“It was rather eventful,” he said.
The Dowager raised her eyebrows, setting aside her cutlery and looking at her son intently.
“Oh?” she asked. “How so?”
Val took a deep breath.
“I met with the Earl of Dervinshire today,” he said.
His mother smiled brightly.
“How wonderful,” she said. “Were you there to discuss business?”
Of sorts,he thought, feeling ashamed for thinking of his proposal in such a manner.
“No,” he said. “It was something quite a bit different.”
His mother laughed softly.
“Well, do not keep me in suspense,” she said. “Why did you call in with Lord Dervinshire?”
Val gave her the biggest smile he could muster. Perhaps, if he looked pleased with himself, his mother would not be so quick to question his actions.
“I asked him for Lady Cecily’s hand in marriage,” he said.
The Dowager’s mouth fell open. She stared at Val for an uncomfortably long time, which made Val wish he had not told her.
“Darling,” she said, at last breaking the silence. “Why on earth would you do that?”
He blinked, looking at his mother with surprise.
“You wanted me to return to London to marry,” he said. “I am trying to do just that. And I thought you liked Lady Dervinshire and her daughters.”
The Duchess shook her head, blinking rapidly. Clearly, Val had utterly shocked his mother. He felt guilty. He had hoped that she would be happy about the news. Now, he felt as though he had put a burden on her, instead.
“Of course, I want you to marry,” she said gently. “And I adore Emily and her daughters. I just…” she trailed off, biting her lip as though really considering her words. “Are you sure that is what is best?”
Val shrugged. Truthfully, he didn’t know if it was best, especially for Lady Cecily. But he reminded himself that he was sincere about caring for her. And with her blindness, she would never be subjected to the scarring on his face. It seemed like a mutually beneficial arrangement to him. So, why was everyone questioning it?
“I believe that I made a wise decision,” he said.
His mother regarded him warily.
“I just want you to marry for the right reasons, darling,” she said. “I am concerned that, if you go through with this, you will not be.”
It was Val’s turn to bite his lip. And what did his mother think were the right reasons? Did she really believe that any of the sighted women in London would ever be able to tolerate being in the same room with him, let alone love him? Did she think that Lady Cecily would somehow take advantage of him?
“She is sweet and beautiful, and I don’t believe I could hope for anything more in a wife,” he said. “And I know that I will always do everything right by her. To me, those are pretty good reasons.”
The Duchess studied him for another moment. He could see concern and doubt in her eyes. Would she tell him that she didn’t approve?
“Please, just think about it, Val,” she said. “Such a marriage, especially if done for the wrong reasons, could lead to someone getting hurt. I do not want that, for either of you. I love you and I love Lady Cecily. I just want what is best for both of you.”
Val nodded. His guilt was nagging at him. He knew that his mother had to know that part of his reason for asking Lady Cecily to marry him was selfish. She was protective of him, but as she said, she loved the young woman, too.
Maybe it was selfish of him, and maybe he should reconsider. Or, perhaps, he could be honest with Lady Cecily and see what she said then. He silently excused himself, kissing his mother on the cheek to let her know he wasn’t angry with her. Then, he went to his study and poured himself a drink. He didn’t want to end up hurting Lady Cecily. But if he did not marry her, what other chance would he have?
Chapter Twelve
