Page 32 of Her Lion of a Duke
“No, we shall attend, but I have been thinking about what you said. I did not lie to those ladies; you have done wonders for our home, but I cannot help but feel guilty that I did not tell them to stop.”
“And what might that have achieved?” She shrugged. “Believe me, I am accustomed to whispers and gossip. Do not think less of me, but I have partaken in it myself. It can be cruel, terribly so, but I shall not pretend that it affects me so much.”
Leonard looked at his wife, wondering how much of what she was telling him was the truth and how much of it was a lie to make him feel better about his choices.
Even so, he did not argue with her. They continued with their day as always, and then left for the picnic.
Leonard had hoped that Cecilia would wear another deep red gown, but she wore a pale blue one instead. It was, he decided, most like her and was therefore his favorite, even if the other had been a pleasant change.
Upon their arrival, he felt eyes on them. He maintained his smile, as did Cecilia, and they exchanged greetings before taking their seats. It was a beautiful picnic, and this time, there were at least more diverse people present.
Cecilia seemed to recognize a few ladies and spoke to them with relative ease. Leonard was happy for her, but that presented an entirely different issue.
He would also have to find someone to talk to.
“Pridefield,” a gentleman standing in a group nearby called, “join us!”
Leonard knew them well enough. He would not have called any of them friends, butacquaintanceswas fitting enough. They were not unkind men, and that was enough for him.
“I do not believe that we have congratulated you,” the gentleman, Lord Lumley, continued. “The only gentleman in England who could tame her spirit.”
They all laughed, Leonard included.
“I have little interest in taming her,” he explained. “She is wonderful as she is, and I would hate for her to be any different.”
“A good husband,” another gentleman praised. “My wife would envy yours greatly!”
At that moment, one of the ladies talking to Cecilia turned and smiled at him. Leonard assumed that was the wife in question.
“Is that to say that you tamed your wife?”
“It is not as though I had a choice. She was not yet twenty when I married her, and her behavior reflected that. I expected far more maturity.”
“Then perhaps it may have been wiser to marry an older lady?” Leonard suggested.
But the gentleman only laughed. “She was a pretty thing, with good breeding and many talents. I could, in all honesty, have overlooked her flaws. Then again, we dukes deserve more than that, do we not?”
This time, Leonard did not laugh. He did not like what he was hearing, and he wondered how many times he had heard such things without giving them any thought.
“Do not look so serious, Pridefield,” Lord Lumley drawled. “You are still in the early days of your marriage. You will see what we mean soon enough.”
“Should that be the case, I will inform you as such,” Leonard said firmly. “Until then, do not expect me to speak ill of my wife.”
At that moment, the ladies’ voices rose, and the men turned to them. They were not speaking loud enough to attract too much attention, but enough to be heard by those who cared to listen.
“I say, Your Grace,” one said to Cecilia, “I have no need for your instruction, but I know of a few ladies who do. How did you do it?”
“I do not know what you are referring to,” Cecilia replied.
“Of course, you do. We are all wondering how you secured such a match. It was not at all expected, given how much you hate the very notion of love.”
“I have never hated it. I simply did not expect it for myself. That is all.”
“And why is that? Well, I suppose it is because of who you are. Is it true that you are descended from witches?”
The ladies burst into laughter. Some sounded more nervous than others, but they all laughed regardless, except for Cecilia.
Leonard watched as she maintained her composure, and he felt both sympathy and pride for how she was handling matters. Even so, the sight of it made him furious.
