Page 30 of Her Lion of a Duke
“Thank you—” Cecilia began.
“The congratulations ought to be given to me,” Leonard said brightly, cutting her off, “for I have the most incredible wife. She has already done so much for the village, as well as the manor. I do not know how I ever managed without her.”
Cecilia kept her smile in place, but she was uncertain as to why he had said such things about her. She had not changed the manor at all, and they had agreed that it was better that way. She thought that he was proud of her, or at least she was trying to believe it, but it was difficult when he had to invent reasons as to why he could be.
Each person they encountered was nice to her, congratulating them both on their marriage.
But as soon as she turned her back, gossip erupted.
“Can you believe it?” Lady Kensington gasped as they walked past a short while later. “I have nothing against the girl, but from what I know, she was a mere bluestocking. She did not want to marry at all.”
“Yes, well,” one of her friends snorted, “we all know how quickly such things can change. Besides, their engagement was far shorter than any other I have seen, and we all know what that means.”
Scandal.
Cecilia’s hand tightened on Leonard’s arm, and she noticed that he had also bristled at the comments.
“Do not say a word,” he murmured. “Do not give them the satisfaction.”
“Do not bring shame upon ourselves, you mean,” she whispered.
“That is another reason, yes. Besides, they have nothing to do with us. Speaking of which, it appears that the music is to begin soon. We should dance. There will be talk if we do not.”
Cecilia glanced over at the orchestra, which was preparing to start, and panicked. She did not dance. She was not too fond of it, even if she was quite accomplished. It was not something anyone had seen her do, and she did not want to dance in front of the most pompous members of the ton. Even if she had not made a mistake, she knew they would find fault. It was what they were looking for.
And yet, when the music began, Leonard held his hand out to her, and she took it without a word. She followed him to the dance floor, her fingers trembling.
The slight touch that they shared was excruciating. His hand was resting on her waist, but it felt as though it was burning through her gown and into her skin. Their hands touched gently, and Cecilia told herself that she was only focusing on that to distract herself from the fact that she was dancing in front of strangers who thought the worst of her.
She cast a glance at them, but then she felt Leonard’s fingers press into her skin.
“Do not look at them,” he urged. “Look only at me. Do not give them the satisfaction of believing that their words have affected you.”
Cecilia knew how to do that. It was all she had ever done, and she could do it there, too. She had never cared what people thought of her before, and yet…
And yet, she cared about her new title and wanted to be respected. She no longer wanted to be the little bluestocking they could all pass judgment on. She wanted to be a brilliant duchess whom they all wished to emulate.
She followed Leonard’s instruction and looked into his eyes.
For the first time, she saw something more than a friend looking back at her. He was her husband, of course, but she was starting to see him in that light. She liked him, and for the first time in her life, she found herself wanting him to feel the same way.
She wanted him to tell her that he was proud of her, that she was a good wife.
The dance came to an end, and when Leonard removed his hand, she felt its absence acutely.
The rest of the evening was easier than she had expected. She had never been one to lie to anyone’s face, but she played the part well. There was not a single person there who was aware that she had heard what they said about her, except for Leonard.
On the way home, they sat in silence until he cleared his throat.
“You did very well,” he praised.
“Oh, I… thank you.”
“You should know that what they said about you was incorrect. We know how our marriage came to be, and while it was to protect reputations, it was not as though there was a scandal. They do not know you; do not let them win.”
“It is not as though they were saying anything false,” she pointed out. “There is not very much about me to be pleased with.”
“That is not true.”
