Page 89 of Her Lion of a Duke
Cecilia rather thought that she did, but she did not say as much. She brushed past her aunt and stepped out into the hallway, her heart pounding in her chest.
How was she going to save her cousin?
“Hello, Your Grace,” Lord Renshaw said as he entered. “Might you now tell me what has brought you here?”
“I have already explained, My Lord.”
“Yes, but you were not telling the truth. Anyone could see that. Come now, you know as well as I do that my cousin can be difficult. If there have been… difficulties between the two of you, you must know that you are not to blame for them.”
“I do not have time for this,” she snapped. “I do not know why you think you have any right to court my cousin, but you do not. She will never like you, Lord Renshaw.”
He stepped toward her, his voice low. “I do not need her to. I only need to be liked by her mother, and believe me, I am.”
With a smirk, he walked away, joining her aunt.
Cecilia thought about his words as she returned to her room. She had blamed Leonard for what had happened, but when Lord Renshaw had said so, she began to see it differently.
No matter her intentions, she had hurt her husband. She had added to the rumors and made the loss of his brother worse when he should only have had to deal with his grief.
She was at fault, and she could no longer deny that. She longed to return home to him, but she could not leave. She had to save Clara first, and she could only hope that Leonard did not seek an annulment in the meantime.
Hiding away in her room, she tried to think of ways to sabotage the courtship. She had to be careful, as she could not damage Clara’s reputation, but she had to find a way to make Lord Renshaw change his mind about her. She would not let her cousin marry that ogre, regardless of what her aunt said.
As she was deep in thought, the clouds grew dark. It was supposed to be a beautiful day, but within minutes, rain began to fall. Thunder rumbled overhead, and she sighed, smiling despite everything that was happening.
They would not be able to promenade, that much was certain. She returned to the drawing room, hoping they would cancel their plans.
“This is most unfortunate,” she heard Lord Renshaw say. “I did not expect this at all.”
Cecilia pressed herself against the wall outside the room in order to listen.
“Indeed,” her aunt replied. “And Clara was so looking forward to it. Perhaps another time?”
Cecilia was relieved, but only for a moment. Lord Renshaw wanted something, and it would take more than a storm to deter him.
“I can stay,” he suggested. “I know that Her Grace is not best pleased about the match, and I would appreciate the time to better myself in her eyes.”
“You need not concern yourself. I will speak with my niece, for this is not for her to decide. She has no say in it.”
“Even so, I would rather she grows to like me, especially if our ties are going to strengthen.”
Cecilia looked up at the ceiling and hoped that her aunt would not allow it. She wanted the man to leave so that she could try to talk some sense into Clara.
Of course, her aunt was not going to dismiss a friend.
“That does sound like a good idea,” she replied. “Cecilia is not the easiest to sway, but I know that you can do it.”
Cecilia grimaced, stepping away so that she would not be caught eavesdropping. Alas, she was spotted; she was marched into the drawing room and forced to sit beside Lord Renshaw.
Since she was married, they were left alone together. It was the very opposite of what she wanted, but there was no escaping it.
“What do you want from me?” she groaned.
“I wish to come to an agreement. I know that you do not think highly of me, and although I do not understand why, I hope to change that. An alliance between the two of us would be a very good thing, you know.”
“Why would I want an alliance with you? You have familial ties to my husband. That should be enough.”
“Let me ask you, Your Grace. What has happened between the two of you?”
