Page 76 of Bound to the Heartless Duke
She blinked, again caught off guard.
“I know I’ve made a mess of things.” Magnus heaved a sigh. “And maybe I didn’t say it in the right way—hell, maybe there’s no right way to say it at all. But I didn’t just propose to herbecause of the house. Or Nathan. Or any damned bargain.” He ran a hand through his dark hair, his voice dropping low. “I did it because I couldn’t stand the thought of watching her belong to someone else. Not Bailey. Not anyone.”
Cecilia stared at him, stunned.
“I know what kind of man I am,” he continued. “I know what this world sees when they look at me—gaming hells, blood money, a rogue without a soul. But Lily… she saw something else, even when I didn’t deserve it.Especiallywhen I didn’t.”
Cecilia said nothing for a long moment. The rage in her eyes had faded into… something else.
Then, her voice came, soft and skeptical. “You’re in love with her.”
Magnus didn’t answer. He wasn’t sure if he needed to; Cecilia had already seen through him. He had told her the very secret he hadn’t told Lily. The main reason he wanted to marry her.
Now, Cecilia saw it plain as day.
“Oh my God,” she breathed, her arms slowly falling to her sides. “You’re really in love with her.”
Magnus’s mouth twitched, and he quickly turned back to the fire. “I thought that was obvious.”
“It was not.”
“Well, it is now.”
Cecilia pressed a hand to her brow and turned toward the window. “I need a minute.”
“Take all the time you need.”
“I said a minute, not an age.”
He smiled.
And for the first time that morning, Cecilia let out a sound that resembled a laugh. It was brief, exasperated, but unmistakably hers.
Then, without another word, she turned on her heels and hurried out of the room.
Lily was in the guest chamber when Cecilia found her. Apparently, she was preparing the room for her dear friend.
The sunlight filtered through the windows, casting a soft glow on the settee where she had curled up like a depressed princess. Her shoulders were drawn back, her posture tense, and an aloof look flickered in her eyes.
“Why does the bride look so gloomy?” Cecilia’s voice broke through the silence, startling her.
Lily couldn’t help but smile as she sat up straighter.
Cecilia knew there was something they hadn’t done yet. Something they should have done earlier. She opened her arms wide and pulled her friend into a fierce, breath-stealing hug.
“Ceci!” Lily giggled.
“I’m going to scream later,” Cecilia muttered into her hair. “Just not right now.”
The embrace was like a balm to Lily’s soul.
She smiled against her friend’s shoulder. “Fair enough.”
They sat like that for a moment, letting the silence do what words couldn’t. Letting the madness of the morning settle into something gentler.
Eventually, Cecilia pulled back, her eyes shining. “You’re really going to marry him?”
Lily paused, a bit surprised to see her friend talking about the idea of marrying her brother without looking so horrified.
