Page 6 of Her Lion of a Duke (Dukes & Beasts #3)

Leonard wondered if Cecilia was what his household had been missing all along.

She had undoubtedly changed since their wedding, but he supposed that he had also changed.

Everything was different between them, but he hoped that was only temporary and that things would soon return to the way they had always been.

He did miss having her as his friend and nothing else, but he was pleased that he had someone to talk to.

“I was thinking,” he began at breakfast, “that you might like to accompany me into the village this afternoon?”

She looked at him curiously, clearly interested in his proposition. “Is it not too soon? Surely the villagers are not expecting to see me yet.”

“Then they shall be all the more glad to meet you. I do not want you to feel like a prisoner here.”

“I do not feel that way,” she replied, but he noticed how she shifted in her seat.

Leonard was not deliberately trying to isolate her because he knew she was spirited, and he did not want to change that, but he had not tried to have her leave the estate on her own. He wished that she would tell him how she felt, as hiding her thoughts from him was not something she had ever done.

“We could go another time if you wish,” he said gently, “but I would like for you to meet them all, and for them to meet you. Mrs. Herrington tells me that they await your arrival.”

“Well, if that is what they want,” she relented, suddenly shy, “I suppose it is only right that I do my duty.”

As Leonard dressed to leave, he noticed that Henry did not make an appearance.

He smiled to himself, wondering if that meant he was improving.

For a moment, he considered telling his wife about his visions, but then he shook the thought out of his mind.

There was nothing to be gained by doing so, and it presented far too great a risk.

He did not dare tell Cecilia that he was mad.

He waited for her at the door, and when she appeared, his breath caught in his throat. It was only a gown for an outing, nothing too elaborate, but it was a beautiful shade of green that suited her perfectly. He also liked the way she had left a ringlet loose.

She was a beautiful lady, he had always known that, but it was the first time he truly allowed himself to see her that way.

“Will they like me?” she asked, and he could hear the nervousness in her voice.

“Of course they will. Why would they not?”

“I suppose I will always remember who I was in London. That young lady was not particularly likable.”

“Of course you were, and you are now. You were admired, even.”

They left for the carriage, and she turned to look up at him with a wry smile.

Leonard knew that he had said nothing but the truth, as he himself had admired her for years, but he knew it was more than that. The ton saw her as a devilish and willful lady, one who did not respect many people, but in a strange way, they also respected her.

She was only perceived that way because she did not conform to what they wanted her to be, and though that angered most of them, it gave them something to watch.

Perhaps they saw their wedding as a triumph of sorts. The lady determined to be a spinster had ultimately decided to bend.

He watched her as they traveled, her hands folded in her lap, but he saw through it. She was trembling slightly. Instinctively, he reached out to cover her hands with his own. Her head snapped up, her eyes widening in shock, and he realized what he had done.

“I-I do not want you to be ill at ease. If it is too soon, we do not need to go.”

“No, it will be fine. I am rather nervous about what is to come, but I know that all will be well. I know how to be, after all. I simply have to do it.”

They arrived in the village, and Leonard stepped out first. He offered his hand, and when she took it, he was surprised by the warmth he felt. It was but a fleeting moment, and seconds later, she was on his arm and they were making their way to the bustling streets. But her touch lingered.

They were quickly spotted by the villagers, and at once they were swarmed. Leonard stepped back and watched as his wife introduced herself, appreciating the way she gave each villager their own moment to talk about themselves.

Soon, her shoulders relaxed and she was talking animatedly. The villagers seemed to like her a great deal, and when Cecilia turned to acknowledge him, she was smiling brightly.

A short while later, they continued on their way. She had tightened her hold on him, not out of fear but in excitement. They reached the market stalls, but just as she was about to peruse the first one, a young boy appeared out of nowhere, knocking into her.

Cecilia stumbled, unaware of what had just happened to her. She looked around frantically, only to see the child on the floor in a daze.

Leonard wondered if she would scold the boy, warning him to be careful. But of course, she did not. Instead, she quickly smoothed her dress and helped the child to his feet. He seemed rather frightened of her, but she smiled softly at him, which put him at ease.

“My word, what happened?” she asked gently.

“I was chasing my hoop,” he explained. “I was trying to throw it like my brother, but I did it too quickly, and I did not want anyone to trip over it.”

“Well, you certainly prevented that. Now, all you must do is make it so that nobody trips over you.”

The little boy laughed, earning a few glances from the villagers nearby. They were of approval, and though Cecilia would not have noticed them, Leonard was pleased that he had been correct in his assumption. She was a good lady, and it showed.

“I am sorry, Your Grace,” the boy said quietly, turning to Leonard.

“Accidents happen,” Cecilia assured him. “I would rather you knock into me than some young girl or a frail older lady. Then, you might have truly been in trouble. Fortunately, it was only me.”

The boy laughed, and Cecilia helped him find his hoop and sent him on his way. She was yet to stop smiling.

“You handled that very well.”

“You have never seen the ladies at the modiste during a fabric shortage,” she quipped. “A small bump is nothing in comparison.”

“Truly, you never cease to surprise me.”

“Good, for it seems I have the rest of our lives to do so.”

They continued on, looking at the wares. Cecilia bought five ribbons, all in different colors, and placed them in her reticule.

“You can buy more, if you wish.”

“At some point, I will. However, these ones are special. One for each of my friends, and then my cousin. I would like them to have a small token from my new home.”

“Your Grace!” came a small voice.

