Page 58 of Her Lion of a Duke
“How have you been?” her mother asked. “Marriage seems to be treating you well, for you look lovely.”
“It certainly is. I had not been expecting to enjoy my new life as a duchess, but it has been perfect so far. I enjoy spending time in the village, and I believe that I am already well-liked and respected there.”
“I never would have doubted that,” her father declared proudly. “You have always had a way with people, when you wanted to.”
“It is simply a shame that I hardly ever wanted to, then.” She laughed, and her parents followed suit. “How have you both been doing without me?”
She had asked it uneasily, and her parents seemed uncertain as to how to respond.
“It has been too quiet,” her mother admitted. “It has been your father and me and nothing else. I thought we would appreciate having nothing to do, but it has been exhausting. One day blendsinto the next, and before I know it, a week has passed and I have nothing to show for it.”
“And, of course, we cannot return to London. Questions would arise as to why we were not with you, and that would not bode well for any of us.”
“Nobody would mind,” Cecilia assured them. “And if they ask, you can say that one of you had been taken ill. They would understand.”
But she knew how the ton was. Rumors would spread no matter the excuses her parents gave. She would have pitied them, but it had been their own decision. They did not want to go to London with her, and now they could not return.
“The Duke of Pridefield,” her mother said wistfully, changing the subject. “I cannot believe it. I know that the two of you were friends, but I did not think that would turn into something more. I should have known better.”
“Believe me, it was not planned. We simply decided that we liked one another, so there was no need to have a long courtship and engagement. We are very happy with the arrangement, and there were very few questions about it.”
“A successful match.” Her father nodded. “I look forward to speaking with him about it tomorrow, as he has always been a good conversationalist.”
“He is looking forward to seeing both of you, too. Although I have to warn you that he will be bringing our dog. Hopefully, you’ll continue to appreciate the chaos I bring.”
“We have been wanting to get a dog for some time now,” her mother admitted. “As a replacement for you, you see. This would be an opportunity to decide if we truly want one.”
“He will certainly help you with that,” Cecilia agreed, thinking about the way Brutus bounded rather than walked into every room. “He does no harm, but he believes he is a much smaller breed.”
Her parents exchanged glances, and then the three of them burst into laughter.
“He is more than welcome,” her mother assured her.
Her father excused himself shortly after, stating that he had contracts to review, leaving them alone together.
Her mother continued to smile, but Cecilia could see the facade slipping.
“We have missed you,” her mother said softly.
“I have missed you, too,” Cecilia replied. “I wanted you to come with me.”
“I wanted to. You know I did. I simply—I could not do it again. I could not bear the stares, feeling like a failure because you did not want to marry.”
“There was no failure on your part, Mother. Nobody blamed you and Father for my wilfulness. I was the only one who was looked at strangely.”
“That is what you think, but it is not true. I heard what they said, Cecilia. It infuriated me because I knew that if you simply tried to do well, you would be married in an instant. You are a beautiful girl, intelligent and talented. I know I am supposed to tell you that as your mother, but it is the truth. I knew that you would secure the perfect match if you tried.”
“And I never did. I know that it made you angry.”
“Frustrated,” her mother corrected. “It was frustrating, watching you turn every suitor away, especially in the way you did. You could have been kinder.”
“I could have, but what would that have achieved? They would have thought that if they simply continued to pester me, I would give in. It was easier to make them hate me.”
“And in turn…”
“Reflect poorly on my family,” she muttered. “I know. I no longer blame you for what happened. It was for the best. Had you not sent me away, I would not have known how dire my situationwas. Thanks to your decision, I spoke with Leonard, and we came to an agreement.”
Her mother was quiet for a moment, looking at her neatly folded hands.
