The silence slowly dissipated, pierced by more hushed whispers. Cecily didn’t bother concentrating on what anyone was saying. She felt pleased with herself that she had defended His Grace. She might be blind, but she still had a voice. And she would use her voice however she chose. Though she did not know the Duke, she realized that what she had said was true.
He had been a perfect host to her and her family, albeit a bit quiet and reserved. And one thing she did know was how it felt to be the subject of gossip within theton. She would not stand for someone else to be punished in such a way.
The rest of the party passed without incident, though she noticed that her mother and sister did not say much after her bold proclamation. She began to feel guilty, worrying that she had embarrassed them. She decided that she would apologize to them on the way home. The last thing she wanted was to give the ton even more reason to ostracize her family.
She was relieved when the tea party came to an end. She and the other women in her family made a graceful exit, exchanging the necessary pleasantries with the Countess of Sedenshire. Cecily could not see the woman’s face, but she didn’t sound overtly displeased with her. Still, as Agnes helped her to their carriage, her stomach twisted into knots. If her mother and sister were upset with her, she could not blame them.
The carriage had just pulled away from Sedenshire Manor when Agnes burst into giggles. Startled, Cecily looked toward her mother.
“What’s the laughter for, Sister?” she asked.
At this, the Countess began to laugh, too. It took both the women a minute to be able to speak. Agnes went first.
“Sister, I wish you could have seen the looks on their faces,” she said, pausing to catch her breath. “Those snobs all had the exact same I’ve-just-been-slapped expression on their faces when you spoke about the Duke.”
Cecily bit her lip and blushed.
“I am sorry,” she said quietly. “I should have remained silent. I never meant to embarrass you and Mother.”
The Countess reached over and took both of Cecily’s hands into her own.
“Nonsense, darling,” she said. “Those women were so horrible and thoughtless to say such a thing with you present. Even though it was not about you, it was still a very tacky thing to do.”
Agnes put her arm around Cecily’s shoulder.
“Indeed, I agree with Mother,” she said. “They are fortunate that you spoke first. I was about to give them quite the tongue lashing.”
The Countess giggled.
“That would have been something, indeed,” she said. Then, her grip on Cecily’s hands changed, becoming gentler. “I know that was hard for you to experience and I want you to know that I could not be prouder of you for standing up to that horrid Lady Sophia.”
Cecily could hear the sympathetic expression in her mother’s voice. She sighed, shaking her head.
“I fear that it will only make thetongossip more about our family,” she said. “Neither of you deserve that.”
Her mother reached up and stroked her cheek.
“Darling, you are far more important to us than they will ever be,” she said softly. “You had every right to stand up to them the way you did.”
Agnes hugged Cecily again and nodded against her shoulder.
“Besides, I am sure that you gave them something to think about,” she said. “They likely won’t dare gossip about any of us, after you embarrassed them in such a way.”
Cecily giggled. It was an amusing thought, imagining those gossips falling silent any time she or her mother and sister attended a social event with them from then on.
“That would be amazing,” she said. Then, she looked first toward her mother, then her sister. “Thank you both for being so kind and understanding. I know that my illness has not been easy for either of you, any more than it has for me. I want you both to know how much I love and appreciate you.”
Both women hugged Cecily so tightly that she gasped for breath.
“And we love you, my dear,” the Countess said, kissing her eldest daughter on her temple.
“We certainly do,” Agnes agreed, kissing her sister’s cheek. “More than everything in the whole world.”
Cecily felt bittersweet tears fill her eyes. It was comforting to hear her family say those things. But she couldn’t help feeling bad that they had to say them in the first place. She desperately wished that they wouldn’t have to be so understanding and brave against the gossip of thetonforever. But she knew that, as a spinster, they would have to worry about her, and about such incidents, for the rest of her life.
“Why can't people look past outward appearances?” she asked. “It isn’t fair that people are judged based on things that they likely cannot help. One would think in a refined, sophisticated society, that would be understood and there would be more focus on what is inside someone’s heart.”
Her mother sighed, but it was not an aggravated sound. It was heavy and sad, and Cecily wrapped her arm around her mother even tighter.
