Page 34 of Her Lion of a Duke
“As did I.”
“Does that mean we shall attend more events?”
“Perhaps.”
She hummed softly, as though she were falling asleep. “That is good, because I would like to do more than merely keep up appearances. I would like for both of us to truly enjoy what we have.”
Leonard did not tell her, but he wanted more than anything to enjoy life again, especially after everything that had happened.
Everything had changed, and yet nothing had. He was still Leonard, and she was still Cecilia, but there was no denying that when he looked at her, he saw someone entirely different.
He saw someone he needed to care for. Someone it would be a privilege to protect.
CHAPTER 12
Leonard had not only protected Cecilia at the picnic, but he had also claimed her.
She was exhausted upon their return. The day had caught up to her mere moments before they left. It had been a long afternoon, one that had been tense at the beginning, before it improved.
When she woke up the following morning, she pieced it all together. The ladies were gossiping about her. She hated it, but then…
But then Leonard came to her defense.
She was dressed for the day and then met him in the breakfast room. She sat beside him, finding that she was far hungrier than usual.
“I do hope that young lady was not scolded too harshly by her husband,” she said absentmindedly. “We have all said things that we did not mean.”
“We could hear her, Cecilia. We know that she meant it. That is why her husband spoke with her; he knew that I had heard too. It was a warning.”
“Even so, I would not have wanted her to be treated cruelly. Not every husband is good and kind like you. Some are evil.”
“Believe me, I know that all too well.”
Cecilia lowered her fork, raising an eyebrow at him.
“My grandfather,” he said bluntly. “He was not a good husband to my grandmother. She lived in misery for a long time.”
“That is awful,” she gasped, her fingers rising to her lower lip.
“It ended well enough. He died when she was still young, as there was an age gap between them, so she lived without him for a good chunk of her life. She never remarried, but she had a very good friend who visited her often. He kept her company.”
“That is good, at least. Even so, that is not so dissimilar to Lady Cressida and her husband, and I would rather not make things worse for her, should that be the case.”
“If she is in such a precarious situation, she should know better than to speak so poorly of a duchess. Such behavior can only bring shame, and if that is what happens to her, then so be it. I do not need to feel sympathy for her. Or rather, I do not need to feel more than I do for my wife.”
Cecilia smiled at him sheepishly.
He did not mean to sound cruel, and she knew that. He was merely defending her, and she had not known that she needed that until it happened.
Other than her friends, Cecilia had always had to defend herself, and though she took pride in how she handled matters, it was a relief to know that she was no longer alone.
“What do you plan to do today?” she asked.
Leonard sat back in his seat. “I planned to walk for a while and then do some work in my study. But it is a beautiful day, and I would rather not spend it alone. That is an invitation for you to join me, if you are wondering.”
Cecilia knew that heat was rising in her cheeks, but she ignored it. She liked the effect he had on her, even though she was also hoping that he would not notice.
He did not need to know that his friend was thinking of him that way, even if that friend was his wife. She was falling for him, butthat was her secret, and it was nice to have something for herself among the gossip.
