mansion and followed a maid to the dining chamber. When she stepped inside, she held her breath. The sight of Cole sitting at the table unsettled her at once.

Victoria forced a smile to hide the fact that she felt ambushed.

It was only meant to be her and Rosalie.

"Victoria!" Rosalie called, waving her over. "You’re right on time. I hope you don’t mind that I asked Cole to join us. I thought we could all talk like the good old days."

"I don’t mind at all, and it is your home, so you may do as you please. It is good to see you both," Victoria said, moving to sit to the right of Rosalie.

Cole kept his attention on the water poured before him.

"We haven’t been seeing much of each other of late. I was telling Cole that you were distraught about Faye’s death. I am not taking it well either. That poor girl’s final moments were brutal. There truly are some evil people in the world to attack someone so innocent," Rosalie said, her gaze settled on Victoria.

"There are, but we don’t know what kind of trouble she got herself into," said Victoria.

Rosalie’s gaze flickered between Cole and Victoria, struck by how coldly they each spoke. "No matter what she did, no one deserves to be attacked in that manner. You are beginning to sound like Cole."

Victoria glanced up, her eyes meeting Cole’s for a brief moment before sliding away. "How so?"

"He doesn’t want me to get involved, and he has been dismissing the whole matter," Rosalie shared.

Cole set down his glass. "That is not what I said."

"Faye was my maid, so I want to send her family a gift with my condolences. Since she took care of you during your time here, I thought to ask whether you wished to send your condolences as well, but Cole mentioned that she stole from you. What did she take?" Rosalie inquired, lifting her glass for a sip.

"Some of my jewels and a dress I was fond of. I don’t want to spoil her name in death. You should be focused on having the child you have always wanted. How is that coming along?" Victoria asked, turning her gaze to Cole. "Are you doing your part, Cole?"

The question infuriated her because not once in all their conversations had he spoken of being ready to have a child with Rosalie.

The last time they had spoken at the ball, Cole had made it seem as though he was considering the possibility of them being together. Victoria had refused and wanted to move on.

’He’s a liar,’ Victoria thought, watching him.

"You will have to speak to my wife about that. She is the one who cast me out of our bedchamber. I haven’t slept beside her, so if you could please convince her to allow me back, I would greatly appreciate it," Cole pleaded.

Victoria turned to Rosalie, surprised. "You two have not been sharing a bed? Why? Is it because of Faye’s death, or the matter of a baby? I feel as though I have missed quite a great deal."

"It isn’t much. I think we should keep our marital troubles to ourselves. Inviting a third person might only add to the difficulty. Don’t you agree?" Rosalie asked, turning to Cole with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

"It is not just anyone. It is Victoria you are speaking to. How many times have I been made to sit and listen whilst you shared our most intimate details with her? Why stop now when she might be the one to save your marriage? Please, speak to her," Cole said as he turned to Victoria.

"How can I speak to her when I don’t know what troubles you face? Are you well, Rosalie?" Victoria asked, reaching for Rosalie’s hand, only for Rosalie to pull it away.

"It would be better if I had thought to instruct the maids to serve us wine. I need a glass filled to the rim right about now," Rosalie said, glancing around for a maid to do as she wished. "Of course, not one of them will move, since they are all loyal to my husband. Did he tell you that he dismissed my maids?"

"Why would he have told me? As you say, I ought not to be brought into your marital affairs, but dismissing your maids is wrong. Why hasn’t anyone moved to fetch her wine? Bring her wine now!" Victoria ordered the nearest maid

Cole flicked his hand for the maids to do as they were told.

The moment the first maid moved, Rosalie’s laughter broke open across the dining chamber. She leaned forward, both hands placed on the table, shoulders shaking as the laughter took hold of her.

Victoria exchanged a glance with Cole. "Rosalie, are you quite certain you are well?" 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Rosalie pressed her fingers beneath her eyes to catch the tears. "I am as well as I can be, Victoria. I couldn’t get the maids to so much as look at me, but one word from you and they scattered. It only shows me how blind I have been. Cole is right that I should never have welcomed anyone so freely into my home and marriage."

"But then again," Rosalie said, settling back in her chair, the last of her laughter fading. The softness had left her face entirely as she could not pretend any longer, not before these two. "I shouldn’t have to worry about the company I bring here. Marriage is built on trust."

"I had this all mapped out about how I would do this. What I would say, and yet I find I must stray from that plan. I visited you recently, and something stayed with me afterwards. Something that has troubled me even at night." Rosalie’s voice was quiet now, stripped of its usual warmth as she looked across the table. "Victoria."

Victoria held her breath, waiting. She was not accustomed to seeing this side of her friend.

"Rosalie, you-"

"Are you pregnant with my husband’s child?" The words landed as though cold water had been thrown on Victoria. "That unfaithful bastard sitting to my left. Are you carrying his child?"