“Truly?” she asked.
Val nodded, smiling.
“Truly,” he said. “In fact, after breakfast, I have an important business matter to oversee.”
His mother looked at him with wonder. She shook her head, but she was still smiling.
“I will never question or complain when you seem to be in such high spirits,” she said. “I hope that you have a wonderful day, darling.”
Val nodded. He felt somewhat guilty for the small lie he had told. And he was not exactly in as high of spirits as she thought. He was nervous and part of him still thought he was mad. But he had been honest when he said he thought having something of a normal life might now be possible. He just needed to be successful in the next part of his plan.
When the meal finished, he excused himself to his study. He needed to appear as though he did, indeed, need to prepare for business of some kind in town. So, he fetched an empty ledger and set it aside. He had the glass of liquor that he promised himself, which did wonders to alleviate his megrim. Then, he grabbed the ledger and summoned a carriage to take him into town at once.
During the trip, he rehearsed what he would say when he arrived at his destination. He refused to allow himself to have second thoughts. There was one thing he was sure of at that point: if he could have a normal life, that was his one and only chance. And he would not allow it to pass him by without at least trying to make it happen. He was a bundle of nerves by the time the coach pulled up the long driveway of Dervinshire Manor, but he was determined and committed to his idea.
As he waited to be shown in by the butler, he thought of the Earl. He knew he had a difficult case to make, and he could not be sure that the Earl would be as warm to him after he made his proposal as he had been the previous night. Would he turn on Val and banish him from his home forever? Would he think that Val was up to something sinister?
He swallowed his fear when the butler answered the door. The man studied him for a moment before giving him a warm, if nervous, smile.
“Good day, your Grace,” he said. “How may we help you?”
“Is Lord Dervinshire home?” he blurted.
The butler’s smile softened, and he nodded, bowing.
“This way, your Grace,” he said.
Val followed him through the modest halls of the Dervinshire mansion. It was smaller than his own, but no less clean, well-tended and well decorated. Seeing the brightly colored tapestries and upholstery made him think of the blind Lady Cecily.
He felt an unexpected wave of sympathy for her as he continued down the halls with the butler. Did she ever miss her sight? Was it difficult for her to navigate her way through her own childhood home? He flushed, shaming himself for thinking such things. He hated when people thought of him differently. Yet, here he was, doing it to a young woman who, he hoped, would soon become a big part of his life.
At last, they reached the study. He put his hands behind his back and took a deep breath so as not to wring them while trying to collect himself. The butler announced his arrival, and Lord Dervinshire welcomed him in with a warm, if puzzled tone.
“Good day, my lord,” he said, bowing stiffly. “I hope I am not interrupting anything with my unexpected visit.”
The Earl shook his head, gesturing for Val to take a seat. He poured them both a drink as Val sat, which the Duke accepted with deep gratitude.
“Not at all,” the Earl said. “How can I help you, your Grace?”
Val took a long pull from his glass, pleased that the liquor before him would now mask any lingering from his raucous night before. The Earl did the same, but he never took his eyes off of his unexpected companion. Val decided that he best get right to the matter which had taken him there. He set aside his glass, albeit reluctantly, and looked directly into the Earl’s eyes.
“I know that you and your family just met me last night,” he said with measured words. “But I come to you today to make an offer for the hand of your eldest daughter, Lady Cecily, in marriage.”
The Earl choked on a sip of his liquor. He recovered quickly, setting aside his glass, and wiping his mouth with his handkerchief. Val had expected a similar reaction. He just needed to prove that he was determined to stand his ground and fight for the proposal he had just made.
The Earl raised his eyebrows, his cheeks pink from the improper consumption of his drink.
“And what are your motives behind such an offer?” he asked.
Val’s heart skipped. It was not acceptance, but it was not an immediate rejection. It gave him a small bit of hope, and he ran with it.
“My mother informed me last night of Lady Cecily’s illness,” he said, gesturing to the left side of his face. “And I do not think that I need to explain to you how it is that I understand the difficulties of trying to find acceptance amongst theton.”
The Earl nodded, barely glancing at the side of his face. Val knew he did not need to, as he already knew of the horrific scarring. But it was encouraging that Lord Dervinshire did not commence screaming at him about him daring to identify with his daughter’s plight.
“Go on,” he said, not unkindly.
Val nodded, feeling more encouraged.
