“Do you happen to have berry pastries, by chance?” she asked.
Val’s stomach clenched. It occurred to him that Cecily would be able to sense even the slightest change in his behavior and demeanor. Her blindness had given her the extraordinary ability to sense everything going on around her. He could never tell her what those horrible women said about her. But he could not lie to Cecily, either. He knew that he would have to put all his energy into making sure his wife did not know anything was wrong.
He forced his entire body to relax as he mustered a warm, carefree smile.
“How on earth did you know?” he teased.
Cecily giggled.
“Just a lucky guess,” she said, winking at him.
Val’s heart squeezed, but he willed himself to keep being cheerful.
“Well, your guess was absolutely correct,” he said. “In fact, I have several berry pastries. Can you guess them all?”
Val settled into his seat as the coach pulled away from the curb. He was unsurprised when Cecily listed every single one of them. While he still felt awe at her incredible skill, it was also a reminder of how easily she would detect his distress. He was under a great deal of pressure to hide his feelings from his wife. But what choice did he have?
They arrived back to the manor a short time later, and Val dutifully helped the women out of the carriage. He ordered the footmen to take Cecily’s packages inside, but she held tightly to one box.
“I would like to take this one inside with us myself,” she said, smiling impishly.
Val studied her for a moment before nodding.
“Very well,” he said. “I will carry it, if you like.”
“No,” she said firmly, grinning again. “It is not heavy. I can carry it.”
Val raised an eyebrow but relented.
“Fine,” he said. “I will help you inside.”
They reached the door, where Mr. Roger waited to greet them.
“Welcome back, your Grace,” he said with pleasure in his tone.
“Thank you, Roger,” the Duke and Duchess said.
“I shall call for some tea,” Greta said as they walked in the mansion.
Cecily smiled.
“I think we should take tea in the pink parlour,” she said.
Val nodded and grinned, wincing with the effort he put into it.
“As you wish,” he said, taking his wife’s arm and leading her to the parlor.
“What did you buy?” Val asked as they reached the parlor and made themselves comfortable on the sofa.
Cecily brightened.
“Greta helped me pick out two hats,” she said. “I also bought some new perfume, hairpins and combs, and I bought some books that Greta and I have not found in the library.”
For a moment, Val was distracted from his turmoil by what his wife had said. Why would she buy books when she couldn't read them?
Cecily giggled, and he realized that the question must have been apparent on his face.
“I enjoy having books read to me,” she said. “Especially when I have trouble sleeping.”
