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“Mother—”

“You won’t set your cap for Mr St Clair because he scares you,” Violet said

Hyacinth actually gasped “That is not true”

“Of course it is,” Violet returned, looking vastly pleased with herself “I don’t knohy it hasn’t occurred to me sooner And he isn’t the only one”

“I don’t knohat you’re talking about”

“Why have you not married yet?” Violet asked

Hyacinth blinked at the abruptness of the question “I beg your pardon”

“Why have you not married?” Violet repeated “Do you even want to?”

“Of course I do” And she did She wanted it more than she would ever admit, probably more than she’d ever realized until that very moment She looked at her mother and she saw a matriarch, a woht tears to her eyes And in that moment Hyacinth realized that she wanted to love with that fierceness She wanted children She wanted a family

But that did nottoif not pragmatic; she’d be happy to marry someone she didn’t love, provided he suited her in alood heavens, was it so ence?

“Mother,” she said, softening her tone, since she knew that Violet meant well, “I do wish to marry I swear to you that I do And clearly I have been looking”

Violet lifted her brows “Clearly?”

“I have had six proposals,” Hyacinth said, perhaps a touch defensively “It’s not my fault that none was suitable”

“Indeed”

Hyacinth felt her lips part with surprise at her mother’s tone “What do you mean by that?”