Val tapped the feather end of his pen against a blank ledger page. It was difficult to concentrate when he could feel the weight of the tension in his marriage lingering all throughout the mansion. It was apparent that things between him and his wife were strained and yet, he had no idea what he should do about it.
He had, after all, ensured that Cecily knew it was only to be a marriage of convenience. But only seeing her at mealtimes and hardly speaking to one another was wearing on him. And after two weeks of the same, it was mentally exhausting, as well. He was beginning to think that he had made a mistake.
He thought back to what Henry and his mother said to him when he announced his intentions to marry Cecily. They had both warned him about what it was he was thinking of doing. They had pointed out to him that someone could get hurt if he were to proceed with his plans. Was the reason that Cecily avoided him because she did feel hurt?
He shook his head, huffing in frustration. Cecily had understood his intentions with the marriage of convenience. She had accepted his terms, as he had accepted hers. They had been in agreement when they wed. Surely, she could not be hurt.
Even if she had expected something more from him, he had given her every opportunity to speak her mind. She had been in complete agreement. He could not take all the blame. So why did he feel so guilty?
Restless and lacking the focus he needed to work, the Duke abandoned the ledgers, not for the first time in a fortnight. He helped himself to a finger of brandy to try to ease the anxious tension in his mind. He glanced out the window of his study as he paced with his drink, catching a glimpse of the back edge of the stables in the distance.
A ride is just what I need,he thought, finishing his drink quickly. He realized only then that it had been ages since he rode; longer still since he was on horseback in the lovely England countryside. It had been the one thing that always brought him peace, no matter how tumultuous his thoughts.
He smiled, already feeling the solace that the fresh breeze blowing through his hair usually had to offer him. He hoped that it would do the same for him that day.
He sat down his empty glass and exited the study. The idea of a nice ride was already working to soothe his mind, and he was walking with purpose down the passageway. He had just turned the corner and entered the hallway that would take him to the back servant’s entrance of the mansion when he heard soft, gentle classical music drifting down the hall.
Curious, he detoured and followed the sound of the music. He couldn’t imagine who could be playing the pianoforte. His mother was in London, and he was not entertaining any guests. He couldn’t fathom a servant playing a pianoforte. But who else could it be?
As he reached the doorway to the music room, he stopped, stunned. At the bench sat the blind Duchess, playing more expertly than any sighted woman in London that he had ever heard. He was frozen in both surprise and awe. How could she play so skillfully when she could not see the keys or read music?
Suddenly, she stopped playing. She lifted her head, sweeping her unfocused gaze around the room.
“Greta,” she said. “Is there someone else in the room?”
The Duke flushed. His blind wife continued to astound him. Not only could she play pianoforte without her sight, but she could also sense a person entering a room. How on earth did she do such amazing things?
As the maid looked up and met his gaze, she bowed. He cleared his throat and began applauding.
“Cecily,” he said, still blushing at having been caught eavesdropping without announcing his presence. “You play so beautifully, you caught me quite off guard. Forgive me for disturbing you. I just could not resist stopping to listen for a moment.”
He realized he was babbling when he saw Greta hide a giggle as she curtseyed to him. He grinned, holding his breath as Cecily turned her face toward him. His heart melted when she smiled sweetly at him. Her eyes were sparkling. Even though they were not focused on anything in particular, she was looking in his direction. Her lovely eyes sent shivers up his spine.
“Thank you, Val,” Cecily said at last, her cheeks turning pink. “I imagine that you must be wondering how a blind woman could play pianoforte at all.”
Val averted his gaze, even though his wife could not see his grimace. He was, indeed, wondering just that. But he had not wished to insult her with such questions. He struggled to find words, as he knew that his silence would be just as offensive.
“It is fine, Val,” she said, smiling warmly at him. “That is a perfectly reasonable question to have. You would not be the first to ask, though you are the first in quite some time.”
Val stepped closer to the pianoforte, marveling at both his wife’s beauty and her patient candour about her blindness.
“I was curious,” he admitted. “I understand that the pianoforte is a complex instrument and that it takes many years of practice to play well.” He winced again, realizing how condescending what he just said might have sounded.
However, Cecily surprised him yet again. Her eyes lit up once more, and she nodded fervently.
“Indeed.” she said. “And it is those years of practice before I lost my sight that enable me to continue playing, even now that I cannot see. I have played several pieces so many times that they are ingrained in my memory.”
Val instinctively smiled, even though his wife could not see him. He wanted to go over to her and touch her shoulder, but he was worried that he would break the warm, open atmosphere that he had with her in that moment. He didn’t know until right then, but he enjoyed it when she told him about herself. Moreover, he liked what he learned.
“What was that piece you were just playing?” he asked. He recognized it, but he could not name it right away.
Cecily’s smile widened.
“Surprise Symphony, by Franz Joseph Haydn,” she said. “It is my favourite composition.”
Val recognized the name at once. It was a song that Lady Jocelyn had said was too whimsical for her taste. After hearing Cecily play it, he could not have disagreed more with his former fiancée.
“That is simply remarkable,” he said. “I commend you for having such an incredible talent for playing.”
