Val ran his hand through his hair.
“It was for the best that I let her go, Mother,” he said. “Those ladies were right. A woman as beautiful and wonderful as Cecily deserves much better than me.”
His mother frowned.
“That is absolute nonsense,” she said. “You are letting your insecurities and the opinions of the wrong people help you make the wrong choices. You made a mistake, Val.”
Val was shaking his head before his mother had finished talking.
“No, Mother,” he said. “I made the right choice. Being married to me is not in Cecily’s best interest. In time, she will see that she is better off with her family, rather than being married to a hideous beast.”
The Dowager Duchess looked at the Duke with tired exasperation.
“Val,” she said, clasping her hands tightly in front of her. “I called in at Dervinshire Manor several days ago. I saw Cecily for myself.”
Val’s heart skipped.
“How is she?” he asked before he could stop himself. “Tell me,”
His mother looked at him with surprise before continuing.
“No,” she said matter-of-factly. “She is far from fine. In fact, she looks downright miserable. It’s as if she just exists from day to day. There is no happiness in her eyes and she hardly speaks. I can say with confidence that she is not eating properly.”
Val swallowed as tears filled his eyes. Was it possible that he had made a mistake, after all? Was his decision hurting Cecily more than remaining with him would have?
“I thought she would find happiness in being back with her family,” he said.
His mother shook her head sadly.
“She has not, Val,” she said. “She tries so that no one worries about her. But I could see it in her eyes. Her heart is broken because she is not where she wants to be.”
Val rubbed his eyes to rid them of tears. He had the answer to the question that had plagued him for the past two weeks. And the answer made him feel worse than ever.
He had not made the right decision. And now, Cecily was suffering, rather than finding the comfort and happiness he was sure she would have found in being with her family again. The happiness she deserved to feel.
“God,” he said, shaking his head and fighting back a wave of emotion. “What have I done?”
His mother walked over to him and put a firm hand on his shoulder. Though it was not an unkind gesture, he could feel her frustration and displeasure with him.
“You have hurt a lovely young lady,” she said. “One who clearly cares a great deal about you.” She sighed, and her voice softened. “I know that I cannot understand how you feel about the things the ton says. But Cecily can. Did you really not think that you could just speak with her about it? Do you think so little of her that you believed she would just turn her back on you?”
Val bit his cheek and shook his head again.
“No,” he said, his voice breaking. “I thought so highly of her that I felt she did not deserve any more shame than she feels over her illness. I love her so much that I did not wish for her to experience what I experienced for herself.”
His mother shook her head.
“When you love someone, you do not care what anyone else says or thinks,” she said. “Do you care what the ton thinks of Cecily’s blindness?”
“No,” Val answered without hesitation. All at once, he understood exactly what his mother was trying to say. “And Cecily does not care what they say about my scars.”
His mother, at last, gave him a small smile.
“That is right,” she said.
Val sighed.
“But what will I do now?” he asked, suddenly wrought with guilt and fear. “I have already hurt Cecily. She will never wish to see me again.”