They both turned to see the same young boy from earlier, his hoop in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. His cheeks were red, no doubt from running, but he was smiling.

“These are for you,” he panted. “I wanted to apologize.”

“Oh my,” Cecilia said wistfully. “These are so beautiful, but you did not have to buy me a gift. It was an honest mistake.”

“I know, but my mother says that we should right our wrongs.”

Leonard felt conflicted by it all. He knew that the villagers lived quite prosperous lives, but the flowers seemed costly. It was as though the boy had run to the first florist he saw and told them that he had upset the Duchess, and the florist had acted accordingly.

It was a terribly kind gesture, but not one that Leonard thought was completely reasonable.

Given the strain in Cecilia’s smile, he knew she felt the same way.

“I have an idea,” he declared, bending down to the boy’s eye level. “What if you take these flowers to your mother and make her day brighter?”

“But I wanted to do something nice for Her Grace.”

“Then… why not take one of the flowers and give it to her? Then, you may take the rest home to your mother to thank her for caring for you.”

That seemed to satisfy the boy; he plucked a hydrangea off the bouquet and gave it to Cecilia happily. She took it, thanking him profusely, and he disappeared again.

“He certainly knows what he wants,” Leonard commented.

“A very good trait to possess,” she agreed. “Thank you. I could not have accepted something so costly, not when we already have so many flowers at home.”

“I shall arrange for his mother to be found and repaid. He seems like a sweet child, and I see no need for them to be out of pocket for an honest mistake.”

He liked the way his wife was looking at him, as though she admired him. Almost.

“Are you hungry?” he asked. “I hardly ate at lunch.”

“Nor did I. I was hoping to wait until we were here.”

“Wonderful. I believe there is a small shop here that we can go to.”

He led her to a very small but well-decorated shop that served tea and cakes. They took their seats outside and chose their treats. Cecilia was still smiling, but the edge of worry had disappeared. It was genuine now, and Leonard could not stop staring at her.

“I believe this visit has been a success,” she stated. “I was hoping it would be the case, but I was not so certain.”

“I know, and I hope that in the future, you have more faith. You are very good at all of this, Cecilia.”

“I do not know how. It is not as though I am trying to do anything differently.”

“It comes naturally to you. Now, if one of the gentlemen were to proposition you or do some other such thing, your reaction would have been very different from that of a child who was merely playing. I have no doubt there.”

“Of course.” She giggled. “And I suppose, as my husband, your attitude would have been quite different, too.”

Leonard wondered just how he would react if another man had taken a liking to his wife. He wanted to say that he would remain calm and politely tell him that she was spoken for, but he could not be certain.

He hoped he would never have to find out either.

Suddenly, a gray cloud formed over them, and rain began to fall. Cecilia gasped in shock as the cold droplets pelted her, drenching her in seconds. Then, she began to laugh.

She had yet to move, frozen in shock, so Leonard took control. He pulled her to her feet, which reminded her that they did not have to simply sit there. They took shelter inside, along with other patrons.

“My apologies, Your Grace,” the owner said quickly.

“You cannot control the weather,” Leonard jested. “Although, if you have a booth for us in here, I would very much appreciate it.”

The owner immediately led them to a booth, and they sat close next to one another.

Cecilia shivered, at last realizing that she was cold.

Leonard removed his coat and draped it over her shoulders.

She looked at him with one perfectly arched eyebrow, for such behavior was cause for rumors, but he did not care. He wanted his wife to be comfortable.

They shared dessert, and by the time they had finished, the sun had returned. Cecilia’s loose curl had begun to dry, swaying gently with her movements, and they left for home.

That was when they met a matron. She was rather old, with black hair pulled back from her face, and she was looking at them with curious eyes.

“Congratulations,” she began. “You make a beautiful couple, though I must say that the arrangement was very rushed. None of us knew that you were courting a lady, Your Grace!”

Leonard knew what she was doing. She was attempting to make a sly comment, to suggest that all the villagers thought there was a scandal. He did not care about that, however. The only thing he noticed was the way Cecilia shrank back, her fears returning.

“Yes,” he replied calmly. “It was rather rushed, and with the acquisition of a special license, no doubt people will want to speculate, but I knew what I was doing. When one meets a lady like my wife, they do not wait. A man given half a chance would be a fool to risk losing her.”

That settled matters, and the matron was on her way after giving them a stiff nod.

Cecilia did not ask him about what he said, and Leonard decided that was simply because she thought he had said what was necessary.

That was what he had planned to do, of course, but he would have been lying if he said that he did not believe his words completely.

“That was wonderful,” she sighed upon their return home. “Might we visit again soon?”

“We may go as often as you please,” he replied. “Will I see you at dinner?”

“You will, indeed.” She gave a smile before disappearing into her rooms.

“A gentleman has come to see you,” Mrs. Herrington informed him once she had left. “He says that you know who he is?”

“Ah, yes. I will be with you in just a moment.”

Leonard changed quickly into dry clothes and then went to see the private investigator. It was good timing, for he was hoping to arrange a meeting regardless.

“Your Grace,” Mr Livingston began. “I was hoping to ask you for any information you may have regarding—”

“I would like you to pause this investigation for a while.”

He looked at Leonard in disbelief. “What do you mean? You told me this was urgent.”

“I did,” Leonard acknowledged, thinking only of his wife and the hydrangea she had taken to her room with her. “But I have decided that I would like to enjoy my honeymoon first.”