Page 15 of Her Lion of a Duke
CHAPTER 5
Cecilia wanted to enjoy her new life, but she could not.
She wanted to trust her husband, to believe that he had her best interests at heart, but after all the time they had known one another, he had never hidden anything from her. Now, she had proof that he had kept something from her, and on their wedding day, of all days.
She had not wanted an animal in the house, and if she were being honest, Brutus frightened her a little. But after throwing a stick several times, she found that she was warming up to him.
Leonard was right; the dog would not harm her. He was simply a very large dog that believed he was very small, and it made him rather clumsy. She enjoyed her time in the garden with him in the end, and when she returned inside, with him at her heels, she thought he was quite the welcome addition.
Playing with him had also been the perfect way to relieve some of the stress that had been building within her of late.
“I see His Grace has brought his little friend.” Mrs. Herrington smiled. “I hope that he did not give you too much trouble.”
“Not at all! He is a very friendly little thing, even if he cannot help but bound rather than walk.”
“He is very excitable. His Grace has had him since his brother’s death. He needed a companion, you see, and at least a dog does not talk back.”
Cecilia chuckled and followed the housekeeper through the hallway and into the drawing room. It was unchanged from her last visit and was the most homey room of the estate.
“I suppose it is strange being here,” Mrs. Herrington commented. “You were a guest before, and now you’re the mistress.”
“It certainly feels bizarre. It is as though it is not my home at all and I am only visiting.”
“You will get used to it in time, though His Grace has said that he is more than happy for you to change everything. We would all be perfectly happy to see some changes.”
“I shall see to it soon. For now, I would simply like to adjust to my new role. I did not expect to be a duchess.”
“Believe me, you may take all the time you need. We have been running the household for years, and we will gladly continue to do so while you learn. We are simply pleased that His Grace has taken a wife he likes.”
“Has he told you that?”
“It is quite evident. He keeps to himself, usually, but while you have been here, he has been wandering the halls, as though he is looking for you.”
Cecilia sat down on the blue settee, deep in thought. Leonard had never been known as a recluse. He was very sociable, even if he preferred to keep his circle small. She never would have assumed that he spent most of his time alone.
“Do you suppose that he misses his brother?” she asked absentmindedly.
“He most certainly does. Why do you ask?”
“Well, for a start, I have known him for several years, and he has never once mentioned him.”
“Is that to say that you did not know Lord Henry existed?”
“I knew he existed, but only because of the circumstances under which His Grace and I met. It was at a ball, and all the young ladies swarmed around his brother. One even accosted him to secure an introduction. I remember feeling great pity for him atthat time. However, had I not been in attendance that evening, I never would have known. His Grace never talks about him.”
“I… I did not know that.”
“Did they dislike one another? I wondered if that was why he never spoke of him.”
“On the contrary, they were very good to one another. I will not pretend that their bond was perfect, but it was good. Leonard—His Grace, I mean, had begun to envy the late Duke before he passed. Lord Henry was always the perfect little boy and then the perfect duke. It is no surprise to me that they had their issues, but His Grace would never have caused any harm to his brother. I know that much.”
Cecilia shifted in her seat. It was a strange thing for the housekeeper to say. There had been no suggestion from her that Leonard had done anything to his brother, and she had refuted the claim regardless.
“I know what they say about him,” Mrs. Herrington continued, looking her in the eye. “It was all I heard in the year following Lord Henry’s death. His Grace was envious. He wanted the life of a duke: power, money, and the ladies. He was desperate to have his brother’s life and was willing to do the most awful things to obtain it. Truly, I heard all of it.”
“And?” Cecilia prompted, feeling rather foolish.
“And none of it was true. I know it must have been awful among the ton, given how the scandal impacted us servants. I suppose you heard much of it yourself.”
