He stared at his wife, utterly dumbfounded. Not only was she not upset with him because he abandoned her the previous day, or that he lied to her, but she was also not repulsed by the knowledge that his appearance was horrifically flawed.
Moreover, she seemed genuinely interested in getting to know him better. He had never known such a thing since before his accident. Suddenly, he felt overwhelmed with gratitude for his beautiful wife.
“Your kind words render me speechless,” he confessed. “I do not know how to express to you just how grateful I am to you for hearing me with such compassion.”
Cecily gazed up at him, and he thought he saw a deep affection in her eyes.
“It is my pleasure, Val,” she said. “It is not just my duty to my husband, but a true honour to me, as well.”
Val took a deep breath. It was the first time he had heard her call him her husband, and it made butterflies stir in his stomach. He started to allow himself to think that something more than a loveless marriage could form between him and Cecily. He truly wished he could find words to tell his wife how special and wonderful he was beginning to see she was.
Before he could find a proper response, Cecily put her hand on his chest. Tingles raced wildly down his spine, and his heart felt as though it would burst out of his chest at any second. He had only felt something similar once in his life, with Jocelyn. But he quickly realized that it had not been anywhere near as powerful as what he felt right then.
“I know it is hard to believe, but the problem does not lie within you,” she said wisely. “You did nothing wrong to deserve such treatment from her or anyone else within the ton. It is not outward appearances that matter. It is what is in your heart that is important. And I know that you are a good man with a beautiful soul. You must know and remember that, too. Do not let the world tell you who you are. You show them who you are.”
Val stared down at the Duchess, stunned. He wanted to thank her for her kind words and manners and for understanding how he felt. Right then, he wanted to kiss her. But he was frozen with surprise and amazement.
He had made no efforts to spend time with her since their wedding. Yet there she was, showing him more support and warmth than anyone apart from his mother ever had. Could she come to truly care for him, despite his belief to the contrary?
Chapter Twenty-two
Cecily could just make out the faintest outline of her husband’s face, but she could not take her eyes off him. She was thrilled that he had opened up to her about his past. She understood how difficult that had been for him.
She would have found it hard to open up to him about her blindness, had he not already known. Now, she knew what the ton meant when they called him a monster. And she now knew that he was the furthest thing from it. In fact, he was a man she could quickly fall in love with. And she didn’t think that would be such a terrible thing.
She realized that her hand had been on his chest for a long moment, so she withdrew it with a sheepish smile. The last thing she wanted was to make him feel uncomfortable, especially after he had chosen to share something so personal and important with her.
But to her surprise, Val put his hand over the one she had just removed from his chest and gave it a gentle squeeze. He showed no discomfort at all, and Cecily was pleased.
“Thank you for your kindness, Cecily,” he said. “It means the world to me that you would be so receptive to me telling my story.”
Cecily smiled sweetly at him.
“It is a pleasure listening to you, Val,” she said. “No matter what it is that you have to say.”
She was getting better at sensing when Val was smiling at her, and she could feel him doing so then. It was a relief to know that she had not offended him the previous day. It was a bigger joy to realize that he was beginning to trust her. She silently vowed to do everything in her power to always show him that he could, indeed, always tell her anything. Once again, she had hope that they could form a friendship.
“Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?” he asked.
Cecily’s breath caught, and she shook her head to give herself time to collect herself.
“No,” she said, grinning. “I have nothing at all planned.”
She could sense Val smiling again and her heart fluttered. What she would give to see his face, no matter how disfigured he claimed it was.
“Well, would you like to accompany me to the horse stables?” he asked. “One of my mares recently gave birth, and I would like to personally check in on the foal and the mother.”
Cecily’s eyes widened. It had been ages since she had been to any stables, and she was speechless at the sudden invitation. It was something that once gave her much pleasure. But Val must have read her reaction as fear because he squeezed her hand again.
“I completely understand if you wish to remain at the manor house,” he said quickly. “Forgive me if I was thoughtless of your vision.”
Cecily shook her head, putting her free hand over Val’s and smiling brightly.
“Oh, not at all,” she said. “I would be absolutely delighted to accompany you to the stables. It has just been ages since I heard those words.”
Val took her hand and put it in his arm.
“Very well,” he said, his grin apparent in his voice. “Let us go.”
