Page 25 of Her Lion of a Duke
“Anyone who expects fashionable colors and patterns.”
“That is all well and good,” Levi argued. “But when will any of that sort be visiting you? I know you have certain expectations of yourself as Duke—we all do—but that does not mean you have to pretend to be someone you are not. I know for a fact that Cecilia would hate to see that happen.”
Leonard was not certain of the way he felt when Levi said that about his wife. He wondered, if it were true, how he could have possibly known how Cecilia felt about him. He hardly knew himself, except for the fact that they had been friends for years, so she must have deemed him worthy of being near.
The following day, they broke their fast together. Leonard did not say very much, content to listen to the conversations taking place around him. Cecilia, it seemed, felt the same, as she sat beside him quietly. He would have been concerned, were she not smiling and clearly enjoying herself.
“How lovely that you are all wearing those ribbons,” Levi commented. “At first, I had not realized that they matched.”
“It was a gift from Cecilia,” Emma explained.
“And was she aware that we were the ones who were supposed to give her gifts, and not the other way around?”
Everyone burst into laughter, and Levi and Morgan looked at each lady’s hair and complimented them.
“We were wondering if you might like to accompany us to the village today?” Cecilia asked Leonard quietly. “My friends wish to see it.”
“We would be more than happy to. Is there anything you all wish to see in particular?”
“No, but I would like to take them to the public gardens. I know that Dorothy would appreciate that.”
Leonard nodded, aware of her friend’s fondness for botany. She shared it with her husband, so it would be easy to tell his friends about their plans.
They left in the early afternoon, the gentlemen following closely behind the ladies. Leonard and Cecilia were often recognized, which then led to them being asked to introduce the others. The villagers seemed to take a particular liking to Clara, which Leonard would have said was due to her being family, but she was undeniably bright and kind to those she spoke with.
“She seems to be enjoying herself,” he commented.
Cecilia smiled. “She most certainly is. She has always wanted to have a similar role, and she is far more prepared for it than I was.”
“You do not give yourself enough credit. In the short time you have been here, you have made a name for yourself. They all like you a good deal.”
She smiled and thanked him, but he did not think she believed a word he said. He wondered, for a moment, who had made her think that she was so terribly useless, but he knew what it was.
Cecilia had made it known all her life that she had very little interest in becoming a wife, nor a demure little lady who allowed people to treat her as they pleased. It was not that she had been treated like a lesser; it was because she had chosen to be the sort of lady unfit for a duchess.
It did not matter that she was doing very well. She had never intended to, so she did not see that she was.
They returned home later that evening, and after dinner, the ladies and gentlemen were filing out of the dining room when Emma paused by the door.
“Might I have a word with you, Your Grace?” she asked.
“Of course. Is everything all right?”
“Yes, it certainly is. I simply wanted to discuss a matter with you.”
While the others were having drinks in the parlor, Leonard led Emma to the drawing room. He noticed that she was wringing her hands, as though unsure what to say.
“You seem ill at ease,” he said gently.
“Not at all. I do not know where to start, that is all.”
“Take all the time you need.”
She took a steadying breath and then opened her mouth. “Cecilia seems happy.”
“I would like to think so.”
“She says that you have a happy marriage, although it was an arrangement. She tells me that the two of you are friends and that you have been for years. I was not aware of how close the two of you are.”
