Page 31 of Her Lion of a Duke
“Then why did you lie?”
Leonard shifted in his seat, avoiding her gaze. “I do not know what you mean.”
“You said that I have changed the village and the manor for the better. I have not changed anything. If you were truly proud of me, you would have been able to give real examples.”
“That is precisely what I did,” he argued. “You may not think that you have made a difference, but you have. A house is more than its decoration. Our servants smile now, and they seem to truly enjoy themselves in a way they did not before. Mrs. Herrington tells me that you have made her life easier in a way she has never expected.”
As he finished, the carriage rolled to a stop in front of the townhouse. Cecilia, who was quite convinced that she had turned scarlet, muttered a quick thanks and ran inside.
“I wanted to tell you,” Leonard called after her as she ascended the stairs. “Your gown tonight was beautiful. You looked wonderful.”
She smiled helplessly, thanked him again, and then left him standing there.
CHAPTER 11
“She did not seem very receptive to that.”
Since their marriage, Henry’s appearances in his study grew more frequent. On more than one occasion, Leonard stood at his window and considered throwing it open and leaping out, but he managed to restrain himself.
“Do you not have anything better to do?” he grumbled.
Henry laughed. “Seeing my brother is the most effective use of my time. It is not as though I have anything else to do.”
“Yes, well, you are inhibiting the effectiveness of the use of my time. I cannot think when you are here.”
“That is not my fault, nor my problem to fix.”
He slumped lazily over Leonard’s chair, grinning.
Leonard looked at his door, knowing that if he stepped out into the hallway, his brother would leave. But that morning, he did not mind his presence so much.
If anything, he needed his advice.
“Do you think I did the right thing the other evening?” he asked.
Henry shrugged. “Were you honest with her? That is the most important thing. Then again, you could lie to her if it would make her feel better.”
“I cannot do that. I will not have a marriage founded on lies.”
“Then you did what was right. You should not have to ask me about that.”
“I know, but it is difficult to know what is happening to me, especially when I cannot even control your appearances.”
“It is not as though Iwantto be here. I am only here because you are thinking of me, Leonard. You can get rid of me as easily as you create me.”
Leonard sighed, leaving the study. As expected, Henry did not follow him.
He had wondered many times what had been causing the visits, but it was not as though he could ask anyone about it. He would have been sent to an asylum for it, so he kept it to himself.
London did not need a mad duke.
He wondered if he was imagining Henry because he needed to ask someone what to do, but he was also aware that he was answering his own questions, negating the purpose.
“Are you all right?”
He turned to find Cecilia looking up at him with concern. “Yes, of course. I was simply thinking about the picnic this afternoon.”
“Are you reconsidering our attendance? I do not believe that the Viscount will be too pleased with that.”
