Page 20 of Her Lion of a Duke
“It comes naturally to you. Now, if one of the gentlemen were to proposition you or do some other such thing, your reaction would have been very different from that of a child who was merely playing. I have no doubt there.”
“Of course.” She giggled. “And I suppose, as my husband, your attitude would have been quite different, too.”
Leonard wondered just how he would react if another man had taken a liking to his wife. He wanted to say that he would remain calm and politely tell him that she was spoken for, but he could not be certain.
He hoped he would never have to find out either.
Suddenly, a gray cloud formed over them, and rain began to fall. Cecilia gasped in shock as the cold droplets pelted her, drenching her in seconds. Then, she began to laugh.
She had yet to move, frozen in shock, so Leonard took control. He pulled her to her feet, which reminded her that they did not have to simply sit there. They took shelter inside, along with other patrons.
“My apologies, Your Grace,” the owner said quickly.
“You cannot control the weather,” Leonard jested. “Although, if you have a booth for us in here, I would very much appreciate it.”
The owner immediately led them to a booth, and they sat close next to one another. Cecilia shivered, at last realizing that she was cold. Leonard removed his coat and draped it over her shoulders. She looked at him with one perfectly arched eyebrow, for such behavior was cause for rumors, but he did not care. He wanted his wife to be comfortable.
They shared dessert, and by the time they had finished, the sun had returned. Cecilia’s loose curl had begun to dry, swaying gently with her movements, and they left for home.
That was when they met a matron. She was rather old, with black hair pulled back from her face, and she was looking at them with curious eyes.
“Congratulations,” she began. “You make a beautiful couple, though I must say that the arrangement was very rushed. None of us knew that you were courting a lady, Your Grace!”
Leonard knew what she was doing. She was attempting to make a sly comment, to suggest that all the villagers thought there was a scandal. He did not care about that, however. The only thing he noticed was the way Cecilia shrank back, her fears returning.
“Yes,” he replied calmly. “It was rather rushed, and with the acquisition of a special license, no doubt people will want to speculate, but I knew what I was doing. When one meets a lady like my wife, they do not wait. A man given half a chance would be a fool to risk losing her.”
That settled matters, and the matron was on her way after giving them a stiff nod.
Cecilia did not ask him about what he said, and Leonard decided that was simply because she thought he had said what was necessary.
That was what he had planned to do, of course, but he would have been lying if he said that he did not believe his words completely.
“That was wonderful,” she sighed upon their return home. “Might we visit again soon?”
“We may go as often as you please,” he replied. “Will I see you at dinner?”
“You will, indeed.” She gave a smile before disappearing into her rooms.
“A gentleman has come to see you,” Mrs. Herrington informed him once she had left. “He says that you know who he is?”
“Ah, yes. I will be with you in just a moment.”
Leonard changed quickly into dry clothes and then went to see the private investigator. It was good timing, for he was hoping to arrange a meeting regardless.
“Your Grace,” Mr Livingston began. “I was hoping to ask you for any information you may have regarding?—”
“I would like you to pause this investigation for a while.”
He looked at Leonard in disbelief. “What do you mean? You told me this was urgent.”
“I did,” Leonard acknowledged, thinking only of his wife and the hydrangea she had taken to her room with her. “But I have decided that I would like to enjoy my honeymoon first.”
CHAPTER 7
Of all the things that could happen in the world, Cecilia had never once expected that she could fall for her husband.
Leonard was a good man, a kind one, but she had never planned to fall for any man, let alone her friend. She did not want to. She wanted to remain his friend and nothing more. Their marriage was simply an alliance.
