They were silent once more, but again, it was not uncomfortable. She could feel Val watching her intently, and it occurred to her that it was the first time he had helped her walk anywhere apart from her own home.
She focused hard, determined to ensure that she didn’t bump into anything or knock something over and embarrass herself in front of him. She could not risk doing anything that would make him rethink ever asking her to join him again. She tried to keep her expression pleasant. She didn’t want the Duke to get the impression that what she was doing was difficult. Even though it was.
At last, they were outside. The pleasant spring breeze caressed her skin, and she smiled softly. She had never been out in the gardens of her new home. She had considered asking Greta to take her for a walk out there, but she had not felt comfortable enough there to do so. She was glad for the chance to take a walk then, especially with her new husband.
“How do you feel?” Val asked gently.
Cecily grinned and nodded.
“It smells so beautiful out here,” she said truthfully. She always loved the fragrances of gardens, but she thought that that one was one of the sweetest she had ever smelled.
Val slowly began guiding her forward.
“I imagine that your sense of smell is better than it once used to be,” he said.
Cecily nodded.
“It is one of the ways that I can tell when someone enters a room,” she said shyly. “That, and I can sense a shift in the atmosphere. The air changes when someone leaves or enters a room.”
Val chuckled as they continued along on the path.
“Fascinating,” he said.
When her husband was silent for a moment, she feared she had made him uncomfortable by discussing her disability so openly. It had been one thing when he asked her how she played without her sight. It was another to continue the conversation well after it was over. She hoped she had not offended him by speaking about it out of turn or made him uneasy by discussing it at all.
“As you know, it is almost mid spring,” Val said suddenly. His voice was cheerful and kind, immediately reassuring Cecily. “This is the time of year that the small flower buds really begin to open and bloom to their full size and beauty.”
Cecily nodded, looking up at Val with bemusement.
“Yes,” she said. “I used to love this time of year when I was a child.”
Val patted her hand and continued.
“To our left, we have opening gardenias and white roses,” he said.
“Good day, your Grace,” the head-gardener bowed as they met him.
They nodded.
“The gardener,” they said at the same time. They laughed. Val patted her hand and continued.
“And to the right, there is the opening to a path and beyond that, there are white lilies and daisies. And the grass and shrubs in between are a rich, vibrant green.”
Cecily’s heart melted. She realized immediately what he was doing. He was taking the time to describe the flowers and the garden to her. She could smell each different section of flowers, as her sense of smell was drastically heightened since she began losing her sight. However, as he gave her the details of the garden, she could see everything as clearly as if she were looking at it all.
“Oh, it sounds so lovely,” she said dreamily.
Val sniffed, and she knew he was smiling.
“Everything out here is rather lovely,” he said softly.
Cecily nodded, then blushed. She thought carefully about his words. Was he referring to her, as well? Or was she reading too much into his sudden attentiveness?
“I am picturing it all now,” she said bashfully. “It is wonderful to be out here.”
Val continued slowly along, and Cecily could feel his eyes on her.
“I love being outdoors in nice weather,” Val agreed. “The fragrances of the flowers are heavenly.”
