Cecily blushed and covered her mouth with her hands, but she forced herself to stand still.
“Which dress did you choose?” she asked.
Greta tugged Cecily’s corset in place and laced it up adeptly. Then, Cecily heard the rustling of skirts that told Cecily her maid had fetched the dress from the chair nearby.
“It is the pale blue one with a darker blue trim and ribbon,” she said. “And it has a matching bonnet.”
Cecily clapped, instantly stilling herself once more.
“Oh, that sounds lovely,” she said.
Greta chuckled.
“It will be, once we get you into it,” she said.
Cecily nodded.
“I will behave,” she said, erupting into another bout of giggles.
Greta sighed, but it was not with agitation. In fact, it sounded like it carried a great deal of relief and pleasure. Cecily knew that it must be heartwarming to Greta to see her as happy as she had been the past few days. And it thrilled Cecily to think that things could only continue getting better still.
There had not been a single moment of tension between her and Val in over a week. She was sure that they had finally built a strong, solid friendship. And in her heart, she believed that there was something between them beyond friendship. She felt they had a true connection and a mutual attraction for one another. She dared to believe that they might one day even fall in love.
Perhaps, that is what the surprise today is,Cecily thought dreamily. As soon as her conscious mind registered the idea, she gasped and squealed again.
“My Heavens,” Greta breathed. “What’s the matter? You scare me to death.”
Cecily hugged her maid, feeling the loosely laced dress flapping against her back.
“Maybe he will tell me that he loves me today,” she said excitedly. “He did say this would be something very special.”
Greta patted her back before gently turning her around again.
“Oh, your Grace,” she said. “That would be wonderful. But do not set your hopes so high that anything less would disappoint you. Let things happen in their own time and enjoy the journey in the meantime.”
Cecily nodded. Greta was right, of course. But she couldn’t help having high hopes. She couldn’t see the way Val looked at her, but she could feel the intensity of his gaze. She could also hear the warmth and affection in his voice and the smirk he got whenever he heard her laugh. It was not too far-fetched in her mind that he was preparing to tell her that he had deeper feelings for her than just those of friendship and companionship.
Still, she did her best to compose herself. She would hate to seem disappointed if Val’s surprise was a bit less intense than what she was hoping. She knew that whatever he had in store would be wonderful. And most importantly, it would mean more time they got to share together.
A short time later, Cecily and Greta made their way down the stairs. They stood in the hallway, halfway between the front door and the intersecting hallway that led to the main dining hall. Cecily’s heart was beating wildly, and she wondered if she would succeed in containing her excitement, after all.
“Your Grace,” Greta whispered. “If you smile any wider, your family will see it all the way from London.”
Cecily nodded.
“I am glad,” she said. “Oh, I cannot wait for us to write to Agnes again.”
Just then, Cecily caught the scent of the Duke’s sandalwood cologne. Chills raced up her spine and she turned her warm, excited smile on her husband as he approached the women.
“Good day,” she said warmly.
She sensed that Val had reached her, and she held out her arm for him to take.
“Good day, Cecily,” he said. His voice had not changed at all. But something felt wrong to Cecily.Don’t be silly,she scolded herself.You must calm down.
But as he took her arm, she could feel his tension. It shocked her like a bolt of lightning. She placed her hand gently over his and looked up toward his face.
“Is everything fine?” she asked.
