“Yes,” she said.
With her head held high, she allowed her father to lead her into the drawing room. She was still unsure of whether she had made a rash decision. But with the support and love of her family, she knew that she would be all right. No matter what.
Chapter Sixteen
Frank was in Val’s bedchambers within minutes of him waking on the morning of his wedding. The valet pulled his black wedding suit with a white, ruffled shirt out of the wardrobe, draping it delicately over the back of the chair that sat in front of his full-length mirror. Val sat in the other chair by the window so that Frank could help him shave.
The valet worked for a few minutes in silence. Val tried to relax and calm his mind. He had had little sleep the night before. The warnings of Henry and his mother kept coming to mind. But so did images of Lady Cecily’s face. He did not believe that she would ever hurt him. He was concerned that he might hurt her. He felt sure that she must know about the scars on his face. But did she know how bad they were? Would she hate him if she did?
“Your Grace,” Frank said as he wiped the remaining shaving cream off his master’s face. “If you were any tenser, you could hold yourself off that chair with your legs.”
Val chuckled.
“Is it that obvious?” he asked.
Frank laughed.
“Only a little,” he said. “Are you having second thoughts?”
Val shrugged.
“I do not know,” he said. “I think I am overthinking the second thoughts of everyone else.”
Frank set aside the shaving stuff as Val rose and looked at him intently.
“I am sure that those who love you mean well,” he said. “They are only concerned about your wellbeing.”
Val nodded.
“I know,” he said. “But unfortunately, they left unintended questions in my mind.”
Frank nodded, studying his master with care.
“I think there is only one question that matters, if you don’t mind me speaking freely,” he said.
Val shook his head and gestured for the valet to continue.
Frank nodded.
“I think the only question that matters is this. How do you feel when you are with Lady Cecily?”
Val opened his mouth, then closed it and blushed.
“I feel happy,” he said honestly. “I feel like a normal man.”
Frank nodded.
“Then that is your answer,” he said.
Val sighed again.
“But what about how she feels with me?” he asked.
Frank raised an eyebrow and smirked.
“You could not feel happy around her, if she did not feel happy around you,” he said.
Val stared dumbly at the valet. He thought about the words and realized they were true. If Cecily was not content around him, he would sense it. He would be uncomfortable if she was. And, although they were still getting to know each other, the atmosphere between them was hardly uncomfortable.
