Page 59 of Her Lion of a Duke
“You do not love him, then?” she asked.
“I did not claim to.”
“No, but I… Well, I always assumed that you did. He was the only man you were not rude to.”
“He was the only man who did not warrant my scorn. He has always been respectful to me, so I have reciprocated. It does not mean that we love one another. It means that we thought pragmatically about matters and decided that marriage was for the best.”
She could see the disappointment in her mother’s eyes. Of all the reasons why she had changed her mind about marriage, love was the one her mother was holding out for. She had hoped that Cecilia would find someone who changed her mind, someone she could truly fall for.
Leonard was that man, but Cecilia could not admit that to her. It came with far too much risk.
She hoped that Leonard would arrive sooner rather than later, so that he could make it all easier. She longed for his presence so that he could soothe her the way he always did.
Even if she hated that it happened.
CHAPTER 21
With Cecilia gone, Leonard found that his patience with his cousin was wearing thin quickly.
“She could have at least said goodbye,” Renshaw scoffed, stabbing his fork into a vegetable. “It is most impolite. I know that she had a reputation before your marriage, but I expected her to change when she became a duchess.”
“It was a sudden trip, and we were not home. Would you rather she come searching for us while we were shooting?”
“Of course not, it is no place for a lady. But she could have waited.”
“It was an emergency, Renshaw. I have already told you this.”
“Even so…”
Leonard stopped listening. He knew that there was no use arguing his point, for there was no making his cousin see sense when he was convinced of something. It did not matter that. For all he knew, Cecilia had to drop everything and leave. What mattered to Renshaw was that Cecilia had been impolite, and he would not let the matter rest until he was satisfied.
“This aside,” Leonard said, “I hope you have enjoyed your stay.”
“Indeed, though I am not sure your wife told your cook about her biscuits. They are still dry.”
“They are made how we like them. Had you told me, I would have ensured she made others for you.”
“That is not for you to do. Your wife should handle the staff, as is her role. Come now, Leonard. I know you are not one for convention, but you must admit that there is no excuse for laziness.”
“My wife is the busiest person I know. She has done endless amounts of things for the household, and her not telling the cook to change her recipes for a few days does not signify anything. If there is anything worth discussing with her, I will do it, but your small recommendation is not urgent.”
“My word,” Renshaw sighed, “you truly have changed. It was not so long ago that you would have agreed with me no matter what I said.”
“Yes, but people change. You might like to try it for yourself, and then you may find a wife of your own.”
His cousin looked at him with wide eyes, completely shocked that Leonard was being serious.
“Do not look at me like that,” Leonard continued. “It has not escaped my notice that you won’t stop talking about my wife, and there is no need for you to think about her so often.”
“I do not like what you are suggesting. You know as well as I do that a spinster is of no interest to me.”
“No, for you prefer ladies to be barely out of their leading strings. You could never marry a woman, for you could not handle one.”
“And you can?” Renshaw shot back.
Leonard thought about that on the ride to the Puntons’ that evening.
Cecilia had been away for less than a day, but he missed her already. He tried to tell himself that it was simply because she was better company than Renshaw, but he knew that it was more than that.
